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Lifeboat at the End of the World: A Volunteer’s Story, from an RNLI crewman in Dungeness
Not yet published
Expected 26 Mar 26Do you really think all lives are worth saving?
On the empty shingle beach of Dungeness, the volunteer crew of the lifeboat await her next launch. It might come in another week. Or it might even happen in the next few seconds…
For two hundred years, the Dungeness lifeboat has launched in storms and heavy seas to frigates and barques, trawlers and dinghies. Like all lifeboat stations in the British Isles, it is led by a coxswain and staffed entirely by volunteers. Dominic Gregory volunteers as part of her crew. Dungeness is itself a place apart. An ever-shifting expanse of shingle jutting into the English Channel, it is overshadowed by its nuclear power station and made famous by Derek Jarman’s flotsam garden. Dungeness is also where millions of migrating birds and insects first make landfall in the British Isles. A small place perhaps, but one that finds itself now at the centre of one of the biggest political stories of modern times.
At the heart of this wonderful book is the lifeboat crew with whom Dominic Gregory serves, many of them from families who have crewed the lifeboat for generations. These are remarkable yet ordinary men and women – who serve as shore crew, or boat crew, or who keep the records and brew the tea. All, in their different ways, give up their time, livelihoods and safety to brave wind, tide and storms, not to mention the peril of navigating between the vast floating skyscrapers that make up so much of modern shipping. Then there is coxswain Stuart Adams whose quiet, competent leadership ensures he acts as the still point in a spinning world.
Lifeboat at the End of the World is the first book to depict the experience of what it is like to volunteer on a lifeboat; the smells of the station, the emotions when the call to ‘a shout’ comes, how the crew is trained, the teamwork and trust, the ethos of the service. And incident aplenty – terrifying rescues both past and present, often to overladen inflatable small craft and their desperate passengers. Gregory’s book is non-fiction writing of extraordinary power and immediacy. While most of us will never serve in a lifeboat, we might well find ourselves thankful for their unquestioning and dauntless assistance at sea.
On the empty shingle beach of Dungeness, the volunteer crew of the lifeboat await her next launch. It might come in another week. Or it might even happen in the next few seconds…
For two hundred years, the Dungeness lifeboat has launched in storms and heavy seas to frigates and barques, trawlers and dinghies. Like all lifeboat stations in the British Isles, it is led by a coxswain and staffed entirely by volunteers. Dominic Gregory volunteers as part of her crew. Dungeness is itself a place apart. An ever-shifting expanse of shingle jutting into the English Channel, it is overshadowed by its nuclear power station and made famous by Derek Jarman’s flotsam garden. Dungeness is also where millions of migrating birds and insects first make landfall in the British Isles. A small place perhaps, but one that finds itself now at the centre of one of the biggest political stories of modern times.
At the heart of this wonderful book is the lifeboat crew with whom Dominic Gregory serves, many of them from families who have crewed the lifeboat for generations. These are remarkable yet ordinary men and women – who serve as shore crew, or boat crew, or who keep the records and brew the tea. All, in their different ways, give up their time, livelihoods and safety to brave wind, tide and storms, not to mention the peril of navigating between the vast floating skyscrapers that make up so much of modern shipping. Then there is coxswain Stuart Adams whose quiet, competent leadership ensures he acts as the still point in a spinning world.
Lifeboat at the End of the World is the first book to depict the experience of what it is like to volunteer on a lifeboat; the smells of the station, the emotions when the call to ‘a shout’ comes, how the crew is trained, the teamwork and trust, the ethos of the service. And incident aplenty – terrifying rescues both past and present, often to overladen inflatable small craft and their desperate passengers. Gregory’s book is non-fiction writing of extraordinary power and immediacy. While most of us will never serve in a lifeboat, we might well find ourselves thankful for their unquestioning and dauntless assistance at sea.
- GenresNonfiction
Kindle Edition
Expected publication March 26, 2026
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November 21, 2025I've been visiting Dungeness for thirty years and finally moved to the area this year. Reading this seemed almost necessary under the circumstances. This is a brilliant reminder of the hard, vital work that the RNLI do, the pressures it is under and the voluntary nature of the work which is gruelling and dangerous. Gregory writes with love and affection for the area and with no punches pulled about the risks of the work he does. I found it a thrilling, absorbing read and applaud Gregory for writing something so difficult in the current political climate with care and humanity.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I received a free advance review copy of The Lifeboat at the End of the World from NetGalley, and this is my honest review.
