The Tanker War

About the Book

This is a part of modern maritime history that has not previously been told.

Dive into this dramatic account of merchant navy sailors’ voyages in the Persian Gulf, also known as the Arabian Gulf, during the period from 1980 to 1988. The Gulf War, also called the Tanker War, was raging. Iran and Iraq were at war and attacked neutral ships operating in the Gulf. Modern society depended on stable supplies of oil and gas. Norwegian ships sailed throughout the war, and shipowners made good money from these highly risky voyages. Most of the sailors sailed out of loyalty to their company and workplace. A minority were drawn by the prospect of big money and the thrill of danger.

This was a raw and brutal war for the sailors, who were completely defenseless. The two warring parties attacked civilian merchant ships according to a pattern that was not always easy for those at sea to understand.
Arild E. Syvertsen, who himself sailed as a young captain on a Norwegian ship during the Gulf War, tells the stories from many  of the sailors who participated in these voyages and recounts their dramatic stories.