Rating: 
Summary: Could have had more detail.
Review: Good introductory book. It could have had a lot more specific information on kayaks and gear.
Rating:
Summary: Could have had more detail.
Review: I have been a big fan of F. Spencer Chapman for a LONG time. In 1930, he spent a YEAR on Greenland with the British Arctic Air Research Expedition (an important sounding name for a group of college boys on an adventure). The Team Leader was Henry George "Gino" Watkins. They became supremely proficient paddlers in kayaks. They also spent considerable time nordic skiing on the glacial plateau, flying Tiger Moths in aerial surveys, as well as recording meteorological conditions. On the Second Expedition in 1932, Watkins was again the leader, and Chapman again went along. Watkins died in a hunting accident. Chapman wrote both expedition books, "Northern Lights: The British Arctic Air Research Expedition" and "Watkins Last Expedition." But before WWII, he also went to the Himalayas and climbed several mountains, including Chomolari in the Kingdom of Bhutan (one of the highest peaks to be climbed prior to WWII). His book "Memiors of a Mountaineer" is a classic of those times in Tibet and the Himalaya.
Joe Glickman is our modern F Spencer Chapman. I recently got copies of Joe's "Kayak Companion" and "To the Top" books. Excellent material. Joe has an easy reading style, and his stories are amongstthe best, paddling or climbing. If Joe can't make you laugh, your funny bone has to be broken. I usually find myself laughing at myself, because I too have been there.I should add, thuis is the ONLY book on which any accurate information about racing flatwater kayaks is corectly given for surfskis. No other kayak book has accurate info on these boats.
Rating: 
Summary: Good information and outstanding stories...
Review: I have been a big fan of F. Spencer Chapman for a LONG time. In 1930, he spent a YEAR on Greenland with the British Arctic Air Research Expedition (an important sounding name for a group of college boys on an adventure). The Team Leader was Henry George "Gino" Watkins. They became supremely proficient paddlers in kayaks. They also spent considerable time nordic skiing on the glacial plateau, flying Tiger Moths in aerial surveys, as well as recording meteorological conditions. On the Second Expedition in 1932, Watkins was again the leader, and Chapman again went along. Watkins died in a hunting accident. Chapman wrote both expedition books, "Northern Lights: The British Arctic Air Research Expedition" and "Watkins Last Expedition." But before WWII, he also went to the Himalayas and climbed several mountains, including Chomolari in the Kingdom of Bhutan (one of the highest peaks to be climbed prior to WWII). His book "Memiors of a Mountaineer" is a classic of those times in Tibet and the Himalaya.
Joe Glickman is our modern F Spencer Chapman. I recently got copies of Joe's "Kayak Companion" and "To the Top" books. Excellent material. Joe has an easy reading style, and his stories are amongstthe best, paddling or climbing. If Joe can't make you laugh, your funny bone has to be broken. I usually find myself laughing at myself, because I too have been there. I should add, thuis is the ONLY book on which any accurate information about racing flatwater kayaks is corectly given for surfskis. No other kayak book has accurate info on these boats.
Rating:
Summary: Just Right
Review: I was looking for an introduction to kayaking, but I wanted to avoid the condescending "___________ for Dummies" series. The Kayak Companion was just what I needed. It was concise, clear, and even a little bit poetic.
Rating:
Summary: Just Right
Review: I was looking for an introduction to kayaking, but I wanted to avoid the condescending "___________ for Dummies" series. The Kayak Companion was just what I needed. It was concise, clear, and even a little bit poetic.
Rating:
Summary: Just Right
Review: I was looking for an introduction to kayaking, but I wanted to avoid the condescending "___________ for Dummies" series. The Kayak Companion was just what I needed. It was concise, clear, and even a little bit poetic.
Rating: 
Summary: Not much to learn from this book, even for a beginner
Review: The book is 50% watered down information, 50% anecdotes about the author paddling up some river or off the coast of NY or somewhere. Seems to be more oriented towards racing or endurance than just the average person who likes to paddle around. It doesn't have enough information for somebody just starting out, and it has no useful information for an advanced kayaker. Example: He says he's never tried a dry suit, but then goes on to tell you to use a two piece, but that they are probably too hot anyway... As for roll recoveries - he more or less says nobody really does that and it's too hard to explain anyway, so he didn't bother. If you want an excellent book, try "The Essential Sea Kayaker" instead. I got both of them at the same time, and The Kayak Companion is probably going on the shelf never to be read again.
Rating:
Summary: Inspiration, good advice, lots of laughs
Review: This book helped me a lot. I've been paddling a plastic 16-foot kayak for two years and felt I was ready to advance in the sport. Reading Glickman's book was the next best thing to knowing a really experienced paddler who is happy to answer all your questions - including those you don't know enough to ask. When he listed the common mistakes paddlers make in the forward stroke, he could have been talking about me. I followed his advice and saw immediate improvement. The chapter on choosing a kayak was invaluable, and will save me a lot of money and time when I'm ready to upgrade. Glickman's stories of the trials and tribulations of his epic wilderness paddles were alternately inspiring and very funny. If you love kayaking - or think you might - you'll devour this book.
Rating:
Summary: Inspiration, good advice, lots of laughs
Review: This book helped me a lot. I've been paddling a plastic 16-foot kayak for two years and felt I was ready to advance in the sport. Reading Glickman's book was the next best thing to knowing a really experienced paddler who is happy to answer all your questions - including those you don't know enough to ask. When he listed the common mistakes paddlers make in the forward stroke, he could have been talking about me. I followed his advice and saw immediate improvement. The chapter on choosing a kayak was invaluable, and will save me a lot of money and time when I'm ready to upgrade. Glickman's stories of the trials and tribulations of his epic wilderness paddles were alternately inspiring and very funny. If you love kayaking - or think you might - you'll devour this book.
Rating:
Summary: Good intro to kayaking
Review: This book is a fun read.
It was actually this book that got me back into kayaking after 30 years.
It is not meant to be a detailed book on the technic of kayaking, but a fun and entertaining adventure biography with enough detail to educate as well. There is just enough information for someone interested in kayaking to get started.
It's a good read for someone thinking about kayaking and interested in real life outdoor adventure.
steve
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