This book has a striking cover, and it’s clear from the outset that Dominic Gregory writes from lived experience, having joined the RNLI himself.
His respect for the institution and its history runs throughout the book, alongside detailed descriptions of Dungeness and the surrounding coastline. For me personally, though, I struggled with the heavy focus on history and extended descriptions of the landscape and sea. I found these sections hard work at times and kept craving more of the present-day experience: the rescues, the immediacy of life on the lifeboat, and the camaraderie of the crew.
In the final third of the book, that shift came, and I was completely drawn in. Gregory’s accounts of migrant rescues in the English Channel are harrowing and heartbreaking. He writes with clarity and compassion about the realities of responding to distress calls at sea, and powerfully reminds the reader that helping people in danger is not a choice but a legal obligation under international law, and indeed a human one.
The book is at its strongest when it focuses on the volunteers themselves: ordinary people undertaking extraordinarily dangerous rescues, regardless of weather, time of day, or who needs help. The emphasis is always on saving life, not judgement. These sections are emotionally draining to read, and Gregory does not shy away from how devastating this role can be, nor from the deep bond formed between crew members.
Ultimately, the book succeeds in conveying the dedication and selflessness of RNLI volunteers and the vital need for ongoing donations and funding.
This book has a striking cover, and it’s clear from the outset that Dominic Gregory writes from lived experience, having joined the RNLI himself.
His respect for the institution and its history runs throughout the book, alongside detailed descriptions of Dungeness and the surrounding coastline. For me personally, though, I struggled with the heavy focus on history and extended descriptions of the landscape and sea. I found these sections hard work at times and kept craving more of the present-day experience: the rescues, the immediacy of life on the lifeboat, and the camaraderie of the crew.
In the final third of the book, that shift came, and I was completely drawn in. Gregory’s accounts of migrant rescues in the English Channel are harrowing and heartbreaking. He writes with clarity and compassion about the realities of responding to distress calls at sea, and powerfully reminds the reader that helping people in danger is not a choice but a legal obligation under international law, and indeed a human one.
The book is at its strongest when it focuses on the volunteers themselves: ordinary people undertaking extraordinarily dangerous rescues, regardless of weather, time of day, or who needs help. The emphasis is always on saving life, not judgement. These sections are emotionally draining to read, and Gregory does not shy away from how devastating this role can be, nor from the deep bond formed between crew members.
Ultimately, the book succeeds in conveying the dedication and selflessness of RNLI volunteers and the vital need for ongoing donations and funding.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Dominic Gregory is a volunteer crew member at RNLI Dungeness. Lifeboat at the End of the World is the story of how he develops as a crew member: from shore crew, helping to launch and rehouse the boat, to helm, responsible for steering the boat to the casualty. It is also the story of what it’s like to live at Dungeness, a windswept flat expanse of shingle on Kent’s Channel coast.
Gregory’s prose reminded me of Hemingway’s Old Man and the Sea: simple, but thoughtfully written. Initially, I scribbled a note, “Over-written?” after reading “Here is a place where minutes pass in years.” However, having now read the whole book, I realise I was wrong. It isn’t over-written, but the reader needs to slow down and adjust to the book’s tempo. The descriptions of what it’s like to be a volunteer lifeboatman are interspersed with observations about Nature: the way the shingle constantly moves, gently changing the shape of the promontory a tiny amount every day; hummingbird moths sipping from valerian flowers. The book is calm, just like the lifeboat’s coxswain, Stuart Adams, when giving orders to the crew. Some reviewers have disliked the way the book alternates the descriptions of being on service with reflections upon Nature, history and artists, but I liked that contrast.
