The Way Of A Ship
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First Sentence
Off the pitch of the Horn. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
Off the pitch of the Horn. Read the first page
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Concordance
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
12 of 15 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
The cover of this book states it to be 'A Square-Rigger Voyage in the Last Days of Sail'. The author, Derek Lundy, starts by explaining that an ancestor of his, Benjamin Lundy, sailed on such a ship. On researching this relation he found few hard facts, but was inspired to write a story based around the type of ship he would have served on.
And so begins the story of Benjamin Lundy. For the first few chapters we are drawn into his introduction to the ship and his shipmates, which is done well and captures ones' attention. But at the start of Chapter Four we are suddenly off on a travelogue of the authors own, rather tame, reminiscences of Cape Horn and then a discourse on the history of merchant shipping.
A short visit back to Benjamins' story, then off we go again - t pages about the authors' holiday on a tall ship, homosexuality amongst sailors and constant references to the works of Conrad and Melville.
It is only in the last three chapters that the story returns with any concentration to the 'story' as alluded to on the book's cover, by which time this reader at least, was completed frustrated by the author dashing off from one subject to another, and more than happy to put the book aside.
This book couldn't decide whether it should be a fictional narrative, a factual historical reference work, a piece of travel writing or a literary appreciation. It's almost as if the author got so excited by his research he felt it more important to pass it onto the reader rather than think for himself and create the story he started with. This is a shame because when he does concentrate on the fiction, he creates good interesting writing - his descriptions of the crews first uneasy relationships is excellent.
If you want a good story about Square Riggers, stick with Eric Newbys' 'The Last Grain Race' - he knew what he wanted to say and he said it far better than Mr Lundy.
And so begins the story of Benjamin Lundy. For the first few chapters we are drawn into his introduction to the ship and his shipmates, which is done well and captures ones' attention. But at the start of Chapter Four we are suddenly off on a travelogue of the authors own, rather tame, reminiscences of Cape Horn and then a discourse on the history of merchant shipping.
A short visit back to Benjamins' story, then off we go again - t pages about the authors' holiday on a tall ship, homosexuality amongst sailors and constant references to the works of Conrad and Melville.
It is only in the last three chapters that the story returns with any concentration to the 'story' as alluded to on the book's cover, by which time this reader at least, was completed frustrated by the author dashing off from one subject to another, and more than happy to put the book aside.
This book couldn't decide whether it should be a fictional narrative, a factual historical reference work, a piece of travel writing or a literary appreciation. It's almost as if the author got so excited by his research he felt it more important to pass it onto the reader rather than think for himself and create the story he started with. This is a shame because when he does concentrate on the fiction, he creates good interesting writing - his descriptions of the crews first uneasy relationships is excellent.
If you want a good story about Square Riggers, stick with Eric Newbys' 'The Last Grain Race' - he knew what he wanted to say and he said it far better than Mr Lundy.
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
For anyone with an interest in sailing and life at sea this will be an enlightening and pleasurable read. The author, erudite and and informative throughout, takes the reader on an exhilrating, harrowing and terrible voyage around cape horn, and provides historical perspective to the narrative throughout. Rather than just imparting a tale full of vigourous excitment, Lundy provides insight by basing everything from the weather to the ships victuals on fact. His interesting digressions from the story do a lot to increase the understanding of the reader and therefore the enjoyment. After reading this book you will have some comprehension of the amazing feats of 'Cape Horners' and, as the title the title suggests, an appreciation of the way of a ship.
1 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I found this book to be a fascinating description of life aboard a sailing ship at the end of the 18th century. The central figure, a young man joining his first ship, is the grandfather of the book's author and the book follows his experiences during the ship's journey from Liverpool to the South Atlantic and "Round the Horn."
The pen pictures of each crew member are written with astonishing clarity and the technical descriptions of the ship, its handling and management, are explained in a manner that even the most landlocked armchair sailor will appreciate.
Throughout the book there are short passages which digress from the main story, but these are, in the main, used to give examples of similar historic activities and events to those being experienced by the ship.
An exceelen readable book - thouroughly recommended.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
A very good read
Early on I thought the constant references to earlier writers were intrusive. It then settled down into a fantastic read. Read more
Published 15 months ago by Ms Claire Ashton
Worth a look
Excellent read - interesting approach with hard-edged and well-researched fact sitting alongside the fictional account of a seriously dangerous voyage around the Horn. Read more
Published on 15 Feb 2009 by Bookworm
Rambling dilettante, but of interest to the enthusiast
This book seemed to me interminable, but in retrospect I learnt a lot. Not only does Lundy draw heavily on our maritime literary heritage (half a lifetime's worth of bedtime... Read more
Published on 5 Jan 2004
For those who love all things nautical
This "true" story tells of a young man's first ship, a steel hulled three masted barque, and its passage round the Horn in the late 19th century. Read more
Published on 12 May 2003 by "wafoo"
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