Join Amazon Prime and get unlimited Free One-Day Delivery. Already a member? Sign in.

 

or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
   
More Buying Choices
26 used & new from £7.69

Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
   
The Unlikely Voyage of Jack De Crow: A Mirror Odyssey from North Wales to the Black Sea
 
See larger image
 

The Unlikely Voyage of Jack De Crow: A Mirror Odyssey from North Wales to the Black Sea (Paperback)

by A.J. Mackinnon (Author)
4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
RRP: £19.95
Price: £12.49 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
You Save: £7.46 (37%)
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
In stock.
Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk. Gift-wrap available.

Want guaranteed delivery by Wednesday, July 15? Choose Express delivery at checkout. See Details
16 new from £8.11 10 used from £7.69
Other Editions: RRP: Our Price: Other Offers:
Paperback £12.95 £9.99 16 used & new from £8.50

Frequently Bought Together

The Unlikely Voyage of Jack De Crow: A Mirror Odyssey from North Wales to the Black Sea + Ocean Crossing Wayfarer: To Iceland and Norway in a 16ft Open Dinghy + To the Baltic with Bob: An Epic Misadventure
Price For All Three: £30.97

Show availability and shipping details


Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

Ocean Crossing Wayfarer: To Iceland and Norway in a 16ft Open Dinghy

Ocean Crossing Wayfarer: To Iceland and Norway in a 16ft Open Dinghy

by Frank Dye
4.5 out of 5 stars (2)  £11.49
To the Baltic with Bob: An Epic Misadventure

To the Baltic with Bob: An Epic Misadventure

by Griff Rhys Jones
3.6 out of 5 stars (13)  £6.99
The Mirror Book: Mirror Sailing from Start to Finish

The Mirror Book: Mirror Sailing from Start to Finish

by Peter Aitken
5.0 out of 5 stars (2)  £10.49
Sailing Just for Fun: High Adventure on a Small Budget

Sailing Just for Fun: High Adventure on a Small Budget

by A.C. Stock
4.2 out of 5 stars (5)  £7.49
Dinghy Cruising: The Enjoyment of Wandering Alfoat

Dinghy Cruising: The Enjoyment of Wandering Alfoat

by Margaret Dye
4.3 out of 5 stars (3)  £10.49
Explore similar items

Product details

  • Paperback: 352 pages
  • Publisher: Sheridan House (31 Dec 2002)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 1574091522
  • ISBN-13: 978-1574091526
  • Product Dimensions: 22.9 x 15.2 x 2.8 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 110,342 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in this category:

    #20 in  Books > Sports, Hobbies & Games > Water Sports > Boating > Sailing > Narratives

Product Description

Product Description
A couple of quiet weeks sailing on the river Severn was the intention, 'Somehow things got out of hand...' Writes A J Mackinnon. 'A year later I had reached Romania and was still going.' Equipped with his cheerful optimism and a pith helmet, this Odysseus in a Mirror dinghy takes you with him from the borders of North Wales to the Black Sea-4900 kilometres over salt and fresh water, under sail, at the oars or at the end of a two rope-through twelve countries, 282 locks and numerous trials and adventures including an encounter with Balkan pirates. An epic voyage undertaken with courage and recounted with flair and humour. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