Since Dungeness is one of the points where the Channel is narrowest, it is inevitable that part of the book describes the lifeboat being launched to look for dinghies overloaded with immigrants. I wonder: we can criticise successive Government policies that have made Britain such an attractive place for migrants, but we cannot fault the migrants’ logic for wanting to come here. They are at least trying to make a better life for their families. The lifeboat crew are abused by angry Britons because they try to save the lives of migrants who are behaving logically. Yet, when lifeboat crews launch to rescue swimmers, surfboarders and kayakers who deliberately go out into obviously dangerous seas all around the British Isles, the crew are praised for risking their lives to save people who could be charitably described as illogical or, less charitably, self-centred and stupid. Nobody in the RNLI ever passes judgement upon those they rescue – they’re there for everyone. Gregory quotes a spokesman as saying, simply, “People rescue people.”
This is a good book. Although the prose is calm, there are descriptions of wild situations where the lifeboat goes out to a trawler in a Force 10 with waves several metres high. Remember, these are volunteers who simply get a few quid petrol money when called out on a shout and nothing at all for volunteering several hours of their time every week for training. I couldn’t do it – but I’m glad Dominic Gregory has; and told us what it’s like.
#LifeboatattheEndoftheWorld #NetGalley
Gregory’s prose reminded me of Hemingway’s Old Man and the Sea: simple, but thoughtfully written. Initially, I scribbled a note, “Over-written?” after reading “Here is a place where minutes pass in years.” However, having now read the whole book, I realise I was wrong. It isn’t over-written, but the reader needs to slow down and adjust to the book’s tempo. The descriptions of what it’s like to be a volunteer lifeboatman are interspersed with observations about Nature: the way the shingle constantly moves, gently changing the shape of the promontory a tiny amount every day; hummingbird moths sipping from valerian flowers. The book is calm, just like the lifeboat’s coxswain, Stuart Adams, when giving orders to the crew. Some reviewers have disliked the way the book alternates the descriptions of being on service with reflections upon Nature, history and artists, but I liked that contrast.
Since Dungeness is one of the points where the Channel is narrowest, it is inevitable that part of the book describes the lifeboat being launched to look for dinghies overloaded with immigrants. I wonder: we can criticise successive Government policies that have made Britain such an attractive place for migrants, but we cannot fault the migrants’ logic for wanting to come here. They are at least trying to make a better life for their families. The lifeboat crew are abused by angry Britons because they try to save the lives of migrants who are behaving logically. Yet, when lifeboat crews launch to rescue swimmers, surfboarders and kayakers who deliberately go out into obviously dangerous seas all around the British Isles, the crew are praised for risking their lives to save people who could be charitably described as illogical or, less charitably, self-centred and stupid. Nobody in the RNLI ever passes judgement upon those they rescue – they’re there for everyone. Gregory quotes a spokesman as saying, simply, “People rescue people.”
This is a good book. Although the prose is calm, there are descriptions of wild situations where the lifeboat goes out to a trawler in a Force 10 with waves several metres high. Remember, these are volunteers who simply get a few quid petrol money when called out on a shout and nothing at all for volunteering several hours of their time every week for training. I couldn’t do it – but I’m glad Dominic Gregory has; and told us what it’s like.
#LifeboatattheEndoftheWorld #NetGalley
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thanks to NetGalley and William Collins for the advanced copy of this title in return for an honest review.
I am in awe of the RNLI and I love watching their TV programmes. I actually had this on pre-order but sadly it was a victim of my lack of money and so I was thrilled when they sent me an early digital copy.
This is a history lesson; Dominic has not only given us his own experiences, he has given us the experiences of the entire RNLI from conception to present day, which I found fascinating.
It is a bit haphazard. I'd have liked it to have been more chronological, have all the historical elements first and then have him join and then show his experiences. Whereas at the moment it's a bit...a paragraph about now followed by a page about then, followed by the history then followed by now and then his training and then the history...and it got a bit confusing. So I would have liked it if there had bene more structure to the story.
Whether it was because it was a digital ARC or not, it didn't have chapters, and for someone who loves a short chapter, this wasn't ideal. I think it would have been structured better if it had chapters, it would feel more seamless. But like I say, it might differ in the finished copy.
You can feel Dominic's love and passion for the job. He clearly loves where he live and what he does, his admiration for the area and it's history. But he doesn't sugar coat things. He is honest and raw and it is sometimes frightening and upsetting, but that's the truth of it.
