Customer Reviews

The Shipkiller: A Novel

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

It is a shame this book is out of print. Good modern sailing fiction is rare. The protagonist knows sailboats and carries out his revenge in an exciting and, more importantly, plausable tale. The book is a little dated in its treatment of the Iranians (It was written when the Shah ruled) but its best quality is its authenticity. A great read for sailors. Why must we go back to the 1800s for good sailing fiction ?

I have been sailing for years and found this hoaky sounding book in a desperate, lack of things to read moment. I have now read it three times and I always loan it out and never get it back. Best adventure story I've ever read. A short time ago I bought a kindle and the first book I tried to download, as you might imagine, was The Ship Killer. I couldn't believe it wasn't available. I've been afraid to read any of the other Justin Scott books because after The Ship Killer they would have to be anticlimactic.

I read this when it was first released and then finally found a copy and read it again last past year - twice. Still thrilled me! Even though some events are dated, you can enjoy this book on many levels. You can feel the stresses and emotions in his characters. Men and women will enjoy the romantic side of the novel. Scott gives you an incredible, technically accurate, sailing adventure on a Swan (one of the world's coolest yachts)to be enjoyed by sailors from armchair to high seas. Read it, you won't regret it!

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I've spent time on the ocean, and I've built sailboats. This book conveys the beauty, fear, and wonder of the ocean as well as any sailor's epitaph. The sorrow, joy, and hatred felt by the main character, and and the vengience with which he pursues his antagonist is riveting. My pulse raced for hours on end at the climax of the struggle.

This is the hard cover version of my favorite modern sailing novel. I have contacted the author and asked for a signed copy of the hard cover book (I have previously reviewed the paperback) but he wrote back that he had none to sell privately. I finally found a used copy and will treasure it. Even though it was written 30 years ago, it is one of the best sailing novels I've read and one of a very, very few from the modern era of sailing.

The story once again, is of a man who loses his wife when their cruising ketch is run down by a huge tanker, the world's largest, in the English Channel. He tries to have the captain or the owners prosecuted for reckless navigation but they are too powerful. Having been frustrated in the legal system, he decides to take his own revenge by sinking it.

He is aided by a black Nigerian woman doctor who treated him after his vessel was sunk and who has fallen in love with him. He is also aided by an Israeli agent who may or may not be really on his side. The sailing action is absolutely authentic. The boat he uses in the novel is a Swan 38 and I have sailed the same design through a hurricane. It is great reading.

This is a fantastic novel of sailing written by someone who truly understands the sport. I can't recommend it highly enough. An apparent (but uncredited) sequel is "Fire and Ice" by Paul Garrison. Not quite as good as The Shipkiller, but a fine novel none the less.

As a seafaring man I can honestly say that this book has brought me closer to the Deep Blue Sea and the edge of excitement than anything else I have ever read.

I was so glad to find a copy of this great book! This is the third time I have read this book since 1980 and it never gets stale! Justin Scott's claasic nautical tale is an amazing and highly entertaining read. The pace is as if you are the one sailing the high seas with alluring ports of call and characters. Covert and clandestine; steady as she goes!

After enjoying "The Wrecker" by Justin Scott, I checked to see what else he had written. "The Shipkiller" is a 30 year earlier work and held special interest to me as a sailor. The book is long out of print, but I was able to obtain a used hardbound copy in decent condition at Amazon.

The nautical action sequences are first rate, but the premise is a bit of a stretch for me at times. Peter Hardin is hellbent on revenge to the point of being crazy and yet manages to get several near strangers (e.g. Ajaratu Akanke, Culling, Miles Donner) to support his cause. And the incident in the Indian Ocean doldrums was very cliché. Anyway, it's fiction, so I accepted these shortcomings so as not to get in the way of enjoying an otherwise good book.

I was given this book in 1978. I was on an Alaskan sailing voyage at the time. I read it in one long sitting while we sat at anchor in a remote bay during a storm. I sent my copy to my family in the Midwest, and everybody in my clan read it. (I am one of 13 kids.) My folks both gobbled it up too. By the time my copy came back, its binding was shot, and it was held together with a rubber band. But I continued to loan it out for 27 years. I recently scored a hard-bound copy. After I handed it to my 16 year old, it was difficult to distract him with anything else -- even his computer gaming fell off! My 13 year old is immersed in it now. This book has sticking power. For the boys I had to download a set of plans for the Dr. Hardin's boat, so I could point out the features discussed in the book. Plus, I've made sure they have an atlas at hand, so they can follow the voyage.

This book is great fun, with a great theme, and a salty flavor. David v. Goliath at sea. No Republicans need apply.