About the Author
A.J.Mackinnon (called Sandy) was born in Australia in 1963. He spent his childhood between England and Australia, travelling as a small boy with his family on the last P&O liners to sail between the two countries, a factor to which he attributes his life-long love of maritime travel. He was educated at the Pulteney Grammar School, Adelaide, and the University of Adelaide, completing a Diploma in Education and a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature, Linguistics and Anglo-Saxon. His teaching career started at Westminster School, Adelaide, where he taught English and Drama for four years. After this time he travelled overland to England by yacht, hitch-hiking, river-canoe and even horseback… spending a brief time in a Chinese prison after accidentally swimming into China, and being attacked by Komodo Dragons, amongst other experiences. England provided a somewhat tamer existence as he taught at the prestigious schools of Sherborne and Cheltenham, before becoming Head of Drama at Ellesmere College, Shropshire, for six years where he also taught English at all levels. Last year, ready for more adventure, he set off in a ten-foot open sailing dinghy from the school gates at Ellesmere, and nine months later had managed to row and sail all the way to Romania and the Black Sea… a journey of some four thousand miles, passing through twelve different countries and involving shipwreck, arrest, capture by pirates and becoming lost in the English Channel. He has just completed this illustrated book of his voyage, ‘The Unlikely Voyage of Jack de Crow.' His interests include painting, philosophy, writing, conjuring and home-made fireworks, and he has written and directed a number of plays and musicals. After a two year period teaching in Argentina, he is currently back home enjoying his English and Drama teaching at the renowned Geelong Grammar School in Victoria, Australia, where he also instructs students to sail Mirror dinghies in the Summer months. His students don't believe a word he says. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

See all Product Description

Suggested Tags from Similar Products

 (What's this?)
Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product)
Check a corresponding box or enter your own tags in the field below
pirates
mirror dinghy
english channel
danube
adventurer
a j mackinnon

Your tags: Add your first tag
 

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

The Unlikely Voyage of Jack De Crow: A Mirror Odyssey from North Wales to the Black Sea
76% buy the item featured on this page:
The Unlikely Voyage of Jack De Crow: A Mirror Odyssey from North Wales to the Black Sea 4.7 out of 5 stars (18)
£12.49
Ocean Crossing Wayfarer: To Iceland and Norway in a 16ft Open Dinghy
8% buy
Ocean Crossing Wayfarer: To Iceland and Norway in a 16ft Open Dinghy 4.5 out of 5 stars (2)
£11.49
The Mirror Book: Mirror Sailing from Start to Finish
5% buy
The Mirror Book: Mirror Sailing from Start to Finish 5.0 out of 5 stars (2)
£10.49
Dinghy Cruising: The Enjoyment of Wandering Alfoat
5% buy
Dinghy Cruising: The Enjoyment of Wandering Alfoat 4.3 out of 5 stars (3)
£10.49

 

Customer Reviews

18 Reviews
5 star:
 (14)
4 star:
 (3)
3 star:
 (1)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.7 out of 5 stars (18 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A One Man Laurel & Hardy trip across Europe, 14 Jun 2002
Like the Author, once you start this journey it is difficult to stop. This book is very difficult to put down.

As you breeze along the waterways and across seas with Sandy you find yourself saying "No! You can't? You won't? You shouldn't..." then you turn the page and he can, he will and he has; your eyes open wide and you read fervently onwards.

After one crisis is over you are calmed back into the beautiful journey, bumbling along serenely and naively into the arms of the next demon waiting beyond the horizon.

Whilst many of the literary quotes went over my head I found this a fantastically written story of eccentric daring-do with laugh-out-loud moments of extreme hilarity.

A real, live "Lord Of The Rings" journey full of near-death experiences told as if they weren't and real life experiences told like it was.

You have to read this book.

Incidentally whilst not putting down this book at 1 am, high up in the Taipei Hilton the other week I found my hotel bed shaking with laughter, when I stopped, the bed didn't and the contents of the min-bar spilled out onto the floor. It was then that I realised the Earth was moving! That's never happened with any other book I've read.

Well done Mr. Mackinnon!

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars The Unlikely Voyage of Jack De Crow, 23 Aug 2002
By J. Gregory (North Wales. United Kingdom) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
A beautifully written book - but then you would expect that from an English teacher! Full of hilarious escapades, frightening experiences and gloriously colourful accounts of this unbelieveably exciting yet delightful journey! Should be on the bookshelf of every Mirror Dinghy owner and on the reading list of every school! I look forward to the author's next publication - which I hope will be forthcoming in due course!
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A great read!, 4 Feb 2005
By A Customer
This is without doubt one of the best books I have ever read. SO difficult to put down, very entertaining. Don't worry if you don't like sailing, just buy it if you like reading and laughing at the same time!
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars Almost 4 stars - but .........
To sail and row all the way from North Wales to the Black Sea in a dingy that most people would not be able to differentiate from a bath tub may have seemed like a good idea to... Read more
Published 2 months ago by SCM

