The Mariner's Mirror Podcast

In this episode we uncover some fantastic stories of English sailors being caught up in the Spanish Inquisition. To find out more Dr Sam Willis spoke with Theresa Tinsley, who explores in detail how, between 1558 and 1604, more than 400 subjects of Elizabethan England found themselves in contact with the Inquisition. Fabulous records survive which detail their experiences and testimonies, and whic...

Today we're exploring one of the most secretive and dangerous arenas of the Cold War, the silent world of submarines. To find out more Dr Sam Willis spoke with Paul Brown, whose new book explores the tense underwater cat and mouse game that played out between global superpowers during decades of nuclear brinkmanship, from covert missions beneath arctic ice to near catastrophic encounters hidden fr...

In this episode, we explore the great naval mutinies of 1797. This was during the French Revolutionary Wars, when Britain was fighting France at sea and relying heavily on the Royal Navy to maintain its power, security, trade routes, and global empire. But on British shores at a time when invasion of England seemed highly likely, the fleets mutinied at the great anchorages of Spithead and the Nore...

In this episode we explore a part of maritime history that has too often drifted beneath the surface: women who served at sea in the First and Second World Wars, and who died for their service. To find out more, Dr Sam Willis spoke with Nina Baker, author of a fabulous new book exploring the lives of those women. Nina has created the first complete list of all of these women and has written detail...

In this episode of The Mariner’s Mirror Podcast , we continue our naval fiction series with Chris Durbin, author of the excellent Carlisle & Holbrooke Naval Adventures . Set during the global conflict of the Seven Years’ War, the series follows two Royal Navy captains—one a colonial Virginian, the other from Hampshire—as they navigate war, politics, and shifting loyalties in a world on the bri...

In this episode, we continue our deep dive into naval fiction with the prolific and insightful Philip K. Allan. Since 2018, Philip has built an impressive body of work, most notably his Alexander Clay series set during the Age of Sail. Following a Royal Navy officer through the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, the series brings to life a global naval career—from home waters to the Mediter...

This episode explores the shipyards, political intrigue, and naval ambitions of 18th-century Spain at a pivotal moment in its emergence as a modern maritime power. Once dominant in the wake of its vast American empire, Spain by the mid-1700s faced a rapidly changing world, as Britain and France competed fiercely for control of the seas. At the centre of this transformation lay the Marquess de la E...

This episode continues our mini series on the history of the Clan Line, one of the most prominent and enduring British shipping companies of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Founded in Glasgow in 1878 by Sir Charles Cayzer, the line began with a small fleet of steamships and quickly grew into a major force in maritime commerce. Its ships, all bearing the 'Clan' prefix in their names, b...

In this episode of the Mariner’s Mirror podcast, we explore the extraordinary life of Harold Derber — a British Merchant Navy veteran whose early training as a wireless operator during the Second World War set him on an unexpected and remarkable path. From the dangers of Atlantic convoys to the political turbulence of the Cold War, Derber’s story moves far beyond the bridge of a ship. Derber would...

This episode continues our mini series on the history of the Clan Line, one of the most prominent and enduring British shipping companies of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Founded by Charles Cayzer, the Clan Line became synonymous with reliability, global trade expansion and the professionalisation of British merchant shipping. At its peak, it had one of the largest merchant fleets in the...

In today’s episode, we leave the dockyards and engine rooms behind to step aboard the ocean liner as it appears not at sea, but on the page. From the gilded salons of Edwardian fiction to the psychological depths of modernist prose, ocean liners have long served as floating stages for human drama, capturing the hopes, tensions, and contradictions of the modern age. We explore how writers such as E...

The true story of Mary Ann Patten, a nineteen-year-old woman who, in the summer of 1856, took command of a clipper ship and navigated it around Cape Horn. What drives someone to leave behind security, reputation, and the expectations of society to sail into the unknown? In this episode, we explore To The Edge of the World with author Tilar Mazzeo—a gripping true story of adventure, obsession,...

This episode explores the fascinating history of the Glenlee , a tall ship built in Glasgow 1896 and restored by the Clyde Maritime Trust. Originally a cargo ship, the Glenlee survived fifteen voyages around Cape Horn and later served as a Spanish Navy training vessel during the fascist dictatorial rule of Francisco Franco. After being neglected, she was rescued and restored, showcasing Scotland's...

