Being a tug enthusiast is one of those hobbies that's most satisfying when you're actually down by the water watching the tugs go about their business or taking photographs. However, there are often those times when the weather's just too bad or you just don't have the time to get out and about. That's where a good book or DVD about tugs and towing is worth its weight in gold.

The humble tug never seems to get the mainstream attention that cruise liners or warships get and so the choice of books and DVDs can be limited. However, this often means that the books and DVDs that are out there have been produced by real tug enthusiasts and therefore capture the real details that make tugs great rather than just going for the mainstream glamour.

On this page, we've attempted to catalogue all the books and DVDs about tugs and towing that we've come across. Some are new, some are old, and some can be very hard and expensive to find. However, if you're a real tug boat enthusiast then we're sure that you'll find something here that you'll love.

Cory Towage Ltd. - A Group History by W.J. Harvey

Published: 2000
Pages: 224
Availability: New copies readily available on Amazon and eBay.
Price: £25 - £35 new.

Cory Towage and the Rea Steam Tug Company are one of the most significant companies in the history of British tugs, having operated the majority of tugs on the River Mersey during the glory days and, upon the takeover of Cory Towage, provided a large number of the tugs that still make up the British Svitzer fleet today.

This fabulous A4-sized hardback book covers the entire history of the Rea family business and Cory Towage included tug boats that were managed or operated under lease as well as being owned outright. As well as extensive photos and technical details of the vessels, there is also a highly detailed company history describing how the Cory Group adapted to changing times and also giving interesting details about where different tugs were operating at different times.

Although originally published in 2000, Cory Towage Ltd. - A Group History is still readily available (a fairly rare thing for specialised books like this). New copies can be found on Amazon and on eBay and sell for between £25 and £35. This is definitely a good book to have in your collection as no real tug enthusiast can really ignore the Cory or Rea towage companies.

150 Years of the Maltese Cross by John H. Proud

Published: 1993
Pages: 236
Availability: Out of Print. Occasional used copies on Amazon, eBay, and collectable book sites.
Price: £30 - £70 used.

Every now and then you come across a book that you can just tell was a labour of love by its author. The sheer level of detail inside is a testament to the amount of time and effort that they put into researching their chosen subject. 150 Years of the Maltese Cross by John H. Proud is just such a book.

As a follow-up to his previous book Seahorses of the Tees, Proud decided to move his attention to the River Tyne and compile a definitive history of the Tyneside tugs and towage companies. The sheer size and weight of the book tells you that he did his job well, as he managed to compile a complete history of almost every tug that operated on the Tyne under companies such as Lawson-Batey and France, Fenwick Tyne and Wear.

150 Years of the Maltese Cross was published 15 years ago by the Tyne and Wear Tug Company and therefore, it's assumed, had a relatively small print run. Due to this fact, and the fact that the high quality of the book probably led to most copies being snapped up by tug enthusiasts and collectors, finding a copy can be hard. However, copies are out there if you look hard enough. You can expect to pay at least £30 for a copy if you're really lucky or up to £50 if you desperately want a copy. Even at those prices though, it's definitely worth the money as nothing quite like it had been done before and, as far as I know, nothing quite like it has been done since.