Rough Water: Stories of Survival from the Sea (The Adrenaline Series) (v. 1)

Clint Willis, the anthologist de l'extrème who brought us High, takes to the brine for a wide-lens collection of tales from the high seas in Rough Water. Much of it aims for the outer reach as portrayed in Sebastian Junger's Perfect Storm. Armchair navigators will thrill to the dangers and codes of honor that intermingle in the surf, as in Robin Knox-Johnston's stiff-upper-lip telling of his solo circumglobal sail: "I was in the lead and stood a slight chance of winning, and I felt that this would be worth giving an eye for, so I carried on." And like many anthologies, this one may draw readers to the full-length versions. Tony Farrington's harrowing account of a rescue in the South Pacific stands on its own, but others, like Steven Callahan's "Adrift: Seventy-six Days Lost at Sea," beg for a full telling. Not recommended for a pleasure cruise. --Tipton Blish