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colorfulleo92's review against another edition
4.0
Needed a shorter audiobook and this sounded mildly entertaining. However I wasn't prepared for how much I actually ended up enjoying it. Need to find more books like this
ryanjjames's review against another edition
3.0
Slocum was the first to sail solo around the world. It took him 3 years and 2 months in the late 1890's on his sloop the Spray. As cool as the adventure part of the story was, it was also interesting to read about the various customs when Slocum arrived in port. Long gone are the days when local dignitaries would roll out the red carpet to host a traveller. The linkages to other notable historical events was also intriguing, such as Captain Cook and Robinson Crusoe. Overall 3 stars as I couldn't follow some of the technical parts of the story. I also was frequently looking up ports of call on google maps to sort out his route.
ehays84's review against another edition
4.0
I know just enough about sailing to appreciate what a remarkable feat this was. And while I appreciate that Slocum did not want to get too technical or long-winded, the only reason I wouldn't give this five stars is that there were definitely times when I wanted him to go into more detail about how he accomplished something. His skill and perseverance in making it around Cape Horn was truly astounding.
Overall, this was a really fun summer read, and definitely fits into both of my goals of gradually reading the classic books about sailing as well as the classic human traveling accomplishments books/adventure narratives.
Slocum himself reminds me, and maybe this is just the air of all true sailors, of my grandparents, both of whom were quite accomplished sailors. What I mean is that Slocum exhibits an equanimity, an ability to appreciate life as it comes, and an ability to minimize difficulties that are quite different from my own temperament. I often wish to be more like this. Maybe a few years before the mast would cure me of my stressed-out land-lubber ways.
Yes, there are some dated elements to this story, but Slocum actually goes out of his way many times to point out that he loves foreign places and people, and that is often people not from a place who come there and behave with the least civility or respect for others or respect for nature.
It is also sadly ironic that Slocum ended up going missing on a future voyage after such a long life at sea (he never, oddly enough, learned to swim). And I never, ever, could have gone off on a journey for three years and just abandoned my family back home. He doesn't once even mention writing them a letter (although I am sure he probably did so).
In closing, I can't recommend this map enough as a companion to the story. https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?msa=0&dg=feature&mid=1Ex5cVOf48RPLXlfJUgwsvi7XVaU&ll=-6.586919615819063%2C-79.19230025000002&z=2
Overall, this was a really fun summer read, and definitely fits into both of my goals of gradually reading the classic books about sailing as well as the classic human traveling accomplishments books/adventure narratives.
Slocum himself reminds me, and maybe this is just the air of all true sailors, of my grandparents, both of whom were quite accomplished sailors. What I mean is that Slocum exhibits an equanimity, an ability to appreciate life as it comes, and an ability to minimize difficulties that are quite different from my own temperament. I often wish to be more like this. Maybe a few years before the mast would cure me of my stressed-out land-lubber ways.
Yes, there are some dated elements to this story, but Slocum actually goes out of his way many times to point out that he loves foreign places and people, and that is often people not from a place who come there and behave with the least civility or respect for others or respect for nature.
It is also sadly ironic that Slocum ended up going missing on a future voyage after such a long life at sea (he never, oddly enough, learned to swim). And I never, ever, could have gone off on a journey for three years and just abandoned my family back home. He doesn't once even mention writing them a letter (although I am sure he probably did so).
In closing, I can't recommend this map enough as a companion to the story. https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?msa=0&dg=feature&mid=1Ex5cVOf48RPLXlfJUgwsvi7XVaU&ll=-6.586919615819063%2C-79.19230025000002&z=2
chuxsox's review against another edition
4.0
An interesting, yet uninspired account of the three year global circumnavigation of Josh Slocum aboard the sloop "Spray". Not a must-read, but still good.
jrgreen15's review against another edition
5.0
This book has always been one of my favorites, and not because I've always loved stories about sailing. It is one of my favorites because it shows that adventure doesn't have to be solely in the realm of fiction.