Death of a Supertanker [Hardcover]

Anthony Trew (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 21, 1988

The deck of Ocean Mammoth stretched nearly a fifth of a mile from bridge to bows; it rose above the water-line to the height of a ten story building. Yet in a time of falling freight rates and dwindling cargoes it had no useful part to play—it had to die. But the death of a supertanker is not easily contrived if it must appear to have been an accident. The conspiracy to take Ocean Mammoth to her doom involved meticulous planning and ruthless execution. The question of responsibility remained unanswered until the final stages of the Court of Inquiry, when the truth emerges in a moment of sudden drama.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Antony Trew commanded an escort destroyer on Russian convoys and wrote with total authenticity of what Winston Churchill once called the "worst journey in the world." He served with the South African and Royal Navies in the South Atlantic, the Mediterranean and the Western Approaches. He was awarded the DSC. He died in 1996. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 220 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers (July 21, 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0002224747
• ISBN-13: 978-0002224741
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10,299,093 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Well-crafted plot, drama and technical accuracy, August 3, 1998

By 

Philip Rankin ([e-mail]) (France) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Death of a supertanker (Loose Leaf)

Thjis is a book that deserves to have remained in print. It is the story of an oil tanker casualty off East Africa, the sinking of the ship, the loss into the sea of its oil cargo, and the subsequent enquiry into how it happened, conducted in South Africa. Was it the crew? The owners cost-cutting? Bab builders? Deficient work in drydock? Or freak weather in an area notorious for it?

The drama is kept nicely on the boil with no resort to the ridiculous. The technical content is near-perfect. A first-class read for sea professional, sea novel reader and discerning thriller-addict alike.

3.0 out of 5 stars A good sea story, April 20, 2005

By 

HORAK (Zug, Switzerland) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Death of a Supertanker (Hardcover)

The deck of the "Ocean Mammoth" stretches nearly a fifth of a mile from bridge to bows; its superstructure rises above the water-line to a height of a ten storey building; loaded it displaces 320,000 tons; it is among the latest and finest of the monster tankers that swarm in ever increasing numbers across the oceans; yet in a time of falling freight rates and dwindling cargoes it has no useful part to play. It has to die. But the death of a supertanker is not easily contrived if it has to appear as an accident. The conspiracy to take "Ocean Mammoth" to her doom involves meticulous planning and ruthless execution.
But even then the story is far from over, for who is responsible? The formidable and withdrawn Captain Crutchley, whose secret disability nags incessantly at his security? Freeman Jarrett, the flamboyantly handsome chief officer, driven by restless ambition and boundless conceit? Foley, the capable but colourless navigating officer, striving to hold a wife too attractive and extravagant for his peace of mind? Or is it someone else? Some other crewman who had access to the complex electronic systems upon which the supertanker's safety depends?
These questions remain unanswered until the final stages of the Court of Enquiry, when the truth emerges in a moment of sudden drama...