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thelonia's review against another edition
3.0
Found this book very interesting, if a bit meandering. I requested it because I had just finished watching AMC's The Terror when this one popped up, and it seemed a bit too much like coincidence to ignore, but I'm really glad I did, even if the two only share passing similarities (at least tone wise).
It is indeed a completely wild true story, and one which I am surprised I've never heard of (though I suppose there are many tragedies at sea, still), especially given the immense odds against all of those on board the John Rutledge ship when it went down, and how those odds played out.
I do think however that the main think I can take away from this is that I would honestly just throw myself into the waves. Gimme that sweet quick death, baby!
Thanks to Netgalley and Da Capo Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
It is indeed a completely wild true story, and one which I am surprised I've never heard of (though I suppose there are many tragedies at sea, still), especially given the immense odds against all of those on board the John Rutledge ship when it went down, and how those odds played out.
I do think however that the main think I can take away from this is that I would honestly just throw myself into the waves. Gimme that sweet quick death, baby!
Thanks to Netgalley and Da Capo Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
shookone's review against another edition
4.0
The fact that Nye didn’t immediately shove the maniacs who stole the water jug over the side of the boat the second they did it is wild to me. An incredibly generous act of mercy, but also a spectacularly bad decision for literally everyone else on the boat, in hindsight.
Anyway, this book was pretty good.
Anyway, this book was pretty good.
danlandreads's review against another edition
3.0
Well told story reconstructed from a variety of sources including the ship's log and newspaper accounts. Murphy balances the story of this particular ship and its lone survivor while also painting a vivid picture of the shipping industry during the mid-nineteenth century.
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bluesleepy's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.0
blackhyenatango's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
2.0
ceeemvee's review against another edition
4.0
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in return for an honest review.
I read Brian Murphy’s 81 Days Below Zero, and thoroughly enjoyed the story and the storytelling. He’s a great writer, and while this is based on one person’s experience and retelling, Murphy makes the whole story come to life.
The John Rutledge is a packet ship going from Liverpool to New York in 1856. Its cargo included mail, dry goods and more than 100 passengers, mostly Irish immigrants hoping to escape poverty and find a better life. After the Rutledge hits an iceberg, only one man survived, Thomas Nye, a member of the crew. Murphy recreates the journey from Nye’s story and other research.
Nye made his way, with the ship log, to a lifeboat along with 12 others. We are then witness to the passengers succumbing to the harsh elements, and the madness that takes over after they drink seawater. Once Nye has given up hope and is waiting for the elements to take him, he spies a ship. With his last ounce of strength, he is able to summon it and thereby becomes the lone survivor.
I find stories of survival fascinating, and this book was no exception. There is a lot of history given at the beginning of the book, and some parts seem to be disjointed. The actual sinking of the ship doesn’t happen until halfway through the book, but I still found it to be quite interesting. All the historical facts and stories helped to place me in the mindset of life at that time. It may seem a little slow at first, but I highly recommend this book.
I read Brian Murphy’s 81 Days Below Zero, and thoroughly enjoyed the story and the storytelling. He’s a great writer, and while this is based on one person’s experience and retelling, Murphy makes the whole story come to life.
The John Rutledge is a packet ship going from Liverpool to New York in 1856. Its cargo included mail, dry goods and more than 100 passengers, mostly Irish immigrants hoping to escape poverty and find a better life. After the Rutledge hits an iceberg, only one man survived, Thomas Nye, a member of the crew. Murphy recreates the journey from Nye’s story and other research.
Nye made his way, with the ship log, to a lifeboat along with 12 others. We are then witness to the passengers succumbing to the harsh elements, and the madness that takes over after they drink seawater. Once Nye has given up hope and is waiting for the elements to take him, he spies a ship. With his last ounce of strength, he is able to summon it and thereby becomes the lone survivor.
I find stories of survival fascinating, and this book was no exception. There is a lot of history given at the beginning of the book, and some parts seem to be disjointed. The actual sinking of the ship doesn’t happen until halfway through the book, but I still found it to be quite interesting. All the historical facts and stories helped to place me in the mindset of life at that time. It may seem a little slow at first, but I highly recommend this book.
eseide's review against another edition
4.0
I highly recommend Adrift to anyone who enjoys survival tales. I’ve read many books in this genre and this one is a stand-out.
