We are looking for those books that pit man against the sea or where the action takes place on the sea. While many candidates will be stories from the days of sail, it is not intended to limit this list by time period. Modern day sea adventures are welcome.
This booklist is focused on recounting the tales of those that set out to connect the world through discovery, the Herodotus's, the Magellans, the Marco Polo's, the Ibn Batusta's, the Cortez's of the world. These were people that set out with a purpose to bring back or accomplish something (knowledge, gold, religious converts, power, etc.). So not mere travellers but discoverers and interpreters. We will address scientific discovery in a separate booklist.
Are there others you would suggest. Please use the comments section to nominate other cadidates for this list.