A World of My Own

Rating:
Summary: No wonder he broke things so often
Review: ...Now, I will admit he was quite young and inexperienced as a writer when he wrote the preposterously titled tome, however, there were times when I wanted to throw him and his book over the side and get on with better reading material. Being curious though, I stuck it out though his many man-made and nature caused disasters some of which could have been avoided it seems to this armchair reader if he'd have laid off the hootch he was addicted to...fresh water would have been more in order instead of so many whiskey and beer bottles cluttering up the larder. His answer to most situations was to stroll down to the locker and pour a shot or two and light up. How many times can one screw up on a trip like this and then write shamelessly about it? Enough to sell a lot of copies I guess and keep us on the edge of our bunks wondering why in the hell he's swimming alongside his 32' ketch in the middle of the ocean with apparently no lifeline tied around him. God forbid how anybody with so little common sense but plenty of guts should make such an arduous journey so ill prepared for the worst and carrying old sails to boot...Robin being an example of both somewhat. Anyway, friends of the sea, it's a compelling book if for no other reason than to experience his many perils and his solutions to innumerable screw ups. Yeah, I liked it but for perverse reasons I suppose since I can play at being a superior know-it-all sailor after cringing through page after page of calamities I WOULD HAVE AVOIDED. Now it's on to his next adventure. Keep it up Robin, old boy or man as the case may be...

Rating:
Summary: Juxtaposition at Sea
Review: A good and easy read by Robin Knox-Johnson who now helps manage the Golden Globe race of today. (2003; see Brad VanLiew's brilliant success in the Class 2 fleet in the news)
Readers should also include Bernard Moitessier's 'The Long Way' book of the same 1968 race. It is intensely interesting that where one flourished, the appointed 'winner' suffered a long and arduous ordeal. Knox-Johnson describes his exhausted stop in Australia and time at anchor in this book, yet accepted the trophy. Moitessier was far ahead off the South American coast when he took a right and continued on half way around the globe again to rest free of the commercialization the media had put upon the event. Bernard had reached the highest levels of thought and global mindedness, while Robin had been reduced to survival mode and raw instinct. Can you call the "Winner" of this non-stop circumnavigation? These two accounts of the same race cover the range of human limits and ethics and should be bundled together as a set.

Rating:
Summary: A good read for fans of the 1968 Golden Globe Race
Review: For aficionados of the 1968 Golden Globe sailing race, this book, from the official winner, Robin Knox-Johnson, is an authentic account of a Herculean task - to sail non-stop around the world. The book is a metaphor for the race itself - at times exhilarating and often monotonous. Although ÒThe Longest RaceÓ by Hal Roth is still the most entertaining book on the subject (it covered all nine race entrants), Knox-JohnsonÕs book is a quick read. Be prepared, however, for a healthy dose of British colloquialisms. Sadly, the end of the book is rather anti-climactic - it ends when the race ends. There was no mention of the events following his return to Falmouth (acclimatization to civilization, fanfare, news of the other contestants, etc.). My sense is that when writing the book, just as in sailing the race, he had just had enough of it.

Rating:
Summary: The young man and the sea
Review: The reader enters the inner workings of the mind of a great sailor and one of the most self sufficient individuals you will ever read about. The book is as enjoyable as "The Old Man and the Sea" and should be kept aboard every small yacht that sails the seas. The true adventure of R. Knox-Johnston's self sail around the world. The first man to do so non-stop and unassisted. It is a great reading and learning experience. A great place to start if you want to learn about sailing, the sea,nature, courage and fortitude.

Rating:
Summary: The young man and the sea
Review: The reader enters the inner workings of the mind of a great sailor and one of the most self sufficient individuals you will ever read about. The book is as enjoyable as "The Old Man and the Sea" and should be kept aboard every small yacht that sails the seas. The true adventure of R. Knox-Johnston's self sail around the world. The first man to do so non-stop and unassisted. It is a great reading and learning experience. A great place to start if you want to learn about sailing, the sea,nature, courage and fortitude.

Rating:
Summary: A Really Good Read if Accompanied by Other Books
Review: This is a quaint read. I picked it up after reading Peter Nichol's "A Voyage For Madmen" which provides an outstanding overview of all the men in this first-non-stop-solo-around-the-world race. Knox-Johnson waxes poetic about his extraordinary accomplishment, which, of course, he is entitled to do. There is no doubt he possessed the temperment to embark on this voyage. His skills, however, might be viewed as a bit lacking. Nevertheless, he shares his thoughts, adventures, and, on occaision, his shortcomings that occurred during this voyage. As well, there is an underlying psychological drama that unfolds as you make your way through this book. I recommend reading this book, but strongly recommend you read it only after you have read "A Voyage for Madmen" simply because it will be much more informative and provide better insight into Knox-Johnson.