This enthusiastically reviewed, scrupulously researched, and Mountbatten Maritime Prize-winning book chronicles a resonant episode of Victorian history led by Samuel Plimsoll, MP, "The Sailor's Friend," and his wife Eliza, who worked together to defend sailors against nefarious practices including overloading and the use of unseaworthy "coffin ships." It is the tale of the decade of agitation that was known as the Plimsoll Sensation and takes us from storm ravaged seas to the heart of the British establishment, featuring courtroom conflicts and outrageous breaches of protocol in the House of Commons. The backlash of libel cases and vilification almost ruined Plimsoll, but his drive and passion made him feverishly popular with the public; he was the subject of plays, novels, street ballads, and music hall songs. With the demonstrative support of his country, he faced down his enemies, came close to ousting Disraeli's government, and achieved lasting safety measures for merchant sailors, including the load line that bears his name.

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