Winner of the Stanford Dolman Travel Book of the Year
Our lives depend on shipping but it is a world which is largely hidden from us. In every lonely corner of every sea,through every night,every day,and every imaginable weather,tiny crews of seafarers work the giant ships which keep landed life afloat.
These ordinary men live extraordinary lives,subject to dangers and difficulties we can only imagine,from hurricanes and pirates to years of confinement in hazardous,if not hellish,environments.
Horatio Clare joins two container ships on their epic voyages across the globe and experiences unforgettable journeys. As the ships cross seas of history and incident,seafarers unfold the stories of their lives,and a beautiful and terrifying portrait of the oceans and their human subjects emerges.
Publisher: Vintage PublishingISBN: 9780099526292Number of pages: 368Weight: 255 gDimensions: 198 x 129 x 22 mm
MEDIA REVIEWS
'Magnificent'- Robert Macfarlane
'Wonderful... Clare's account of his journeys with the officers and crews of container ships is gripping and stomach-churning in equal measure'- The Daily Telegraph
'(A) beautifully written account of seafaring life'- Ian Critchley,The Sunday Times
'A lyrical,heartfelt but eye-opening chronicle... Both romantic and realistic,written from the heart but crafted with a seafarer's "passionate precision",(Clare's) book will steer you into the new year on a course that may deepen your grasp both of that world,and of ourselves'- Boyd Tonkin, The Independent
'If you can't run away to sea (though I recommend you do),Clare's book is a warm and captivating companion to it'- The Guardian
'Stupendous and extraordinarily exciting... What Clare demonstrates,even beyond his undoubted gifts as writer,is his basic humanity. I read his wonderful book with gratitude for his insight - but also with increased admiration for the men to whom we owe almost everything in our comfortable and secure lives'- Philip Hoare
'Rich and dense,full of old sea-dog stories,with barely a word wasted,it's a triumph of quiet artistry'- Marcus Berkmann,The Daily Mail
'This is a warm and lyrical book about a tough trade in tough times'- Sara Wheeler,The Observer
'Wonderful... Clare's writing is fluid,light and eminently readable,but perhaps his greatest asset is his empathy'- Philip Hoare,The Sunday Telegraph
'Clare's powers of plain description are tremendous'- Libby Purves,The Times
Kommentar