Unsinkable Lights (Hardback)
Charles H. Lightoller’s Epic Tale of Hope and Survival
Imprint: Pen & Sword Maritime
Pages: 272
ISBN: 9781036141462
Published: 16th February 2026
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| Other formats available | Price |
|---|---|
| Unsinkable Lights eBook (3.0 MB) Add to Basket | £14.99 |
From the sinking of the Titanic to the heroic rescue at Dunkirk, Charles H. Lightoller’s life was anything but ordinary. Unsinkable Lights tells the gripping story of a man who braved and survived four shipwrecks, raging storms, a pandemic, a revolution in South America, being stranded on a desert island and two World Wars.
Orphaned young and drawn to the sea aged just 13, Lightoller’s early adventures took him across the globe, from deserted islands to gold rush expeditions in the Canadian wilderness. Then, in 1912, as the most senior surviving officer of the Titanic, he saved countless lives and narrowly escaped death himself, three times in one night. When the First World War began, he continued his daring feats, sinking a German U-boat. During the Second World War, he took his motor yacht, Sundowner, and set out for Dunkirk to rescue members of the British Expeditionary Force. Though the Sundowner was only constructed to hold around 20 people, Lightoller's yacht dodged enemy bombs and gunfire to save 127 soldiers from France.
A thrilling tale of courage, survival, and an unbreakable spirit, with details that have never been published before, Unsinkable Lights is the definitive biography of a man who truly earned his place in history.
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"This is more than the story of one man. It is a picture of a different age, a maritime age still visible to us but rapidly slipping from view astern. Author Dustin D. Hyland has thoroughly researched the background to a succession of dramatic events. It is fascinating account, well told."
World War II Today
As featured by
Military History Research Group
"If ever there was a biography packed with courage and unbreakable spirit, then this is it."
Model Boats - April 2026
About Dustin D Hyland
Dustin Hyland is an author, historian, and a twenty-three-year veteran of the United States Navy. Most of his career was spent aboard numerous warships, fostering in him a passion for the sea. He holds a BA in Business Administration from Columbia College, as well as three graduate degrees from Liberty University, an MBA, an MA in Professional Writing, and an MFA in Creative Writing. Unsinkable Lights is his debut book, and he looks forward to sharing the incredible and harrowing story of Charles H. Lightoller with readers.






