Book recommendations

[lockwood]

Anybody know of any good sailing stories that I should be reading?

I like the true ones, currently reading, 'Rough passage' by Tom McClean.

Previously enjoyed 'Adrift' by Steve Callahan, 'At one with the sea' Naomi James, 'Taking on the world' DAME Ellen.

Any ideas? This bad weather has me itching to read more as I can't be out on the water myself, also, my F5 key is wearing down from constantly refreshing this bloody forum!

 

[Salty John]

The Long Way - Bernard Moitessier
Blue Water - Bob Griffith

 

[Santana379]

Sea Change by Peter Nichols (my favourite)
Voyage for Madmen also by Peter Nichols (story of the Golden Globe race)
Desperate Voyage by John Cauldwell (another good one)
To the Baltic with Bob by Griff Rhys Jones (some extremely funny passages, pun intended)

 

[Vasco]

-Anything by Tristan Jones ( Ice , The Incredible Voyage , Saga of a Wayward Sailor) always taking the stories with a BIG grain of salt , to say the least.Great story teller though.
-"The Boat that wouldn't Float" , Farley Mowatt
-" The Riddle of the Sands" , Erskine Childers
-the full collection of the Aubrey -Maturin series starting with "Master and Commander" , by Patrick O'Brien
-"Passage to Juneau" , Jonathan Raban
...to keep it short....

 

[machurley22]

Passage to Juneau - Jonathan Raban
Erik the Red - Donald Ridler
The Last Grain Race - Eric Newby
Once is Enough - Miles Smeeton
Red Mains'l - Peter Pye
Master & Commander - Patrick O'Brian. Just finished this and imagine the others in the series will be just as good.

Dave

 

[graham]

Re: What did you make of Tom McLean?

What an amazingly modest man considering his life achievments starting from a disadvantaged childhood.

After struggling with his navigation I could identify with the bit where he says that" Mathematics and McLean only have one thing in common Both start with M."

 

[lockwood]

Re: What did you make of Tom McLean?

Haven't quite finished it yet, probably will tonight. His tenacity and determination is unbelievable. A very strong man, both mentally & physically.

 

[ongolo]

Hi,

I had once a book by Naomi James? Not sure of the title, lent it out and gone it is, COURAGE AT SEA??? something like that, giving condensed stories of Blight, McDougal and many others, but one was about a guy sailing from panama to australia.

He was at the end of the war stranded and wanted to get home, so he bought a boat, and did every thing wrong, cought a shark for food, shark thrashed the cockpit coaming, subsequent storm flooded the boat, bailing in the dark he also bailed out his food supply, eventually eating lipstick he bought fo his fiancee, and a pair of army boots, then he drank shaving lotion, took a sunsight, that put his position somewhere near kilimandjaro in kenaya, eventually crashed in a cove, broken arm , smashed boat but he lived. When I read it, the hair of my neck stood up at times, god what that guy went through.

Ongolo

 

[Santana379]

The full version of the story Ongolo is referring to is "Desperate Voyage" by John Cauldwell, recommended above. Its very good indeed.

(As pointed out in a later posting, the correct spelling is John Caldwell, subsequently known as Johnny Coconut, for reasons which will become apparent when you get the book)

 

[Hoilung]

A World Of My Own. Robin Knox-Johnston. Compare with latter-day circumnavigators.

 

[Sgeir]

Three current book recommendations

1421 - the year China discovered America by Gavin Menzies. I am not convinced by it as I think he selects and presents his evidence to "establish" a pre-judged construction. However it's a bloody good read and interesting from a sailing perspective (although there are some big mental leaps, and some unsatisfactory contradictions eg sea temperature and land/sea relative heights).

But have a look and decide for yourself.

Next book, as recommended by Minnie Sgeir, and currently being read by Madame Sgeir, is The Scottish Enlightenment: The Scots' Invention of the Modern World by Arthur Herman. From reviews it is "popular history" (so what?), but reasonably sourced. I'll comment once I've read it.

Also Mr China by Tim Clissold. For a vast country/continent/semi-world in change, brilliant!

 

[graham]

As a very young and stupid man my little group went through a faze of Aftershave nightcaps(Kouros was my favourite)

cant imagine eating your boots though ,drink beer out of them ok but eat them no way...

I will keep an eye out for the book though sounds a good read.

 

[machurley22]

Point of information Mr Speaker; it's John Caldwell and it is an amazing book.

Dave

 

[Stingo]

YBW Bookclub

If anyone have a copy of "Desperate Voyage" by John Caldwell that they'd like to swap for either "A voyage for Madmen" or "The strange last voyage of Donald Crowhurst", please PM me.

 

[jeanne]

I noticed Denny Island in the background of a forum photo of your boat, so your best bet must be to go and look in the P.C.C. library in the clubhouse at Pill. There are enough for a winter or two there.

 

[ongolo]

well, not boat related, but incrediblew good book, even if written by a rooinek: (stingo know what this means)

HISTORY OF EUROPE by Norman Davis, best book on history I have read, not dry at all, I also only discovered two slight errors in it.

 

[lockwood]

FAO: Jeanne

Unfortunately, I have never been near Denny Island, I think the photo placed on this forum had Flat Holme in the background.

 

[pragmatist]

Re: Three current book recommendations

Is this on a par with the Welsh invented Guiness ? /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

 

[Sgeir]

Re: Three current book recommendations

Yes. But anyway, we all know that Brendan got there before Leif, Erik, or Zheng He for that matter.