Junior officer Laddie signs on the cargo liner 'Antigone' On a voyage to the Far East he joins an array of characters among the crew The voyage marks a turning point for Antigone and all those who sailed in her In this first-person narrative, the author draws upon his own experience on similar ships, capturing evocatively the sights, smells, and day-to-day life aboard a cargo liner during the last great days of the Merchant Navy