A review by paul_cornelius
Sailing Alone Around the World by Joshua Slocum
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.)