100 Books Like HMS Ulysses

This book is a profound meditation on human resilience that never fails to move me. I'm constantly in awe of Hemingway's ability to weave so much meaning into such a deceptively simple tale. The way Santiago's unwavering determination shines through, even in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds, resonates deeply with me.

I find myself returning to this book time and time again, drawing inspiration from the old man's quiet strength and dignity. The vivid portrayal of man's relationship with nature—both its beauty and its harsh realities—leaves me breathless. What I love most is how Hemingway captures the essence of the human spirit in Santiago's struggle, reminding me that true victory lies not in the outcome but in the perseverance of the journey.

As a kid, I was hooked on the vast wide-open freedom of this story. The notions of hidden treasure maps, buried fortunes, stealthy smugglers and dangerous pirates affected me in profoundly positive ways, stimulating a wanderlust and a love of adventure.

Although Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson set this swashbuckling tale on the south coast of England and on the elusive “Treasure Island” in the Caribbean, it was inspired by his childhood experiences in Scotland, most notably trips with his dad to rocky islands and promontories (RLS’s father was a lighthouse engineer who designed and built many iconic lighthouses).

When my father took the five-year-old me to The Admiral Benbow en route to a family holiday in Cornwall, I was amazed to find that the inn was a real place. It felt bristlingly alive to me, for this was the same inn where Billy Bones had lodged with the treasure… show more.

On his way into exile on Elba in HMS Undaunted, Napoleon Bonaparte, remarked on the conduct of British sailors, how silently and efficiently they went about their duties. It is true that discipline on British warships was strict, and punishment for offenders was harsh from flogging to hanging. However, contrary to some opinions, British seamen on the whole were happy with their lot. They were well-fed and were fairly treated. The maxim ‘train hard fight easy’ was prevalent with British sailors, this novelette undoubtedly reflects this attitude.

The Billy Budd story, set aboard HMS Bellipotent, is a microcosm of life in general; Duty, Patriotism, Envy, Camaraderie, Conspiracy, Jealousy, Justice, and Punishment. I have faced a similar dilemma that faced Captain Vere myself, although not a life and death decision, but having the choice of turning a blind eye to an offence against the Discipline Regulations or prosecuting the offender resulting in… show more.

You do not have to be a lover of seafaring novels to enjoy Dana’s memoir and his vivid descriptions of people and places. Two Years Before the Mast is a masterpiece of writing. As an Englishman, I have always enjoyed reading American prose; Steinbeck, Hemingway, Melville, they seem to write clearly and to the point without the long-windedness of some authors. 

How times have changed since the days when Dana was a seaman, (even when I was at sea in the 1950s 60s, and 70s) to today’s conditions for seafarers. My nephew who is a chief engineer with BP has the same amount of leave as the time he spends at sea, (4 months max) with the internet, skyping, and Netflix. He is highly paid and flown home first class. My contract was for 12 months, no leisure facilities on the ship, a letter now and then, and a train… show more.

For me, this is the epitome of the genre.

Monsarrat’s compelling 1951 novel follows the harrowing experiences of Royal Navy officers aboard a corvette battling German U-boats in the Atlantic. Drawing from the author’s own wartime service, the story presents an unflinching account of naval life – its camaraderie, hardship, and sacrifice. Central to the narrative is Lieutenant Commander George Ericson and his young officers, whose resilience is tested by the sea’s brutality and the demands of war.

Monsarrat’s prose is spare yet evocative, capturing both the heroism and the psychological toll of naval warfare with striking authenticity and emotional depth. 

This book is a gritty, realistic fiction novel about a WWII German U-boat captain and crew facing immense challenges from the elements and the enemy while attempting to sink as many allied merchant ships as possible before running out of torpedoes or being destroyed. I particularly appreciated a view of war from “the other side” and details of life aboard a cramped submarine in wartime. The book is a timeless exploration of the privations faced by seamen who dare to wage war at sea. The tragic ending mirrors reality and adds irony and pathos to the story. I found this to be a page-turner that was very hard to put down once started.      

I met Douglas Reeman only once but I owe him a debt since he inspired me on that occasion to start writing seriously. He served as a Royal Navy officer in WW2 and saw extensive service in destroyers and motor torpedo boats. He survived a sinking, during which he was injured, and was wounded again off Normandy. He wrote many novels about war at sea—those of WW1 and WW2 under his own name, and as “Alexander Kent” about the Age of Fighting Sail. They’re all splendidly exciting reads in which fortitude, duty, and loyalty—to one’s ship, crew, and country—and the brutal realities of war are portrayed with a great feel of realism. He claimed HMS Saracen as his favourite—and, when read, it’s easy to see why!

Marryat is known as the “Father or Naval Fiction” who established a genre that still flourishes. In 1806, at fourteen, he joined the Royal Navy as a midshipman. In the next nine years he saw service—and battle—against the French and American navies, at one stage under the command of the legendary frigate captain Thomas Cochrane. Marryat retired as a captain in 1830 to devote himself to writing. This novel is based on his own early years in the navy. It’s light in tone and very readable but there’s no sentimentality when he deals with losses and injury. One suspects that it reflects the gallows' humour that carried the navy through those long years. I’ve always loved it!

Not just another book on World War II—Sailor’s Heart by Martin Campbell is a story that has not been told before. It is the fictionalized (but heavily and exhaustively researched) story of three Royal Navy sailors who experienced traumas that rendered them unable to go on. Campbell says the condition “sailor’s heart” is the loss of interest in the battle and then the will to fight or the will to live.” With no end to the war in sight, the men are sentenced to an undefined period of rehabilitation in a Royal Navy hospital that has anything but the men’s best interests at heart. Their plight and struggle to survive are palpable and gripping.

I love everything by the renowned historian Max Hastings, and Inferno is one of his most absorbing works. I loved this book in particular because, unlike most World War II books–which focus on either (1) how Roosevelt, Churchill, Stalin, Hitler, Mussolini, and other leaders conducted the war or (2) how soldiers, sailors, and aviators fought it on the ground, in the seas, or from the air–this book does both.

It puts you in the room with FDR and other world leaders, and it puts you on the battlefield in the Pacific, northern Africa and Italy, the Soviet Union, and finally, Germany and Japan as the Axis Powers fall in ignominious defeat. Even after 651 pages, I didn’t want this book to end.