Which of us does not fall under the spell of lists? We thought that a basic reading list focusing on seafaring and the passion for the sea would be of interest to sea lovers, so we rolled up our sleeves and created a small library of one shelf from thousands of valuable works on the sea.

 

Almost every sea lover is also a book lover. Even those who have never made peace with books ask for book recommendations on the boat. Of course, marine publishing is a vast sea. There are hundreds and thousands of special books on dozens of topics ranging from technical to culinary, from archaeology to sports. There is no doubt that choosing a handful of books is an ambitious task. Nevertheless, there are books that almost every sailor loves, agrees on, and can't part with. We have prepared such a list by reading, collecting, researching, consulting and making use of the recommendations of the Amateur Maritime Federation.

 

When selecting the books, we deliberately (and a little sadly) avoided high-priced, boutique books. We have included the most recent editions of many works, and for a few we have recommended different editions for special reasons. A little bit mesmerized by the net numbers, we limited the list to 15 books. Of course, there are many more titles to be opened, from mythology to communication. We left them for a second list.

 

Choosing only a handful of books out of the thousands written on sailing is like limiting the Blue Voyage to one or two bays. But sometimes even a single bay is enough to enjoy a whole voyage.

 

Memoir: Pupa Sailing, Kismet's World Voyage, Sadun Boro, Denizler Bookstore, 2008. (with 35 minutes CD)

Archeology: The Door to the Past: Yenikapı Shipwrecks, Ufuk Kocabaş, Ege Publications, 2015.

Environment: Deep Blue Atlas, Bülent Gözcelioğlu, Ö. Faruk Aydıncılar, photo: Ferda Büyükbaykal, TÜBİTAK Popular Science Books, 2001.

Sea Creatures: Fish and Fisheries in Turkey, Karekin Deveciyan, trans. Erol Üyepazarcı, Aras Publications, 2006.

Maritime Culture: Docking at the Pier: Seas, Ships, Sailors... Orhan Berent, Murat Koraltürk, İletişim Publications, 2013.

Maritime Technique: Amateur Mariner Handbook, Sezar Atmaca (ed.), ADF Publications, 26th Edition, 2023.

Literature: Aganta Burina Burinata, Fisherman of Halicarnassus, Remzi Bookstore, 1963.

Meteorology: Instant Weather Forecasting, Alan Watts, trans. Engin Sözen, Gökhan Abur, İletişim Publications, 5th Edition, 2012.

Kitchen: Ottoman Sea Cuisine, Yunus Emre Akkor, Zennup Pınar Çakmakcı, Alfa Publications, 2013.

Museology: Maritime Museums and Maritime Museology "In the World and in Turkey", Serhan Kazankaya Aras, Ed. Bekir Onur, Directorate of Naval Press, 2012.

Guide: Blue Voyage Guide, Ali Boratav, Ege Publications, 3rd Edition, 2022.

Art: Blue Book: The Sea and Painters in Turkish Painting, edited by Haldun Dostoğlu, Zeynep Ögel, Koçbank, 2002.

Dictionary: The Great Dictionary of the Sea: Denizluk, Mustafa Pultar, İş Bankası Publications 2022.

Sports: Godforsaken Sea, Derek Lundy, trans. Hülya Leigh, Naviga Publ. 2007.

History: Turkish Maritime History (2 Vol.), ed. İdris Bostan, Salih Özbaran, Naval Forces Command Publication, 2009.