Mayday! Mayday! : The History of Coastal Rescue in Britain and Ireland

Lifeboats occupy a particular place in people's hearts, as unpaid volunteers regularly take to their boats—often in extremely adverse conditions—to rescue others from the sea. The stories that go with lifeboats and their crews are those of courage, sacrifice, community, and the coastline. No matter if one is on holiday by the coast, or living inland, we are always aware of the work these brave crews do, and also aware of the tremendous affection the RNLI has throughout the whole of the British Isles. An island race appreciates those who risk their lives continually to help those endangered at sea. May-Day! May-Day! showcases the work, over many years, that the RNLI crews have undertaken, using the technology and training of their time to go out into dangerous waters to rescue people. It contains a great deal of useful/technical information to give the reader all the background information to the science of saving lives at sea. The RNLI is close to the hearts of the British public, who want to know more about their work today, but also historically how they have evolved. With archive material, first-person interviews of station commanders, rescuers, etc. plus scientific illustrations and maps, this book will be the first to bring together the history and technology, people and crews, triumphs and disasters of the RNLI together in one book.

Karen Farrington and Nick Constable are freelance reporters who run their own company, Westcoast News, in Parracombe. Nick won the National Press's Independent Short Story Award five years ago with a 20th anniversary piece on the Penlee Lifeboat Disaster.