4.0 out of 5 stars unlikely voyage of JDC
ive enjoyed reading this book, its the sort of adventure that is within the grasp of many people, its all out there, you have to get on and do it. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Mr. RAQ Treloar

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautifully written and laugh out loud funny.
Like others, I found this book hard to put down. It is beautifully written, each chapter vividly and wonderfully expressed. Read more
Published 3 months ago by RobF

4.0 out of 5 stars Very entertaining read
I really enjoyed this book. There is a spirit of adventure through it and some very well observed detail. Read more
Published 14 months ago by K. Munnoch

5.0 out of 5 stars Only Sandy Mackinnon...........
As a student at Ellesmere College when Sandy Mackinnon was there, it is lovely to be reminded in such a tangiable way of the joy he found in adventure, drama and words. Read more
Published 18 months ago by E Letts

5.0 out of 5 stars A Modern Masterpiece
A joyous tale of a glorious journey. Read this book and be glad that you're alive.
Published on 5 Nov 2006 by L. C. Welsh

5.0 out of 5 stars A riveting read
I don't know what it is about Kiwis but they seem to have a talent for brilliant adventures.
His journey in a Mirror dinghy across England was fantastic, the places he... Read more
Published on 1 Nov 2006 by M. Selway

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful book about people and waterways across Europe
This book is beautifully written and a pleasure to read. The tale is extraordinary and kept me enthralled right to the end. Read more
Published on 21 Feb 2006

4.0 out of 5 stars Very funny, but the second half drags.
A very funny book. He has a great knack for humour, and bringing characters to life. Quirkiness and eccentricity abound, both from the author, and the people he meets. Read more
Published on 27 Jul 2004 by Sean Hennessy

5.0 out of 5 stars A modern Odysseus
A real gem of book that will surely become a classic. Sandy Mackinnon is a teacher at a minor public school in Shropshire who packs up the day job and resurrects an old wooden... Read more
Published on 13 Jun 2004 by Dan Rutherford

Only search this product's reviews



Customer Discussions

 Beta (What's this?)
This product's forum (0 discussions)
  Discussion Replies Latest Post
  No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
  [Cancel]


Active discussions in related forums
   
Related forums


Listmania!


Look for similar items by category


Feedback


Health & Beauty at Amazon.co.uk

Elemis Resurface and Renew Skin Care Gift Set of 4 Products
From soap to shavers, massagers to mascara, stock up on your daily essentials or truly pamper yourself.

Discover Health & Beauty

 

Make A Wish

Get what you want with an Amazon.co.uk Wish List Make sure you always get what you want with an Amazon.co.uk Wish List.

More info on Wish Lists

 

Train Hard...Play Hard

Nike, Gola, Converse, and more
Gear up with up to 60% off athletic and outdoor shoes.

Shop now

 

Treat Someone

Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificates--available in any amount from £5 to £500 With an Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificate, you can get them what they want (even if you don't know what that is).

Learn more about Gift Certificates

 
Ad

Where's My Stuff?

Delivery and Returns

Need Help?

Your Recent History

  (What's this?)
You have no recently viewed items or searches.

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.

Look to the right column to find helpful suggestions for your shopping session.

Continue Shopping: Top Sellers
The Girl Who Played with Fire
Breaking Dawn (Twilight Saga)
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
The Host
The Host by Stephenie Meyer

amazon.co.uk Amazon Home
International Sites:  United States  |  Germany  |  France  |  Japan  |  Canada  |  China
Business Programs: Sell on Amazon  |  Fulfilment by Amazon  |  Join Associates  |  Join Advantage
Customer Service  |  Help  |  View Basket  |  Your Account
About Amazon.co.uk  |  Careers at Amazon
Conditions of Use & Sale |  Privacy Notice  © 1996-2009, Amazon.com, Inc. and its affiliates