Sailing Alone Around the World
By Joshua Slocum
Dover Large Print Classics, (2001)
ISBN: 0-486-41936-3
Genre: Fiction, English Literature
Reviewed by Anna Dogole - July 19, 2002
In 1895, Joshua Slocum set off in a 34-foot sloop called the Spray, intending to sail around the world in her, alone. Three years and some 46,000 miles later, Slocum and the Spray returned home triumphantly on June 27, 1898. Slocum, who also built the Spray, wrote about his epic journey in his book, Sailing Alone Around the World, which was first published in The Century Illustrated Monthly Magazine between 1899-1900, after which they issued it in book form.
Slocum was a hearty New Englander with a keen eye and a knack for translating what he saw and experienced into words. In this work, Sailing Alone Around the World, he offers a thrilling account of his adventures as he sailed around the world. He describes what his ship was like, and what is was like to sail her in all weather. He also recounts the unique things he saw and the numerous people he met along the way. Best of all he recounts his numerous adventures which ranged from hiding from pirates to hunting sharks. His story is heartwarming, humourous, and exhilarating, and it is sure to bring out the adventurer in us all.
The Dover large print edition of this is an unabridged republication of the original edition. It also includes a fascinating introduction by Geoffrey Mott-Smith that provides biographical information about Slocum, including his life after this momentous voyage. This edition of Sailing Alone Around the World is also enhanced by the inclusion of 67 illustrations, as well as diagrams depicting the structure, architecture, and features of the Spray.
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