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ndbooth's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
3.5
gladiolus17's review against another edition
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
Joshua Slocum is a very optimistic, funny fellow. This is a great book to get the perspective of an early sailor around the world, just note that it is of it’s time and there are some racial slurs in here.
The parts I enjoyed the most were when hesings to the porpoises and meets various children along the way. So cute!
The parts I enjoyed the most were when he
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs
spencerdance's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
informative
fast-paced
4.0
Pretty interesting, minus the standard 1900 Era racism. Obviously overly optimistic.
stewg's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
paul_cornelius's review against another edition
4.0
Notwithstanding Francis Chichester's advocates' attempts to steal the glory that rightly belongs to Joshua Slocum, it is Slocum who made what is first, and certainly the most adventuresome, solo navigation around the world. The American seaman, aboard the Yankee built, and rebuilt, Spray, accomplished his feat over the course of three years, from 1895 to 1898, without a chronometer, using only dead reckoning to fix his position. He also undertook his voyage at a time when much of the world's geography and mapping of the seas remained hidden in darkness, even mystery.
Slocum put his adventures into the form of a book and Sailing Alone Around the World is the result. A bestseller at the time, it has lost none of its appeal. But it is really two books in one. By far, the better part is the first half, which describes Slocum's trip down to and through the Straits of Magellan. Going against the prevailing winds, he was actually forced back around Cape Horn and had to make the attempt through the Straits yet again. (This was much more difficult than Chichester's voyage, which followed the Clipper Route with the prevailing winds, passing first around the Cape of Good Hope and then past Cape Horn.) This section of the book holds the reader spellbound, I think. But when the voyage turns into the vastness of the Pacific, then the story begins to drag a bit, especially with Slocum's visits to Tasmania and New South Wales. Things do right themselves once back into the Atlantic, however, and the tale of the goat provides quite a humorous aside.
Despite the fact that this was a popular bestseller for its times, today's readers might have some problems with it. Specifically, with the everyday uses and knowledge of nautical phrases, words, and instruments, which were much more commonplace than today. A contemporary reader might get a bit lost among them all. (Read the book on a Kindle, with access to instant dictionaries, and this task becomes much easier.)
Slocum put his adventures into the form of a book and Sailing Alone Around the World is the result. A bestseller at the time, it has lost none of its appeal. But it is really two books in one. By far, the better part is the first half, which describes Slocum's trip down to and through the Straits of Magellan. Going against the prevailing winds, he was actually forced back around Cape Horn and had to make the attempt through the Straits yet again. (This was much more difficult than Chichester's voyage, which followed the Clipper Route with the prevailing winds, passing first around the Cape of Good Hope and then past Cape Horn.) This section of the book holds the reader spellbound, I think. But when the voyage turns into the vastness of the Pacific, then the story begins to drag a bit, especially with Slocum's visits to Tasmania and New South Wales. Things do right themselves once back into the Atlantic, however, and the tale of the goat provides quite a humorous aside.
Despite the fact that this was a popular bestseller for its times, today's readers might have some problems with it. Specifically, with the everyday uses and knowledge of nautical phrases, words, and instruments, which were much more commonplace than today. A contemporary reader might get a bit lost among them all. (Read the book on a Kindle, with access to instant dictionaries, and this task becomes much easier.)
altlovesbooks's review against another edition
4.0
"The sea was confused and treacherous. In such a time as this the old fisherman prayed, 'Remember Lord, my ship is small and thy sea is so wide.'"
It's books like these that make me wish I had a boat. I do not have a boat, and I know that boat ownership is exponentially expensive, and yet this book made me want to hop in one and go sail for the horizon.
This is a travel memoir of a guy with a boat, the Spray, where he gets it into his head to sail around the world in 1895. He encounters standard seafaring things: pirates, storms, fishing, and nonstandard seafaring things, such as his mental encounter with the ghost of the captain of the Nina, who saved his ship while he was sick abed. His tongue-in-cheek humor in these encounters is really what makes this book shine, though. He makes repeated jokes about his "crew" (of only him), makes astute and humorous observations about lands and people he comes across, and all-in-all maintains high spirits throughout his journey. I appreciated being along for his historic voyage.
My only (minor) gripe about the book was its nautical terminology -- which is to be expected in a book about, y'know, maritime adventure. There's enough ship terminology to maybe make you Google a word or two, but I felt like I got enough of the jist just from larger context in most places.
All in all, a pleasant, easy-to-read adventure classic.
It's books like these that make me wish I had a boat. I do not have a boat, and I know that boat ownership is exponentially expensive, and yet this book made me want to hop in one and go sail for the horizon.
This is a travel memoir of a guy with a boat, the Spray, where he gets it into his head to sail around the world in 1895. He encounters standard seafaring things: pirates, storms, fishing, and nonstandard seafaring things, such as his mental encounter with the ghost of the captain of the Nina, who saved his ship while he was sick abed. His tongue-in-cheek humor in these encounters is really what makes this book shine, though. He makes repeated jokes about his "crew" (of only him), makes astute and humorous observations about lands and people he comes across, and all-in-all maintains high spirits throughout his journey. I appreciated being along for his historic voyage.
My only (minor) gripe about the book was its nautical terminology -- which is to be expected in a book about, y'know, maritime adventure. There's enough ship terminology to maybe make you Google a word or two, but I felt like I got enough of the jist just from larger context in most places.
All in all, a pleasant, easy-to-read adventure classic.
swoody788's review against another edition
4.0
Talk about a real adventure! Joshua Slocum, aged 51, spent three years sailing 46,000 miles alone around the world (as the title would suggest) in small sloop he rebuilt at the end of the nineteenth century. Why don't more people have these kind of skills today? Despite facing storms and cannibals - yes, you read that right, cannibals - he tells his story in a light and entertaining way that makes it seem like the whole trip was a breeze, but really he just knew what he was doing and was prepared for just about everything he faced. He made friends everywhere he went but seemed to enjoy the solitude of long stretches without ports. He just seems like an awesome guy whose acquaintance I wish I could have made. Maybe in the next life.
I had already found that it was not good to be alone, and so made companionship with what there was around me, sometimes with the universe and sometimes with my own insignificant self; but my books were always my friends, let fail all else.
Dangers there are, to be sure, on the sea as well as on the land, but the intelligence and skill God gives to man reduce these to a minimum.
To face the elements is, to be sure, no light matter when the sea is in its grandest mood. You must then know the sea, and know that you know it, and not forget that it was made to be sailed over.
I had already found that it was not good to be alone, and so made companionship with what there was around me, sometimes with the universe and sometimes with my own insignificant self; but my books were always my friends, let fail all else.
Dangers there are, to be sure, on the sea as well as on the land, but the intelligence and skill God gives to man reduce these to a minimum.
To face the elements is, to be sure, no light matter when the sea is in its grandest mood. You must then know the sea, and know that you know it, and not forget that it was made to be sailed over.
wyliem's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism and Xenophobia
Minor: Violence
monbeausoleil's review against another edition
informative
slow-paced
2.5
Récit de voyage d’un tour du monde en solitaire sur un voilier à la fin du XIXe siècle. L’exploit est certainement remarquable, mais l’auteur (et capitaine) n’a pas réussi à me faire embarquer dans son récit. Le vocabulaire utilisé est très niché et il y a beaucoup de détails accordés à l’entretien et les manœuvres qu’il effectue. Le capitaine a cependant une touche d’humour bien apprécié.