A Star to Steer By

In 1918, Hugh Mulzac became the first Negro to win his Master's license. The childhood dream to command his own vessel came to fruition in 1942 as the United States was catapulting into World War II. Here is an autobiography written with the flair and pace of a novel. From a tranquil, West Indian Island to the deck of an almost legendary Liberty ship, the Booker T. Washington, the story unfolds.

With warmth and a modesty often belying the significance of his deeds, the author relives an alm...