Murphy spends part of the book reviewing the major news stories of the mid-nineteenth century, including the history and economy of packet and luxury ships. This approach gave the book a well-rounded background with some substance. He also includes anecdotes, some relevant biographical information, and an overview of the situation of immigrants in Ireland. It may have seemed tangential, but the stories were relevant to the ship, the John Rutledge, and afforded the reader a clearer picture of what the passengers were facing, both at home and abroad. Murphy describes the appalling conditions aboard the John Rutledge for the immigrant passengers in steerage – the sea-sickness, the overpowering smells, the turbulent seas, the terror.
The actual ordeal of the sinking of the John Rutledge and subsequent fight for life for those who made it to lifeboats was riveting. There was only one survivor from the shipwreck, and the book follows the story of his lifeboat, in which there were originally 13 aboard, including some children. The gripping horrors that these castaways endured is heart-wrenching.
Overall, Adrift presents a fascinating perspective on the shipping industry of the 1850s and the danger aboard these ships as they navigated the icy Atlantic. Highly recommended.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Perseus Books / DeCapo Press for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.
Murphy spends part of the book reviewing the major news stories of the mid-nineteenth century, including the history and economy of packet and luxury ships. This approach gave the book a well-rounded background with some substance. He also includes anecdotes, some relevant biographical information, and an overview of the situation of immigrants in Ireland. It may have seemed tangential, but the stories were relevant to the ship, the John Rutledge, and afforded the reader a clearer picture of what the passengers were facing, both at home and abroad. Murphy describes the appalling conditions aboard the John Rutledge for the immigrant passengers in steerage – the sea-sickness, the overpowering smells, the turbulent seas, the terror.
The actual ordeal of the sinking of the John Rutledge and subsequent fight for life for those who made it to lifeboats was riveting. There was only one survivor from the shipwreck, and the book follows the story of his lifeboat, in which there were originally 13 aboard, including some children. The gripping horrors that these castaways endured is heart-wrenching.
Overall, Adrift presents a fascinating perspective on the shipping industry of the 1850s and the danger aboard these ships as they navigated the icy Atlantic. Highly recommended.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Perseus Books / DeCapo Press for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.
flowers_and_cows's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.75
This book was well researched and well written, and gave good background for those who were seeking a new life and why people chose to sail on these packet ships. The lifestyle on the ship was well described and gave a glimpse as to what sailing on these ships would be like and how dangerous the journey was. When the story gets to the ship going down and those on the boats reaction (crew and passengers) and attempt to get to life lifeboat, you almost felt as though you were there. The story of those on the lifeboat, what they went through, and their deaths made you empathize with them. Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone who who is interested in survival stories or stories of ship journeys. The only issue I see with this book, is that the author chose to only put true facts and statements in quotation marks. This makes it difficult at times to discern when people are talking. But overall, a great book.
wwtpeng's review against another edition
3.0
This is a remarkable tale that was well researched and well written. It tells the history of a particularly bad year for North Atlantic shipping, 1856. It focuses on the packet shipping boat, the John Rutledge, and its captain, crew, passengers, and cargo. The history of packet shipping of the era was particularly interesting to me. I thought cargo shipments and passenger liners were generally kept separate, but what happened in this era were that passengers were squeezed below decks and kept in squalid conditions for the voyage that could take three weeks to over two months.
One interesting fact that I can take away from this book is that icicles formed from saltwater has much less salinity than saltwater.
The dramatized elements in this book put me off a bit even though much of what was said during the accident of the John Rutledge is unknown, or simply could not be known. I would have preferred more direct quotes from the 1st mate's log, and more direct quotes from newspapers.
I have read many books that cover shipping of this era. Despite some of the things I did not like about the book, this one ranks highly among other shipping books that I've read.
Thank you to the publisher for the ARC through Netgalley for my unbiased review.
One interesting fact that I can take away from this book is that icicles formed from saltwater has much less salinity than saltwater.
The dramatized elements in this book put me off a bit even though much of what was said during the accident of the John Rutledge is unknown, or simply could not be known. I would have preferred more direct quotes from the 1st mate's log, and more direct quotes from newspapers.
I have read many books that cover shipping of this era. Despite some of the things I did not like about the book, this one ranks highly among other shipping books that I've read.
Thank you to the publisher for the ARC through Netgalley for my unbiased review.