"Easy Reading"

[Lighthouse]

What books (novels, etc.) have you been reading that makes the leisure time in our sailing/cruising lifestyle so pleasureable. I know that we have all read "The Dove", but what else? Sailing/cruising related would be great but NOT necessary.

Please post your lists of favourites and we will later build a "sticky" topic to collate them all in one list.

[Lighthouse]

Many would have read the adventure yarns by Wilbur Smith. Personally, I prefer the adventure novels by John Gordon Davis - much in the same vein.

His novels are not easy to find but his first (of many) is titled "Hold my Hand I'm Dying" set towards the end of Southern Rhodesia and the Smith government.

Another of his novels is "The Land God Made in Anger" - set in South West Africa (now Namibia).

If anyone shows interest I can look up the names of all of his novels as well as his books written about wild animal conservation.

He is now a cruising yottie like the rest of us.

.

[Auzzee]

If you enjoy a good, hearty, full-on laugh, look for any books written by Tom Sharpe. Equally funny and a little more current are the travel series by Bill Bryson.

DF

[Nausikaa]

Wilbur Smith used to be one of my favourites. Unfortuanately I tired of the repetiveness of his books. Nowadays I read mostly historical books. However, I am really fond of Colin Dexter. Nothing like a good Inspector Morse story.

Aye,

Stephen

Yacht Nausikaa

[imagine2frolic]

I read everything that has disaster in it. My thinking is if these people survived then I should learn something.

[maxingout]

My favorite sailing book of all time is called "The Circumnavigators" by Donald R. Holm. It was published in 1974. I have read it dozens of times, and I still pick it up whenever I want to fire up my dream machine. It's a collection of tales about all the cirumnavigators from Joshua Slocum's time onward.

National Geographic's coverage of the voyage of Dove by Robin Lee Graham and The Circumnavigators by Donald Holm indelibly imprinted the idea of a circumnavigation into my mind. Because of what they wrote, I sailed on my own trip around the world.

[MMNETSEA]

I have just received " A Passion for the the Sea" from a good friend who also happens to be the author - Jimmy Cornell.

His reflections on three circumnavigations and much much more! No doubt one of the very best works on the life and practice of cruising - I shall continue every day to refer to it, to get good practical advice on every aspect - from someone who has not only been there but has also been able to draw on the experience of countless real cruisers.

So , I make no apology in recommending this monumental beautiful authoritative book to all of us who enjoy the sea and its mysteries. Jimmy I salute you.

Richard

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[Wahoo]

I read "A Salty Piece of Land" by Jimmy Buffett. Really enjoyed it and have given it as a gift a few times.

Wahoo

[Trim50]

Originally Posted by maxingout

My favorite sailing book of all time is called "The Circumnavigators" by Donald R. Holm.

I found this as an electronic version...

http://www.mcallen.lib.tx.us/books/circumna/ci_a.htm

[cartooncorpse]

Douglas Adams, Hitch hikers guide to the galaxy series will teach you that you only need a towel.

excerpt: "here we are, nearly 2000 years after a guy was nailed to a tree for saying how great it would be to be nice to one another for a change"

[graham3020]

Originally Posted by maxingout

My favorite sailing book of all time is called "The Circumnavigators" by Donald R. Holm. It was published in 1974. I have read it dozens of times, and I still pick it up whenever I want to fire up my dream machine. It's a collection of tales about all the cirumnavigators from Joshua Slocum's time onward.

National Geographic's coverage of the voyage of Dove by Robin Lee Graham and The Circumnavigators by Donald Holm indelibly imprinted the idea of a circumnavigation into my mind. Because of what they wrote, I sailed on my own trip around the world.

anything by robert ludnum/wilbur smith/mitchener. i normally buy thick books and the icarus agenda by ludnum is a good example.

watching videos of maxingout on skype is a good way to while away time.

graham3020

[Marianne]

"The unlikely voyage of Jack de Crow" is fantastic! Its about A teacher who gives up his Job and, wearing the necessary safety gear in the form of a pith helmet sails to the black sea in his Mirror dinghy. I'm sure he exaggerates for effect but it's a wonderfully funny read. Author is A.J Mackinnon.

"One forthe kids is the Voyage of the Artic Tern" A great adventure story written in verse with lovely ink drawings by Hugh Montgomery.

Stephen for some great historical fiction (with a smattering of sailing but not much) Bernard Cornwell of Sharpe fame has written an entertaining series of books about the Saxons and Vikings the first book of which is called "The last kingdom". But for great anecdotal history you can't beat Giles Milton's history of the great spice races entitled "Nathaniel's Nutmeg" It's unput downable. In fact anything by Giles Milton is great...

[HandyBilly]

My Old Man and The Sea by David Hays is good. No, its not the Hemingway Old Man and The Sea, you should read that one too if you haven't ever.

The Hays book is about a father and son taking a Laurent Giles Vertue class 25 ft fiberglass boat from Connecticut down through the Panama Canal then around the tip of South America back up and home again. Good first-hand account from both guys.

[GoneTroppo]

Hi All,

I found the book, "Islands, Oceans and Dreams" from cruisingdreamspress, a good read. Very down to earth account of a single-handed circumnavigation. We actually met the author in the Indian Ocean, and thought he was a nice guy. Heard him interviewed on a US radio show and thought, Hey I know that voice. It was great to actually end up reading his story.

Well worth the read.

Regards,

Stephen