Gathering new and rare stories from Patrick O'Brian, C. S. Forester, Kenneth Bulmer, Richard Butler, and many others, veteran anthologist Mike Ashley has gathered together many of the best-loved writers of seafaring stories. Their tales collected here of storms and shipwrecks, the great sea battles of the Napoleonic era, and the sheer, dangerous excitement of manning the mast, bring to life the call of the sea in all its varieties.

Among the favorite heroes in this Mammoth anthology are Captain Jack Aubrey, Adam Hardy, Horatio Hornblower, and Nathaniel Drinkwater in new adventures written especially for this volume, rare gems, and old favorites. There are also classic stories from such original masters as Herman Melville, Cutcliffe Hyne, Frederick Marryat, Showell Styles, and Harriet Hudson. With a special introduction by Alexander Kent, The Mammoth Book of Men O' War shows the sailors' life aboard the great ships that sailed for trade, discovery or warfare.