Best article or book you've read recently

[dhays]

Just finished reading "The Curve of Time".

Nice book. Like many boat tourists, we read it this summer.

 

[Peter B]

Yup. For those that enjoy good English prose and the history of the British Navy, O'Brian's Aubrey/Maturin series simply can't be beat.

I will have to try an O'Brian novel again. I could not find the joy the last time I attempted one but that was 20 years ago, perhaps I've matured enough to give it a go.
Bruce

Yeah, I could never get into it either. Not sure why. The seamanship is just fine, but it just does not have the spark that the Hornblower series has. And it may be just me.

Yes, I can understand the feelings, Marin used to say the same thing as well, but I persevered with them, and after the first couple of books his characters do start to grow on you. He gets better at developing the characters and the plots as he goes, as it were. So after about book 3 I couldn't stop, and downloaded them all one by one onto the iPad.

But for heavens sakes guys. Don't tell me you all read only nautical books when out there. I have every Game of Thrones volume on the pad as well, and a number of other non-nautical series. You are allowed to enjoy other genres, you know.

 

[MakinMemories]

I enjoy Jack London and Herman Melville. Their classics, but good.

 

[HopCar]

The Hornblower series should be required reading for boat owners. Once you start reading Forester you'll have to read The African Queen.

 

[Blissboat]

Fans of Ernest Gann know that during the 1930s and '40s he worked as a commercial airline pilot. That inspired books such as The High and the Mighty and Fate Is the Hunter (the greatest aviation book ever written, IMHO).

After turning in his wings, Gann became an avid sailor, and a few of his later books drew on that experience. Presently I'm reading for the first time his Twilight for the Gods, a novel set in the South Pacific during the late 1920s, at the end of the age of commercial sail. Typical of Gann, the details and the characters are vivid and authentic.

By the way, a boat that Gann had designed by Jay Benford and built in 1972 at Friday Harbor is now for sale in Yorktown, VA. Strumpet is an irresistibly salty-looking wood trawler. I wish someone else would buy the damn thing and put it safely beyond temptation.

 

[jwnall]

One of my all time favorite books is THE RIDDLE OF THE SANDS by Erskine Childers. Every time I pick it up and start to read it, its like saying hello to an old friend. Its a classic combination sea story and spy story. Anyone else ever read it?

Oh yes. I read that one. Great story, as you say. Also read "Sand Pebbles," which was mentioned by someone. Another good one, and the movie is also good.

But if we are going to get away from sea stories, then two of my all-time favorites are "Far Pavilions," by M.M. Kaye, and "Shogun," by James Clavell. Both are very long books, and thus ideal for having aboard.

 

[CPseudonym]

But for heavens sakes guys. Don't tell me you all read only nautical books when out there. You are allowed to enjoy other genres, you know.

True Pete but then that is not at all related to the question asked by the OP now is it

 

[twistedtree]

... and a more recent book worth reading, Ship of Gold by Gary Kinder.

Highly recommend it too. I think the full title might be "Ship of Gold in the Deep Blue Sea", but not 100% sure.

 

[RCook]

Just finished The Riddle of the Sands again.


Here are a few I've enjoyed recently:

As the Sailor Loves the Sea (commercial fishing SE Alaska) Ballard Hadman

The Fisher Queen (salmon trolling on the BC coast) Sylvia Taylor

Fishing with John (salmon trolling on the BC coast) Edith Iglauer

Spilsbury's Coast (making a living on the BC coast) H. White & Jim Spilsbury

The Boys in the Boat Daniel James Brown


A favorite I am about ready to read again:

Snow Falling on Cedars David Guterson

 

[AlaskaProf]

One of my all time favorite books is THE RIDDLE OF THE SANDS by Erskine Childers. Every time I pick it up and start to read it, its like saying hello to an old friend. Its a classic combination sea story and spy story. Anyone else ever read it?

Yep. Got the movie too.

 

[AlaskaProf]

Joe Upton's Alaska Blues. A charming memoir by a commercial fisherman in Southeast Alaska.

He's written several books, but this is his first and , I think, still his best.

 

[AlaskaProf]

Fans of Ernest Gann know that during the 1930s and '40s he worked as a commercial airline pilot. That inspired books such as The High and the Mighty and Fate Is the Hunter (the greatest aviation book ever written, IMHO).
.

Gann's best book and arguably his most exciting is his autobiography, A Hostage to Fortune.

 

[bogranjac1]

These I read while recently while floating around the Dampier Archipelago

Cain Mutiny
Shipping News
The Cruise of the Snark

and if your interested in some Aussie flavour

Kay Cottee (first shelia to sail solo nonstop around the globe)
The Secret River (early coastal and river exploration in Australia)
Ships in the Coral : Explorers, Wrecks and traders (discovery of Australia)

and of course how many times have I read Typhoon by Conrad ???

 

[grahamdouglass]

A great sea book is another book by Nicholas Monsarrat is, Master Mariner.

