News and Updates

Dan BlackCanadian History Empress of Asia Nautical history Shipbuilding

Great Book Review in the Northern Mariner Magazine

A July 8, 2026, review in the highly-respected, peer-reviewed magazine The Northern Mariner has given Oceans of Fate a stellar review. For a non-fiction history book that took five years to research and write, it’s welcomed news the book continues to garner good press, especially by such an important magazine that’s read in Canada and abroad. (See The Northern Mariner/Le Marin Du Nord, 35(3-4), 400-402. https://doi.org/10.25071/2561-5467.1423)

Boston-based book reviewer/author Eric Wiberg notes: Dan Black reveals for us in personable detail, as though in a fireside chat, the conception, life, survival through one war and the start of a second, and painful death of this historic (ship)…. In reading this thick, softcover research gem, one has a sense of being in good hands all the time…. Oceans of Fate “details a story with as many heaving variants as the North Pacific in winter and makes them memorable through the humanistic telling of eye-witness accounts.”

The Northern Mariner’s review follows excellent reviews by the Literary Review of Canada and the Seaboard Review of books, as well as praise from other authors.

Dan BlackEmpress of Asia

Wartime Life Jackets Donated by Author to Maritime Museum of British Columbia

More than eighty years after the Second World War, two life jackets worn by the late Maurice Atkins have been donated to the Maritime Museum of British Columbia in Victoria, B.C.

One of the life jackets worn by Maurice Atkins during the Second World War. Copyright Dan Black, 2026

Both artifacts were originally gifted to author Dan Black who conducted several interviews with Mr. Atkins during the research phase of his 2025 book Oceans of Fate: Peace and Peril Aboard the Steamship Empress of Asia. “I’ve carried them all my life,” he told the author. “I’m 96. It’s time to get rid of them.”

While Mr. Black was grateful to be entrusted with such a gift, he suggested that perhaps both life jackets should one day be placed in a museum. That has now happened thanks to the interest shown by the MMBC, which was also the location of the 2025 book launch for Oceans of Fate.

Maurice Atkins was a young officer cadet on the Empress of Asia when she was destroyed within sight of Singapore by Japanese aircraft, February 5, 1942. Mr. Atkins wore one of the life jackets while escaping the burning troopship with other crew and British soldiers. The second life jacket donated to the MMBC was worn by Mr. Atkins when he escaped the Empress of Canada, torpedoed and sunk off the west coast of Africa, March 13-14, 1943, by an Italian submarine. At the time, Mr. Atkins was the ship’s Third Officer.

The inside of one of Maurice Atkins’ life jackets, showing his name. Copyright Dan Black, 2026

Once the MMBC exhibit is established, visitors will have the opportunity to view the life jackets and reflect on how they helped save the life of a wartime merchant seaman. Oceans of Fate is available at bookstores and online.

Dan BlackEmpress of Asia

A Supported Effort Coast to Coast

As the year closes out, I want to thank the folks who supported the various book talks and signings for Oceans of Fate.

From the book’s initial launch at the Maritime Museum of British Columbia in Victoria to the more recent talk at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic in Halifax, the work would not have been successful without local engagement and logistical support from good friends. With every event, the hosts were fantastic and emphasized once again the underlying interest in Canadian history. So thank you very much.

Media–from print to television to radio and a history podcast–also helped shed light on the book. And, of course, I am grateful to Dundurn Press, a traditional Canadian publisher, for publishing the book and assisting with promotional efforts.

Finally, I am very grateful for the patience and support from family, with a special nod to my daughter Katy who with her amazing creative energy assisted with events and promotion.

Happy New Year! Happy Reading!

Dan BlackEmpress of Asia

A Successful Book Talk at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic in Halifax

Big, big thanks to the staff at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic in Halifax, in particular Jenny Nodelman and Andrew Aulenback. Also kudos to my good friend and fellow author John Boileau, Global TV Halifax Morning Show host Paul Brothers, CityNews Radio Morning Anchor Dan Ahlstrant, and my publisher Dundurn Press. The Global TV interview is easily found online as is the CityNews Radio interview, part of the Todd Veinotte Show, aired live October 6. Overall, a fantastic week and I’m very grateful for all the support.

Photo: Andrew Aulenback, Maritime Museum of the Atlantic