From the mouths of readers...

We asked a few readers what their favourite bit(s) were. Here's what they said...

“…is about his first ship. He thinks he’s getting this sleek passenger liner, but it turns out to be a rusting old tramp called Manipur. He’s cold, seasick, and surrounded by Indian crew he can barely communicate with. But somehow, that miserable start becomes the beginning of everything.”

“…his night watches in the Pacific. Just him, the stars, and Patrick Moore’s astronomy book. No city lights, just constellations and a calm sea. It’s honestly beautiful—he captures a kind of peace that’s hard to describe.”

“…is the time at the Warsash training school. It’s all cold dawn bugle calls, runs in the rain, military-style inspections—and he finds a loophole by volunteering as the bugler to skip the runs. It’s so raw and funny. Feels like the navy’s version of The Inbetweeners.”

“…his very first meal at sea—mulligatawny soup—which he promptly throws up into the bowl. They cure his seasickness by sticking him out on the freezing bridge wing for hours. Brutal, but effective! He never gets seasick again. That’s proper old-school seamanship.”

“…how every single chapter brings something wild—vomiting into soup one minute, dodging terrorists on the QE2 the next. It’s not just a memoir; it’s an adventure series where every story is somehow true. I didn’t want it to end.”

“…the equator crossing ceremony (I won't spoil the details). I didn't know about this tradition. It’s gross and hilarious, but you can tell how proud he is to officially become a ‘shellback’.”

“…the moment he moves from rustbucket tramp steamers to the pristine Port Caroline. Full uniforms, passengers, mess kits—it’s a completely different world. Suddenly he’s wearing a cummerbund and serving lamb cutlets with silver service. Unreal transformation.”

“…the one where Nick’s about to be packed off to an Israeli kibbutz after getting expelled, but then he spots this tiny ad for the Merchant Navy in the Sunday paper. No clue about ships, but he applies anyway—and that random decision kicks off a decade of insane adventures. Classic sliding-doors moment.”

“…is the rickshaw race in Calcutta. Nick and another cadet each hire a rickshaw and bet on who gets back to the ship first. His driver crashes mid-race, blood everywhere. He loses the race but gives the guy a huge tip. It’s such a mix of humour and heart.”

“…the time he’s repainting the deck and a military flypast kicks off. VIP guests rush out to watch—right through the wet paint! He ends up covering people’s shoes in thick green gloss. Twice. The footprints might still be there!”

“…when he discovers the SAS secretly bringing machine guns aboard the QE2. He walks in on them, reports it—and they tell him to ‘piss off’. Even the first officer gets the same! Turns out the ship’s under threat and no one told him. Unreal.”

“…when he gets a last-minute call to join the QE2. One day he’s at home on leave, next he’s alone on the bridge of the most famous liner in the world. You can feel the awe and disbelief in his writing—it’s such a turning point.”

“…when he gets sent off to Petra with two officers’ wives. He’s just 18, driving across the Jordanian desert with two middle-aged women and a taxi driver—and they end up in this lost city with no other tourists around. It’s surreal, cinematic, and kind of magical.”

“…when he goes on an elephant ride in Sri Lanka and ends up getting repeatedly slapped by the elephant’s twitchy ear. Ends the day with a bruise on his thigh the size of a melon. Totally not the serene wildlife moment he expected!”

“…when he totally blags his way into a cadetship by claiming his great-grandad served on a legendary sailing ship. The captain’s impressed, he gets the job—only to find out years later it wasn’t even true! His entire career starts with a fib, and somehow that just makes it better.”

“…when he’s put in charge of guarding the ship’s liquor locker. It’s his first ‘real’ job and he takes it so seriously. You can picture this teenage cadet standing protectively over crates of whisky like he’s guarding treasure.”

“…when he’s steering the ship into the Houston Ship Canal and they suddenly have to take evasive action to avoid a gas barge. He swings the ship into a jetty, smashes it—but potentially saves thousands of lives. And the pilot just says, ‘Well done, son.’ Mad.”

“…when the QE2 meets an American aircraft carrier mid-cruise, and Admiral Pringle comes aboard by helicopter. He even jokes that Nick will be captain by 30. The image of jets roaring overhead and Nick sheepishly accepting the compliment—it’s cinematic.”

“…when the ship breaks down in the middle of the Indian Ocean. It’s boiling hot, there’s no air-con or water, and they’re adrift for days. So what do they do? Start shark fishing. They actually catch one—and it goes berserk on deck. Chaos!”

“…when they spot a distress flare in the middle of the Pacific and rescue a couple whose yacht is literally sinking beneath them. No radio, no backup—just pure luck that Nick’s ship sees them in time. Proper sea rescue stuff.”What are your favourite bits? Tell us in the comments.

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