Welcome from the Foshee family! Imagine yourself stranded on a desert island with nothing to do but read books in the shade of swaying palm trees.... Which ones would you want on your bookshelf? These are some of our favorites! We will update the bookshelf frequently, so please bookmark us and come back to visit often!
Visit our new message board!
The Book Board
Emily's Corner!
Sullivan's Island : A Lowcountry Tale
by Dorothea Benton Frank
More about Sullivan's Island : A Lowcountry Tale
Ship of Gold in the Deep Blue Sea
by Gary Kinder
More about Ship of Gold in the Deep Blue Sea
Blind Man's Bluff : The Untold Story of American Submarine Espionage
by Sherry Sontag, Christopher Drew, Annette Lawrence Drew
More about Blind Man's Bluff : The Untold Story of American Submarine Espionage
Looking for a Ship
by John McPhee
I used to have a dream of working my way around the world on a tramp steamer. Seeing all of the ships coming into and out of Charleston harbor every day, however, I had no idea that the number of U.S.-flagged vessels has dwindled to a mere 200, victims of the "convenience registries" of Liberia and other countries which have lax safety requirements and cheap labor. The next time you see a cruise commercial on TV, notice that the ships are invariably registered elsewhere.
The best part of this book, however, is the way McPhee gets into the lives and thoughts of the crew, especially the Stella Lykes' colorful captain. McPhee follows them ashore as well, gaining fascinating insights into the lives of this swiftly vanishing breed. Interesting fact: a higher percentage of Merchant Marine sailors were killed in WWII than in any other U.S. armed service, yet some WWII mariners only got veteran status on January 19, 1988, after a long court battle. Mariners who went to sea on August 15, 1945, serving in wartime in hazardous waters, did not get veteran status until November 11, 1998. Find out more about the fascinating history of the Merchant Marine.
Rating: *** (of 4).
The Incredible Voyage : A Personal Odyssey
by Tristan Jones
More about The Incredible Voyage : A Personal Odyssey
An Island to Oneself : Six Years on a Desert Island
by Tom Neale
More about An Island to Oneself : Six Years on a Desert Island
Desperate Voyage
by John Caldwell
Scott says: With no sailing experience whatsoever, John Caldwell set out alone in a 29 foot wooden sailboat after WWII to reunite with his wife Mary, half a world away in Australia. He literally learns as he goes. As he crosses 9,000 miles of Pacific ocean, he is hit by a hurricane, yet miraculously survives. He later runs out of food, and has to resort to eating vaseline and even motor oil to stay alive. The best part of the whole voyage is that he does it simply to be reunited with his wife, and not for any publicity or in any misguided quest for fame.
One of the most memorable moments of my life came when I actually met John Caldwell. Emily and I were spending our honeymoon on Palm Island in the Grenadines over New Year's 1991/1992. Years before on St. Thomas, I had read about how John and his wife Mary had gotten a 99 year lease on the island from the St. Vincent government and had literally built the resort with their own two hands. This story, incredible in itself, was one of the reasons we chose Palm. John wrote a very nice inscription to us in our copy of Desperate Voyage, and we absolutely treasure it. "Coconut Johnny" is a true legend in the Caribbean.
Rating: ***1/2 (of 4).
More about Desperate Voyage by John Caldwell
North to the Night : A Year in the Arctic Ice
by Alvah Simon
Scott says: Emily gave me this book for Christmas, and I just finished it last night. The author and his wife intentionally trap themselves in the ice off of far-northern Canada in their sailboat, where they spend a year alone. I like the idea of solitude as a spiritual journey, but Simon's efforts come across to me as self-centered, bordering dangerously on the suicidal at times. More than once I found myself wondering if his idea of "true adventure" would stop anywhere short of actually being killed. There is a scene near the end, for example, where he feels that he cannot complete his journey until he faces a wild polar bear, unarmed, at close range. It is a miracle that Simon wasn't torn to pieces. I wonder whether the true nature of adventure lies in surviving dangerous situations you end up in, or in putting yourself in those situations for danger's sake. Maybe the situations themselves are inconsequential, as long as they enable you to discover something new about yourself. This is a compelling book that really makes you think. Rating: ** (of 4).
More about North to the Night : A Year in the Arctic Ice
The Boat Who Wouldn't Float
by Farley Mowat
Scott says: This book is hysterical! The author buys a wooden boat in Canada and the entire project quickly degenerates into becoming the ultimate fixer-upper. Being a small boat owner with tons of fix-up projects to do on her, I could really identify with Farley Mowat here and his ultimate handyman's special. His boat sank eight times! I still laugh when I think about that. Anyway, our boat projects don't seem quite as daunting by comparison! Rating: *** (of 4).
More about The Boat Who Wouldn't Float
The Horatio Hornblower Saga:
Mr. Midshipman Hornblower
by Cecil Scott Forester
Scott says: This is the first in the fantastic Horatio Hornblower series by C. S. Forester. Hornblower rises through the ranks of the Royal Navy in this classic series set during the Napoleonic wars. My father-in-law had been telling me for years that this is the sailing adventure series to read. I began watching the terrific Hornblower miniseries on A&E, and was enthralled. All four A&E Hornblower movies were taken from this first book. The amazing thing is that there are 10 more books to go! The novels were not written in chronological order, but flow better if read that way. Series rating: **** (of 4).
Here is a list of all of the Hornblower books, in chronological order:
Admiral Hornblower in the West Indies
by Larry Brown
Scott says: This is the Bible of small boat ownership for many sailing families on a budget. We bought this book 3 years before we ever got the boat! Now we appreciate Larry Brown's expertise even more. Rating: ***1/2 (of 4).
More about Frugal Yachting : Family Adventuring in Small Sailboats
The Perfect Storm : A True Story of Men Against the Sea
by Sebastian Junger
Scott says: Elements combine to form the "perfect" storm at sea, which turns out to be the worst on record. The book follows a Mass. sword fishing fleet caught offshore in the onslaught. Emily gave me this one for Christmas, and I could not put it down. I talked to her so much about it that when she finally started it she couldn't put it down. Excellent. They are currently working on a movie version. Rating: ***1/2 (of 4).
More about The Perfect Storm : A True Story of Men Against the Sea
Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage
by Alfred Lansing
Scott says: This is one of the most amazing adventures I have ever read. In this case, the truth really is stranger than fiction. Somehow, Shackleton must get his men off of Antartica when their wooden ship freezes and is crushed in the frozen ice. This true life adventure is almost too incredible to believe. Highly recommended. Rating: **** (of 4).
More about Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage
Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer
Scott says: A young man gives away his money and hikes out alone into the wilds of Alaska with little experience and almost no food. Later, his diary is found beside his body in an abandoned school bus deep in the wilderness. Only after I started to read this did I realize that I actually went to school with this guy at Emory. He was two years behind me, and is in my yearbook. Creepy and compelling. The dark side of high adventure. Rating: *** (of 4).
Links
Back to the Foshee Family Page-O-Stuff
Back to Cabana Maņana
Angelfire - Easiest Free Web Pages
 |
This
Readers Ring site is owned by Scott Foshee Want to join the ring? Get the info here The Readers Ring Page |
| [Prev 5] [Prev] [Next] [Next 5] [Random] [List Sites] | |
Email: sfoshee@yahoo.com
Original material Copyright 1999, 2000 by D. Scott Foshee