Dr Sam Willis meets Katie Daysh, author of the acclaimed Nightingale & Courtney series. Her novels—rich with atmosphere, character, and emotional depth—have quickly earned a devoted following, and today we explore the world she’s so vividly created. Katie shares the inspirations behind her central figures, Hiram Nightingale and Arthur Courtney, exploring their powerful bond, the tensions of co...

Hubert Sagnières studies, collects, and publishes works on early explorers and has himself completed numerous explorations: In 2024, he piloted a single-engine plane on a circumnavigation of the globe, honoring the centenary of the first around-the-world flight in 1924 by the Douglas “Chicago” aircraft. He has traveled in the Indonesian archipelago, visiting remote islands and has spent time with...

In this episode, we explore the magic behind the Aubrey–Maturin novels—often hailed as the greatest naval fiction series ever written—and uncover what makes Patrick O’Brian’s storytelling so enduring, vivid, and beloved. Dr Sam Willis speaks with Dean King , O’Brian’s acclaimed biographer and one of the foremost experts on the author’s life and work. Together, we delve into the rich themes that de...

Dr Sam Willis continues our mini series on naval fiction, interviewing authors and finding out all about their naval creations. In this episode, we welcome David Davies, author of the acclaimed Matthew Quinton Journals , for an in-depth conversation about his Restoration-era naval hero and the richly layered world he sails through, one of the most fascinating and volatile eras in maritime history....

Dr Sam Willis introduces a new mini-series on naval fiction, featuring interviews with authors talking about their naval creations. In this episode, he meets Julian Stockwin , a renowned author known for his Thomas Kydd novels, which span 27 books and 23 years, culminating most recently in "Admiral" . The books cover a huge array of history and themes, from brotherhood, friendship and loyalty to n...

For the final episode in our mini series on the rich maritime history of Malta Dr Sam Willis and Daisy Turnbull find themselves out in a boat in Valletta’s grand harbour, and this time we’re being treated to a culinary extravaganza: a meal that would have been eaten by Maltese corsairs. The Matese corsairs were a major ingredient in Maltese maritime history and cultural identity, embodying the isl...

Continuing our mini series on the fascinating maritime history of Malta, we jump several centuries forward to the Second World War, in which Malta, an isolated rock in the middle of the Mediterranean, suddenly found itself at the very heart of the war. To the north the Italians were flexing their naval muscles; to the south the Germans had invaded North Africa; to the east and west ran a crucial m...

The Order of St John was founded in the eleventh century in Jerusalem as a religious and military order dedicated to caring for sick and poor pilgrims in the Holy Land. How they ended up over 1000 miles away on an island in the middle of the Mediterranean, embedded in one of the greatest fortifications of the medieval world, is one of history's greatest maritime stories. In this episode, Dr S...

Malta’s strategic location at the centre of the Mediterranean, combined with its long maritime history, means that its sea-beds are rich with heritage. In this episode we explore Malta's astonishing underwater cultural heritage, managed by Heritage Malta . Visiting the headquarters of Malta's Underwater Cultural Heritage Unit , Dr Sam Willis speaks with Maja Sausmeka, the Senior Principal Off...

This is the first episode in a new mini series on the rich and fascinating maritime history of Malta. The episode is recorded on a yacht in the centre of Valletta's historic Grand Harbour, at the opening of the Rolex Middle Sea Race, one of the world's most famous yacht races.  Dr Sam Willis  uncovers the history of the race and its magnificent historic surroundings with Liam Gauci...

Dr Sam Willis and archivist Zach Schieferstein discuss the Scottish National Antarctic Expedition of 1902-1904 led by William Spears Bruce. The expedition's vessel, the Scotia , was extensively rebuilt for polar exploration, featuring two laboratories and advanced scientific equipment. The Scotia established Omond House, the first permanent weather station in the South Orkney Islands, and collecte...

In this episode, Dr Sam Willis discusses the conservation of HMS Victory . As the flagship of Admiral Lord Nelson at the Battle of Trafalgar, Victory holds immense historical and cultural significance, but preserving her is proving to be a monumental challenge. Simon Williams, who leads the ship’s conservation project ' HMS Victory : The Big Repair ', shares the unexpected realities of working on...