Since it won the 2002 Booker Prize, this title tells a tale of disaster at sea. It is both a boys' own adventure (for grown-ups) and a meditation on faith and the value of religious metaphor, it is one of the most extraordinary and original novels of recent times. In a new format, with a step-back cover, and with a new reading group guide, this is the ultimate edition of the book that is a perennial reading group favourite, and was recently featured in the Waterstone's list of the top 20 books of all time in the Daily Telegraph .