When academic lawyers write on subjects such as marine pollution, interested laymen are, one suspects, often rightly wary of the result achieved. While they might expect a detailed or philosophical examination of the international and national legal regimes regulating the issue, they are likely to doubt that this examination will fully relate in a practical way to the everyday concerns of those involved in the shipping industry. The fact that this book does relate the law to such concerns is its greatest strength. That this is achieved is doubtless due to the background of the author, who before entering the academic world served for 16 years in the merchant marine, including several years in command. He also practised in the maritime law field and since 1971 has been associated with a leading P. & I. Club, Gard, the publishers of this work.