I admire his honesty in relation to the RNLI and migrants. It's a difficult subject matter at the moment and there are people who wonder whether the RNLI should be saving migrants who illegally cross the Channel, but for them, they're all lives, and they try to save all lives. It's about humanity and compassion. And as the book goes on this is highlighted more and more, and at about 80% through there is the most moving passage of the book. He describes a scene exactly like one I saw on an episode of Saving Lives at Sea and I wonder if it's the same one.
I think this is an important book for everyone to read, particularly those who live near the coast or enjoy water sports or wild swimming. We all think "it won't happen to me" but it can and it might, and it's vital we see just what these brave volunteers will do to save your life.
I enjoyed it, I really did, don't get me wrong, there's a lot to love about it, it's interesting and moving. But it was missing something. I'm not sure what but it was missing that spark, that edge. But I still highly recommend it. It's a very engaging and important books.
I am in awe of the RNLI and I love watching their TV programmes. I actually had this on pre-order but sadly it was a victim of my lack of money and so I was thrilled when they sent me an early digital copy.
This is a history lesson; Dominic has not only given us his own experiences, he has given us the experiences of the entire RNLI from conception to present day, which I found fascinating.
It is a bit haphazard. I'd have liked it to have been more chronological, have all the historical elements first and then have him join and then show his experiences. Whereas at the moment it's a bit...a paragraph about now followed by a page about then, followed by the history then followed by now and then his training and then the history...and it got a bit confusing. So I would have liked it if there had bene more structure to the story.
Whether it was because it was a digital ARC or not, it didn't have chapters, and for someone who loves a short chapter, this wasn't ideal. I think it would have been structured better if it had chapters, it would feel more seamless. But like I say, it might differ in the finished copy.
You can feel Dominic's love and passion for the job. He clearly loves where he live and what he does, his admiration for the area and it's history. But he doesn't sugar coat things. He is honest and raw and it is sometimes frightening and upsetting, but that's the truth of it.
I admire his honesty in relation to the RNLI and migrants. It's a difficult subject matter at the moment and there are people who wonder whether the RNLI should be saving migrants who illegally cross the Channel, but for them, they're all lives, and they try to save all lives. It's about humanity and compassion. And as the book goes on this is highlighted more and more, and at about 80% through there is the most moving passage of the book. He describes a scene exactly like one I saw on an episode of Saving Lives at Sea and I wonder if it's the same one.
I think this is an important book for everyone to read, particularly those who live near the coast or enjoy water sports or wild swimming. We all think "it won't happen to me" but it can and it might, and it's vital we see just what these brave volunteers will do to save your life.
I enjoyed it, I really did, don't get me wrong, there's a lot to love about it, it's interesting and moving. But it was missing something. I'm not sure what but it was missing that spark, that edge. But I still highly recommend it. It's a very engaging and important books.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
If ever a reminder was needed of how vital the RNLI is, then here it is in “Lifeboat at the End of the World : A Volunteer’s Story“
Members of the RNLI provide a selfless and vital, round the clock emergency response for people in distress at sea, and this is volunteer Dominic Gregory’s own experiences with the Dungeness lifeboat.
Gregory’s love, passion and devotion shines through on every page. He not only relates some of the many call outs that he has attended, some of which are inevitably very distressing, but he informs us about the history of this institution from its conception to the present day, and he also details the flora and fauna of this strange otherworldly place that is Dungeness.
This is an absorbing and important read, whether you live by the coast or indeed just visit, because it highlights just how vitally important this institution is. I love to watch the BBC series Saving Lives at Sea, and this memoir lets us take a further look behind the scenes, to enjoy the camaraderie that these volunteers share, and to go right into the homes and the local pub of those dedicated lifeboat men and women, who launch into unforgiving seas to save those in peril. Discover exactly what it takes to become a volunteer for the RNLI, it’s much harder than you think. Recommended!
*Thank you to Netgalley and 4th Estate and William Collins for my ARC in exchange for an honest unbiased review *
Members of the RNLI provide a selfless and vital, round the clock emergency response for people in distress at sea, and this is volunteer Dominic Gregory’s own experiences with the Dungeness lifeboat.
