Concise College Texts have established a reputation among students of law at various levels of primary legal study for being, in many cases, of a quality equal to the full length Student Texts and in all cases of a length suitable for rapid assimilation.

“Shipping Law”, a new volume in this series, is written not primarily for students looking for a future in law but for professional mariners, the class of persons whose decisions and actions in many instances give rise to the problems which “Shipping Law” resolves or tries to resolve.

A course in shipping or maritime law is still something of a novelty in our university level education system and a course of the breadth and scope of Robert Grime’s book would be an even greater rarity. In Southampton, however, where Robert Grime teaches, and in one or two other select venues, shipping law has for many years been a normal part of the curriculum even if sometimes only at post-graduate level.

The fact that the book is written particularly for mariners is evident from the emphasis and importance attached to the various sections of the book. The first chapter, on the courts and English law, is likely to be by-passed by lawyers of any level except those curious to see how Grime manages, in 17 pages, to summarise the English legal system for the non-lawyer. The answer is: somewhat unevenly. It is said that Mr Justice Brandon may be known as Brandon, J., and indeed now, as Lord Justice Brandon or Brandon, L.J., but for the master or mate it may be that a short discourse on the law of evidence and particularly the importance in any court or arbitration of the documents produced by him and passing through his hands would be more useful. A master who knows, for example, that Preliminary Acts have to be filed in a collision action and understands what that involves may be of great advantage to his owners’ lawyers subsequently. There is only a passing admission of the existence of Inquiries into casualties.

There is, before each chapter, a minimum factual and historical setting for the law which follows. It states what is likely to be the obvious for any one with sufficient interest to read the book in the first place and, like some of the introductory chapters, tends to devalue the book, making it appear more elementary than in fact it is.

The book is in fact not so much elementary as of bones and principles. Its scope is very wide, attempting to cover what in some universities is covered in much greater depth as three separate post-graduate courses. Thus there are chapters on ownership, mortgage and transfer of vessels; carriage of goods by sea and voyage and time charter-parties; marine insurance of hull and cargo; collision, salvage, towage and wrecks; navigation, harbours, docks and piers; oil pollution; masters and crew, duties and employment. An impressive range of topics. There may be sufficient law in the book for masters and mates but many persons closely involved in shipping may find that it does little more than organise for them and give the source of knowledge they already possess. However, there will be many people entering the business of shipping for the first time, whether in business such as broking, chartering and insurance or as students for whatever course who will find this short overall view of a very large area