This is the second edition of a book which in its first edition, according to the publishers’ blurb, achieved enormous popularity. The reviewer must admit to not having seen the earlier edition, but on the evidence of the new edition has no reason to doubt either the claim or its continued truth. A topic such as marine claims is potentially as wide as an author chooses to make it, for every aspect of the creation and validity of the policy may be regarded as relevant to the ultimate claim, and it is to Mr Goodacre’s credit that he has had the discipline to confine himself to coverage, claims procedures and measurement of loss, the bulk of the text in fact covering particular and general average. Matters such as insurable interest, non-disclosure, misrepresentation and breach of warranty are mentioned, but receive no more than a couple of pages each. In the light of recent concern about fraud by scuttling it is perhaps surprising that the author has chosen to devote just a single paragraph to the subject, but generally all relevant matters are more than adequately covered and the presentation of the material well balanced.

There are, of course, many established texts on marine insurance, but perhaps what distinguishes this work is its style. Mr Goodacre cites a large number of cases, but his presentation of their facts is always imaginative and refreshing, and on occasion the reader is transported from the serious business of study to pure entertainment: recommended in this context are the chapters on salvage and unrepaired damage. Moreover, in addition to the usual morass of cases, articles from international conventions and sections of the Marine Insurance Act 1906, the text is punctuated with practical tips, events not reaching the courts, anecdotes and the views of leading insurance practitioners past and present, all of which help to bring these pages to life. By way of example, the chapter on yachts and sailing dinghies includes a two-page chart demonstrating certain points of sailing, while that on the liability of carriers is introduced by a lengthy and amusing piece of verse. Suffice it to say that other instances abound. Throughout the book the author’s mastery of the subject and vast experience shine through.