Maggie Shipstead's 6 favorite works about the sea and sky
The novelist recommends works by Peter Nichols, Mark Vanhoenacker, and more

In her novel Great Circle — an acclaimed best-seller now in paperback — Maggie Shipstead interwove the stories of a missing 1950s female aviator and a film actress hired to play her. Below, Shipstead recommends six other books about the sea or sky.
A Voyage for Madmen by Peter Nichols (2001)
This is a riveting account of a 1968-69 round-the-world solo-sailing race, in which nine yachtsmen set out and only one finished. Nichols expertly tells how the others were picked off by storms, wrecks, illness, loneliness, fatigue, idealism (oddly enough), and, in one case, the impossible, madness-inducing burden of deception. Buy it here.
The Outlaw Sea by William Langewiesche (2004)
I'm a huge admirer of Langewiesche's aviation writing, too, but this book changed the way I understand the world. Without wasting a word, he lays bare the hardships of merchant sailors, the dangers of piracy and of maritime accidents, and the formidable challenges of imposing order on the vast and borderless ocean. Buy it here.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
West With the Night by Beryl Markham (1942)
Markham's iconic and exceptionally elegant memoir of growing up as the ultimate free-range child in Kenya culminates in her historic westbound flight across the Atlantic, the first-ever solo and nonstop against the wind. A spare but vivid glimpse of a singular woman. Buy it here.
Maiden Voyage by Tania Aebi (1989)
In 1985, Aebi's father gave her an ultimatum: Go to college or sail solo around the world. She chose sailing. I read this account of her journey when I was a teenager and was enraptured by the glamour (and eventual romance) of her adventure, though she doesn't sugarcoat her struggles, frustrations, and doubts. Buy it here.
Spreading My Wings by Diana Barnato Walker (1994)
A fast-living English society girl and hobbyist pilot, Walker spent World War II ferrying warplanes around the U.K. and to Europe. She chronicles those years in this chatty memoir full of hijinks, close scrapes, and losses. Reading it feels like spending a rainy afternoon at the feet of your favorite great-aunt, regaled with anecdotes from an extremely well-lived life. Buy it here.
Skyfaring by Mark Vanhoenacker (2015)
It's easy to forget what an astonishing, recent thing it is that we can freely traverse this planet's skies. Vanhoenacker, a 747 pilot, has not lost his sense of awe, and his wise, deliberate book offers behind-the-scenes tidbits and philosophical musings on flight, beauty, and our planet. Buy it here.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
This article was first published in the latest issue of The Week magazine. If you want to read more like it, you can try six risk-free issues of the magazine here.
-
Book reviews: 'The Mission: The CIA in the 21st Century' by Tim Weiner and 'The Aviator and the Showman: Amelia Earhart, George Putnam, and the Marriage That Made an American Icon' by Laurie Gwen Shapiro
feature
-
Trump contradicts Israel, says 'starvation' in Gaza
Speed Read The president suggests Israel could be doing more to alleviate the suffering of Palestinians
-
Sydney Sweeney's 'great jeans': why American Eagle ad is so controversial
Talking Point Series of adverts featuring American actress Sydney Sweeney cause storm around race and eugenics
-
Geoff Dyer's 6 favorite books about the realities of war
Feature The award-winning author recommends works by Ernie Pyle, Michael Herr, and more
-
Laura Lippman's 6 favorite books for those who crave a high-stakes adventure
Feature The Grand Master recommends works by E.L. Konigsburg, Charles Portis, and more
-
Thomas Mallon's 6 favorite books from the 80's and early 90's
Feature The author recommends works by James Merrill, Calvin Trillin, and more
-
Anne Hillerman's 6 favorite books with Native characters
Feature The author recommends works by Ramona Emerson, Craig Johnson, and more
-
John Kenney's 6 favorite books that will break your heart softly
Feature The novelist recommends works by John le Carré, John Kennedy Toole, and more
-
Andrea Long Chu's 6 favorite books for people who crave new ideas
Feature The book critic recommends works by Rachel Cusk, Sigmund Freud, and more
-
Bryan Burrough's 6 favorite books about Old West gunfighters
Feature The Texas-raised author recommends works by T.J. Stiles, John Boessenecker, and more
-
Tash Aw's 6 favorite books about forbidden love
Feature The Malaysian novelist recommends works by James Baldwin, Toni Morrison, and more