A voyage to the sea

By Denis Gorman, published by Matador, at £9.99 It’s a book in two parts essentially, both redemptive: the first deals with Gorman’s difficult childhood in some of the less salubrious parts of Glasgow and his escape to the Royal Navy where he saw action in the Falklands War before being invalided out with dermatitis. The second sees Denis adrift again, attempting to drop anchor in the conventional ways, with a wife, child, sensible job, but unable to make it hold.

Soon the words of his beloved father grew louder and louder, urging him to ‘Turn back to life.’ This he began to do by buying and refitting a 23ft Virgo Voyager, but it wasn’t until he became inspired to take on the oceans that Denis’ transformation was complete. It’s a well-written tale of one man’s time at both ends of the emotional spectrum.