A few hundred miles off the Galapagos Islands a school of killer whales rams Dougal Robertson's 43-foot schooner. Sixty seconds later the boat has sunk and Robertson and crew are in their inflatable raft with a bag of onions, oranges and lemons and a kitchen knife.

Prevailing winds and shipping routes mean their best option is to make for the Doldrums and the Costa Rican coast 1,000 miles away, and Survive the Savage Sea (A.& T. Black, £10.95 in UK), is the tale of that 38-day journey to rescue. It's also an amazing tale of courage and resourcefulness with enough gory details about sharks, salt-water enemas and cabin fever to keep the pages whipping over.