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A review by eowyndoodles
Two Years Before the Mast: A Sailor's Life at Sea by Richard Henry Dana Jr.
3.0
This book was really interesting, if sometimes narratively slow. I haven't heard many points of view from people who were sailors. Most at-sea books I read are from the point of view of either officers or passengers (and also they are usually fictional which this one wasn't).
It was also really interesting to read about California before the Gold Rush when it was still part of Mexico. I knew all the places they mentioned! Point Loma in San Diego harbor! The missions! Santa Clara! I think I almost enjoyed the book more for that than I did for the sailing parts. In fact, I did enjoy it more for that part.
Also, Dana was surprisingly less-racist than I would have thought. There were definitely comments and statements where you were like "yeah, this is an American pre-Civil War talking". But mostly he was pretty open to seeing people as people although less smart than him and not quite as good, but he admittedly thinks that of many of the other sailors, too. Maybe it's because he's a Harvard boy. He seems to think pretty friendly of them, though. He also seems to be on good terms with the Kanakas he meets and treats them decently as people, although makes some comments. Of course, though, this is all from his point-of-view so Who Knows? But it was very interesting to me.
It was also really interesting to read about California before the Gold Rush when it was still part of Mexico. I knew all the places they mentioned! Point Loma in San Diego harbor! The missions! Santa Clara! I think I almost enjoyed the book more for that than I did for the sailing parts. In fact, I did enjoy it more for that part.
Also, Dana was surprisingly less-racist than I would have thought. There were definitely comments and statements where you were like "yeah, this is an American pre-Civil War talking". But mostly he was pretty open to seeing people as people although less smart than him and not quite as good, but he admittedly thinks that of many of the other sailors, too. Maybe it's because he's a Harvard boy. He seems to think pretty friendly of them, though. He also seems to be on good terms with the Kanakas he meets and treats them decently as people, although makes some comments. Of course, though, this is all from his point-of-view so Who Knows? But it was very interesting to me.