This maritime history recounts dramatic tales of rescue at sea by the brave members of the 200-year-old Royal National Lifeboat Institution. Whenever vessels have foundered off the coasts of Britain, there have been brave individuals willing to give their all to save those in peril. But in 1823, Sir William Hillary decided that this impromptu approach was not enough. He believed that many more lives could be saved by the establishment of a national, organized rescue service. His idea was realized the following year with the Royal National Lifeboat Institution. From the days of oar-powered open boats to modern, hi-tech vessels, rescuers have battled storms and unimaginable conditions, risking – and sometimes forfeiting – their own lives in efforts to save others. The most outstanding of these operations led to the awarding of gold medals for gallantry, the RNLI version of the Victoria Cross. Drawn from archives, contemporary newspaper accounts and genealogical records, this book looks not just at the details of the rescues, but into the people behind them.

This is the fictionalised story of the rescue of seamen trapped on a Polish ship off the mouth of the River Tees, Teeside.

This book takes a fresh look at the creation of the Institution, and its early founders and examines how it has responded over 200 years.

'This is a book about real people, real stories, real heroes. You might not know their faces, and you might not know their names - but once you've met them, you'll never forget them.' Ben Shephard is passionate about people - their lives, their stories and their challenges. Presenting one of the UK's most popular TV breakfast shows, Ben frequently meets people with stories that reaffirm our collective faith in humanity. This is a book about those special stories. It is about the real people Ben has met and their real acts of everyday heroism which inspire and lift us all up, even on the gloomiest days. From the old friend running marathons to raise money for children with heart conditions (and roping Ben in with him), to the man fighting for our right to safe housing, to the founder of an equestrian school that helps trauma survivors; these are stories of ordinary people who have taken it upon themselves to make the world a better place. In a world that can feel increasingly complicated and divisive, Humble Heroes is a rousing tonic to remind us of what we can achieve through determination and positivity - and of the essential goodness of human nature.

The achievements of the RNLI, often romanticised, depend on ordinary people doing extraordinary things. This book tells the story of the last 50 years of the lifeboat service through the words and actions of the people involved. In the period since the Second World War, particularly from the mid-1960s, the RNLI has experienced the most rapid changes in its long history. The transition from conventional to fast lifeboats, the introduction of inshore boats and the expansion into beach rescue and sea safety have all dramatically changed the lifeboat service. Ray and Susannah's narrative draws on their personal and extensive inside knowledge plus first hand accounts of the rescues and the decisions that shaped the changing lifeboat service.

A generously illustrated survey of memorials to different kinds of seafarers, recounting the stories behind them.