The Thirteenth Man

A photograph held by a small museum shows twelve lifeboatmen returning from one of the most dangerous rescues in the history of the service. One man stands among them, but his name has disappeared from the record.

Tracing the photograph takes Rhys Maren from Liverpool to Lancashire and into the history of the men who went out to the Mexico. A second copy, preserved for generations by a German family, gives the unknown man a name: Friedrich Bauer. But identifying him is only the beginning. As Rhys follows the records of Bauer's life, he begins to understand why a family who had done nothing wrong might later have found that name missing from a photograph.

The investigation unfolds against a longer history of the lifeboat service itself, from the principle on which it was founded to the men and women who still put to sea when someone is in trouble, without first asking who they are or where they have come from.

As forgotten records and family memories come together, Rhys discovers that a photograph can preserve far more than the moment it was taken. Sometimes it can carry a life forward long after the people in it have gone — and sometimes, when a name is lost, finding it again can mean understanding what happened to everyone who was left behind.

What you'll find in this story

• A historical investigation built around a forgotten photograph.
• The true history of one of the most dangerous lifeboat rescues of its time.
• Archives, family records and photographs that preserve different parts of the same story.
• The story of Friedrich Bauer and a name that disappeared from the record.
• An investigation into the lives of ordinary people whose stories might otherwise have been forgotten.

Release Info

The Thirteenth Man is available as an ebook.