Apart from being generally unfamiliar to most people, Maritime Law has two distinctive characteristics. One is narrow, namely that it contains esoteric principles and rules which are peculiar to itself. The other is broad, namely that it ranges over many parts of the general law, so that its concern is frequently the practical application of those parts of the general law within a particular, if large, environment. Both features combine to limit its accessibility to the more general reader and can limit the literature available to facilitate access. The subject matter of the present work, work accidents at sea, appears to be a special Cinderella in that, even within Maritime Law, authors and publishers are more prone to trawl familiar areas such as carriage of goods by sea than some of the less explored areas, so that the actual operation of the law within a specialist area, even when derived from more familiar sources, is not easily discoverable. The current book seeks to remedy that deficiency within its chosen subject.

It is aimed at a general, rather than a specialist legal, audience and is presented accordingly, in a large format with glossy pages, and beginning at the beginning. It assumes no prior practical or legal knowledge and explains even the simplest terms very simply. This is not to demean the work, for rendering the law accessible to laymen involved in a particular area and for lawyers wanting a vade mecum is a useful service; and one should not underestimate the real contribution that can be made by experts in the area distilling their knowledge into simple terms. Moreover, it fortunately resists the growing trend to repeat at length details of more general law applying in this particular environment.

The book therefore provides a useful framework for its subject, covering in a short space relevant terminology, aspects of health and safety, limitation of liability, admiralty claims, offshore installations and diving claims. Over half of the book is made up of appendices including, in particular, the text of relevant Merchant Shipping Regulations in a handy form. The book does not aim to be discursive or profound but is a useful introduction to the subject. It remains to be seen whether this will pique sufficient interest that it will in time grow into a more ambitious work.