Thomas Clark

I am most interested in researching and writing about 19th century British and American maritime history. As a former surfer, my respect for the sea has always been great and that respect has evidenced itself in my work understanding the causes of various shipwrecks.

I love stories about great storms at sea-hurricanes, gales and blizzards- but in my first two books, I discovered calamities that occurred in becalmed seas under non-threatening skies. These disasters resulted from lapses in judgment and usually involved intoxication by commanders and crew.

My current research centers on the retelling of the overlooked emigrant shipwrecks of North America and Australia.

In my first book, No Fighting Chance, I sought to understand not just the disaster itself-its causes, rescues and legal implications-but why a poor land-bound individual would ever take a chance at sea in an environment completely alien and outside their control.

Professionally I am a CFO in the campus of a major university and possess both a J.D. and MBA which is a lens I often use to view my research through. My desire is to retell the story through the eyes of the passengers, both victims and survivors, and it allows me today to connect with many of their descendants. There is great satisfaction in doing this in my blog which also allows my readers to formerly connect with one another.