Gregory’s love, passion and devotion shines through on every page. He not only relates some of the many call outs that he has attended, some of which are inevitably very distressing, but he informs us about the history of this institution from its conception to the present day, and he also details the flora and fauna of this strange otherworldly place that is Dungeness.
This is an absorbing and important read, whether you live by the coast or indeed just visit, because it highlights just how vitally important this institution is. I love to watch the BBC series Saving Lives at Sea, and this memoir lets us take a further look behind the scenes, to enjoy the camaraderie that these volunteers share, and to go right into the homes and the local pub of those dedicated lifeboat men and women, who launch into unforgiving seas to save those in peril. Discover exactly what it takes to become a volunteer for the RNLI, it’s much harder than you think. Recommended!
*Thank you to Netgalley and 4th Estate and William Collins for my ARC in exchange for an honest unbiased review *
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
A Top read for 2026 !!
"An eyelid had flickered. An eye opened, followed by the other. To everyone's relief the child was not dead after all"
"Just another one of those moments on the lifeboat. 'But how can you explain it to someone who has never seen that kind of thing?'"
Dominic Gregory has written a superb book about the world of the lifeboats people of Dungeness in Kent. This is a book that needs to be read and appreciated by all; this is the story of men and women who voluntarily give up their lives to save others in peril at sea.
This the story of Dominic's initiation and training period in to becoming a member of the crew and then onwards to the world of saving lives at sea. This is a heartfelt and powerful read; it is impossible not to be moved by the hard work and passion of the team- the risks taken to protect all.
Dominic Gregory also explores the history of the RNLI and the development of the lifeboat crew in the Dungeness area over two centuries as well as the curious world of Dungeness and the Channel- a fascinating exploration of the residents and historical events .
Ultimately it is the camaraderie of the team, the selflessness and dedication of the crew that moved me as a reader- the inimitable coxswain Stuart Adams who trained and managed his team with the ultimate professionalism but also with a deep caring heart for everyone.
The final third of the book that reflects upon recent times in the English Channel is heart- wrenching - the tragedies, the 'successes', the impact on all individuals, the need to protect each other and stand firm as a crew devoted to seeing all human beings as equal. This is a team of people who deserve every plaudit possible for their bravery and compassion.
Without a doubt, Dominic Gregory has written one of 2026 top non-fiction /factual reads- I'd go so far to say as to this is one of the most moving books I've very read... by the end I'd made a donation to the RNLI
Thank you to William Collins and Netgalley for the advance copy
"An eyelid had flickered. An eye opened, followed by the other. To everyone's relief the child was not dead after all"
"Just another one of those moments on the lifeboat. 'But how can you explain it to someone who has never seen that kind of thing?'"
Dominic Gregory has written a superb book about the world of the lifeboats people of Dungeness in Kent. This is a book that needs to be read and appreciated by all; this is the story of men and women who voluntarily give up their lives to save others in peril at sea.
This the story of Dominic's initiation and training period in to becoming a member of the crew and then onwards to the world of saving lives at sea. This is a heartfelt and powerful read; it is impossible not to be moved by the hard work and passion of the team- the risks taken to protect all.
Dominic Gregory also explores the history of the RNLI and the development of the lifeboat crew in the Dungeness area over two centuries as well as the curious world of Dungeness and the Channel- a fascinating exploration of the residents and historical events .
Ultimately it is the camaraderie of the team, the selflessness and dedication of the crew that moved me as a reader- the inimitable coxswain Stuart Adams who trained and managed his team with the ultimate professionalism but also with a deep caring heart for everyone.
The final third of the book that reflects upon recent times in the English Channel is heart- wrenching - the tragedies, the 'successes', the impact on all individuals, the need to protect each other and stand firm as a crew devoted to seeing all human beings as equal. This is a team of people who deserve every plaudit possible for their bravery and compassion.
Without a doubt, Dominic Gregory has written one of 2026 top non-fiction /factual reads- I'd go so far to say as to this is one of the most moving books I've very read... by the end I'd made a donation to the RNLI
Thank you to William Collins and Netgalley for the advance copy
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