Rating: 
Summary: A great true adventure story
Review: Joshua Slocum is one of the great adventurers of all time. His solo circumnavigation of the globe was the first and he decribes his adventures in a way that draws you into his world, as if he takes you along. we are fortunate that a man with his sea experience also could write with such insight - much like Ricard Henry Dana's "Two Years Before the Mast"
Rating: 
Summary: An Australian Yachtsman's Review of Slocum's book
Review: Joshua Slocum was the first person to sail single-handed around the world. Unlike today's solo around the world sailors Slocum was not a yachtsman, but had been variously skipper and owner-skipper of large sailing trading ships that plied the oceans of the world. His voyages included many across the Atlantic Ocean and several to the Pacific, including trading ventures to China, Japan and the Pacific Islands. Slocum was also different to modern day around the world sailors in that he made his around the world voyage near the end of his sailing career, at the age of fifty five. Slocum was declared dead on 14 November 1909 at the age of 65. This was the date he set sail on his final voyage. His course was into an Atlantic gale, and neither he nor his boat Spray was seen or heard of later.Slocum's father was a farmer in the maritime province of Nova Scotia which was one of the leading sailing and ship-building centres of the world in the latter part of the nineteenth century. Slocum was one of eleven children, was born on the Bay of Fundy, spent only two years in school and gained all his sailing and boat building skills on the job. When he was twenty-five Slocum was offered command of an American coasting schooner. His next command took him the to Australia where he met and married Virginia Walker of Strawberry Hill, Sydney. Later, Slocum would spend considerable time cruising the coast of Australia from Tasmania to the Torres Strait during his around the world voyage. As the nineteenth century drew to a close steam ships began to eat into the fishing and coastal and international trading business previously the sole dominion of sailing ships. In 1887 Slocum's ship the Aquidneck was stranded on a sand bar off the coast of Brazil and was raked by heavy seas for three days which wrecked the ship. Slocum managed to save his ship-building tools and some material from the wreck. In eighteen months, using timber felled by him and sails sewn by his (second) wife Hettie, Slocum built a 35-foot sailing canoe which he named the Liberdade, as the boat was launched on the day Brazilian slaves were freed. He sailed the Liberdade 5,500 miles in fifty-three days back to Washington DC. Slocum's boat the Spray, which he used for his around the world voyage had previously been an oysterman on Chesapeake Bay, and was completely rebuilt by Slocum. Although in keeping with tradition the name of the boat was preserved, the boat was deliberately rebuilt with different characteristics by Slocum. For example, he increased the freeboard particularly at the bow and stern in preparation for his ocean-going venture. The Spray was thirty-six feet nine inches long, had a beam of fourteen feet and a draft of four feet two inches, and weighed nine tons. She had a full-length wooden keel which was about one foot deep at the bow and about three feet deep at the stern. Slocum tells of the Spray's ability to sail a constant course with the wheel lashed when about two points off the wind for days on end. During his around the world voyage he was introduced to many dignitaries in many countries. In South Africa Slocum made the mistake of telling the President of the Transvaal Paul Kruger that he was sailing "around" the world. Kruger corrected him saying that he meant sailing "on" the world, because Kruger believed the world was flat. The book is fascinating to read and has appeal for anyone interested in the history of sailing and of life at the turn on the nineteenth century.
Rating:
Summary: A great adventure
Review: My feeling, upon finishing this book, was that I wish I'd had the opportunity to meet this remarkable man. What a great story of adventure as Slocum sets out in the Spray to sail solo around the world. He seems to have such a wonderful attitude about the whole thing, never really taking anything too seriously, but just enjoying the whole epic. It is incredible that this was done way back in 1895, long before the sophisticated navigational aides sailors and yachtsmen have available today. Yet, he seems to almost casually find his way around the world, meeting interesting people, avoiding mishaps and just generally having a great time. His writing is simple and a joy to read. It's a wonderful story for all ages and certainly not surprising that it has been so popular over the years.
Rating: 
Summary: A true adventure...
Review: My three stars are in no way a disrespectful gesture towards Joshua Slocum and his magnificent voyage. His bravery will go unmatched by many. However, rating his story on a literary scale, I can't give it more than a three. If you're not a sailor, and I'm not, then you may find yourself bogged down by many sea/boat terms. On the other hand, if you have worked on a boat, or enjoy sailing, then you will love this story. I might also note that at times the story becomes repetitive, but it is not without its witty and suspenseful moments. This account of Slocum's courageous voyage around the world would probably only appeal to those that already have some knowledge of the sea. I guess its all relative.
Rating: 
Summary: Miniature Size Book
Review: Order carefully. I purchased this book to replace the 1978 edition that I lost. I didn't see the fine print on the web page and was shocked and amused when I received my new miniature edition... This book is 3" x 4". Order the '78 edition unless you have a good magnifying glass. By the way, the book itself is great.
Rating:
Summary: A wonderful little book
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: Top shelf true adventure reading!
Review: Slocum eases the reader on an adventure around the world, baiting us along with peaceful respect for the sea, and a love of sloitude. No hollywood storms or disasters. He is as good at story telling as he is at sailing. I would recommend his work to non-sailors and non-adventurers alike. This is a slice of history as he visits the South Pacific and South America in the 1800's, quietly cruising past a world just comming to grips with expansion into unknown cultures and countries. A wise "old Salt" and a teriffic story teller!
Rating:
Summary: Not your typical sailing story
Review: Slocum has managed to tell his tale in an upbeat manner with a keen wit. He never proclaims himself to be great; however, he takes great joy in those who doubt him. There are so many great scenes in this book. One lady sitting next to me on a flight said that I appeared totally engrossed in this work and she was right.
Rating:
Summary: An exciting experience even for a land-lubber
Review: Slocum's account of his exciting trip is both exhilerating and thought-provoking as he describes harrowing adventure and breath-taking beauty---simple and heartfelt, and spiced with humor, by a man with a third-grade education.
Rating:
Summary: sailing- choada
Review: Some might find a book about 3 years at sea interesting like famous skot heffner. But I think waking up,
Using the restroom and sleeping on a boat for 3 years less than entertaining. Chalky white says what he wants when he wants!
| 