 

[JDCAVE]

Fishing with John is excellent. Edith Iglauer is still alive and lives in the same house in Pender Harbour that John built. It's right beside the Seattle Yacht Club station.

Can add the two books by Donald Graham, "Lights of the inside Passage" and "Keepers of the Lights" on the lighthouses of the BC coast. Those lighthouse keepers suffered real hardship and were paid paupers wages.

 

[Tad Roberts]

Gann's book about voyages and his boats is called Song of the Sirens. The best Conrad on boats and sailing is his last book, The Rover. No one mentioned Sterling Hayden's two great books, Wanderer(non-fiction) and Voyage (a novel).

 

[dhays]

I have also commend "Boys in the Boat". Excellent book!

 

[78puget-trawler]

Wanderer is one of the best books of type out there. I was so disappointed when one night years ago I stayed up late to see Hayden on with Tom Snyder. All they did was talk about how they smart they were when smoking dope! I nearly had a melt down. My hero was nothing but an old dope head fool.
For non boating, all of Len Deightons spy books are good, the Game, Set Match trilogy is a great read as are the following 2 trilogies that followed, all with the same main characters. Read all 9 about 3 times. Great plane books.


I like the EK Gann books, just finished Sirens recently. I met him in Seattle years ago when I was working a bit on Sea Puss, one of his last really neat boats. Had a Gardner diesel in it. Loved the boat. I see it too was for sale recently in the area. I contacted the seller but in the end it looked like a bigger project than I wanted being an older wood boat. But it sure was nice when he had it.

 

[PlanB]

Thanks everyone for all the great recommendations!

 

[AlaskaProf]

I have also commend "Boys in the Boat". Excellent book!

I liked it; wife and her book club loved it. When we passed Seattle enroute Gulf islands, we detoured through the Montlake Cut just so I could show her the U-Dub boathouse. (took lunch at Ivar's too).
'Prof

 

[Fletcher500]

Ghost wave by Chris Dixon is a great read. Its primary focus is surfing massive waves at the Cortes bank, but also covers the history of the channel islands, and a very interesting story about a man who tried to build an island 100 miles off the coast.

 

[Ted]

Joe Upton's Alaska Blues. A charming memoir by a commercial fisherman in Southeast Alaska.

He's written several books, but this is his first and , I think, still his best.

I'll add my vote for this one.

I was a commercial fisherman on the BC coast, I'm given to understand
that SE Alaska is much similar.

How good is this book? I bought my copy in 1979 and have read it in
excess of 100 times since. A copy is still in my wheelhouse. It's
probably time to read it again.

Ted

 

[Pluto]

Reacher novels.

 

[Northern Spy]

Just finished The Riddle of the Sands again.


Here are a few I've enjoyed recently:

As the Sailor Loves the Sea (commercial fishing SE Alaska) Ballard Hadman

The Fisher Queen (salmon trolling on the BC coast) Sylvia Taylor

Fishing with John (salmon trolling on the BC coast) Edith Iglauer

Spilsbury's Coast (making a living on the BC coast) H. White & Jim Spilsbury

The Boys in the Boat Daniel James Brown


A favorite I am about ready to read again:

Snow Falling on Cedars David Guterson

Good list here. I too shall reread Snow falling on Cedars this holiday time.

I'll add Ghost Sea by Ferenc Mate.

 

[High Wire]

The Terrible Hours. Rescue of the USS Squalus submarine crew in the 1930s. Incredible

 

[Capt.Bill11]

The Sand Pebbles.

 

[Peter B]

Hi everyone, I'm travelling soon and am looking for some good reads to take with me. What's your favorite boating article(s) or book(s) that you've read lately?
Thanks for suggestions!

Originally Posted by Peter B
But for heavens sakes guys. Don't tell me you all read only nautical books when out there. You are allowed to enjoy other genres, you know.

True Pete but then that is not at all related to the question asked by the OP now is it

I dunno, Craig. If you read the OPs original post which I have put there, he's going travelling. Doesn't say on water. Sure he says "boating article(s) or book(s)," so the books might be other than 'watery', so seriously, we have to save him from himself. If he only reads things with a nautical flavour, he might get water-logged..?

 

[FoxtrotCharlie]

Faulkner, but of course I'm from Mississippi.

 

[koliver]

Not boating, but entertaining: anything by Ian Rankin

 

[dhays]

Non-boat related... one of my favorite books is by Ian Pears, "An Instance of the Fingerpost". Unique book and very enjoyable. Also, nearly anything by Neil Stephenson. I like all his stuff but can highly recommend series of books called "The Baroque Cycle". When I read this it was published as a series of three books "Quicksilver", "The Confusion", "The System of the World". It has since been republished as a series of 8 books. The best genre description would be historical fiction.

Another great one of his is "Cryptonomicon". This would be considered speculative fiction and historical fiction.

Finally an interesting book called "REAMDE". This is best described as a thriller for nerds and gamers.

Stephenson's stories are great and characters are enjoyable but even more is simply his writing style. Stephenson is one those writers that will have me re-reading passages simply because they are so well written.