Sailing Alone Around the World

Joshua Slocum was a very complex man-and not a plaster saint by any account; but he wrote a book as sublime and as soul-satisfying as anyone could wish for. This is a book for a warm fire and a glass of rum, or a cabin on a sailboat. The places he sees and the people he meets are extraordinary; and vividly painted. But they pale when he describes Spray and the sea. You can hear the love and longing in his voice when he describes them. This is the last of a breed, trying to keep his heart alive after wrenching losses, at the end of his rope, and finding a way to continue on and be fulfilled. Excellent reading, it will stick with you for years.

I have to say I was absolutely shocked to see ANY reviews that were less than 5 stars. That is how much I enjoyed this book. I've have actually read this book about once every 2 months for a couple of years now, and I never get tired of my "evening conversations with the Captain", sharing his sail around the world.The Captain will take you to Yankee whaling towns, pirate shoals off the coast of Spain, South Sea paradise islands, among Fuegian natives round the horn, throughout distant Australia, then far beyond and back again. The book is absolutely full of adventures, and if you love the sea or reading about sailing, this is a must read classic.Merry Chistmas to all,Mike

Quite simply, a perfect recounting of one man's sailing journey around the world in a time when you could do that sort of thing without a corporate sponsor. Men like Joshua Slocum -- who can perform great feats of daring and courage with complete humility -- don't exist anymore. No writer, Slocum's simple, straight-forward prose is a relief to anyone looking for a break from self-important fiction, wordy biographies and over-complicated takes on our over-complicated world.