Airborne: A Sentimental Journey

William F. Buckley's "Airborne: A Sentimental Journey" is an entertaining and humorous chronicle of Buckley's trans-Atlantic sail with his son and a group of good friends. This isn't a strictly-constructed story but reads instead more like a collection of loosely-connected essays about sailing and seamanship, along with excerpts from the ship's log, culminating in their Atlantic crossing. With typical Buckley wit, he describes his first sailboat, its demise, and his second sailboat. He waxes on about his observations of sailors, the qualities that make good crew (and friends) aboard a boat, and even describes (in detail) how to make position fixes using the sun and stars. Buckley's writing shines in this introspective look at himself, his son, his friends, and their journey. I often tab pages with good quotations to remember, and this book was filled with tabbed pages by the time I finished reading it. Although the book is a bit dated, it's a charming and delightful read for anyone who enjoys sailing or is a fan William F. Buckley's writing.

Buckley at his most relaxed. The book chronicles a trans-atlantic crossing under sail, starting with insuring that the ship is seaworthy, through picking the crew and plotting the course to the "mundane" aspects of a sea advdnture. Along the way one has the rare chance to observe a crew interacting spontaneously. The use of the ship's log to aid in the revealing the details and even the thoughts of some of the shipmates make the story all the more enjoyable. By journey's end you feel like you know what it must be like to cross the mighty Atlantic under the power of sail. A surprisingly enjoyable read as you and Buckley glide towards Europe.