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A Voyage for Madmen
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Philosophy of Sailing: Offshore in Search of the Universe
- By: Christian Williams
- Narrated by: Christian Williams
- Length: 10 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 79
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 75
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 75
Veteran sailor and writer Christian Williams invites us along once again on a 5,000-mile voyage of discovery around the North Pacific. Equipped with a new boat, a well-stocked toolbox, and the entire history of philosophic thought, he takes us as crew through squalls and calms deep into a laboratory of the universe that exists only out of sight of land. Funny, erudite, and at times deeply personal, Philosophy of Sailing explores who we are and how encounters with the unknown can be a path to revelation and joy.
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5 out of 5 stars
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A heading is required... " A heading"
- By Anonymous User on 11-14-18
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Alone Together
- Sailing Solo to Hawaii and Beyond
- By: Christian Williams
- Narrated by: Christian Williams
- Length: 11 hrs
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 395
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 368
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 372
What happens when a man of today's overconnected world sets off alone across the Pacific at the age of 71? Christian Williams, a veteran sailor and writer, planned a 6,000-mile voyage as a test of his own seamanship and endurance, and to fulfill a lifelong goal. But he found his focus quickly turning from the surrounding sea to all of us. Is anyone the same person when no one else is there? Do we dare to find out?
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5 out of 5 stars
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Best for the arm chair adventurer, or a sailor or philosopher
- By Mark on 09-07-16
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Bound for Distant Seas
- A Voyage Alone to Asia Aboard the 28-Foot Sailboat Atom
- By: James Baldwin
- Narrated by: Nick O'Kelly
- Length: 13 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 137
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 127
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 127
Bound for Distant Seas begins sailing author James Baldwin's epic tale of his second circumnavigation. His story is seasoned by his adventures during his first circumnavigation in 1984-86 as told in Across Islands and Oceans. Alone with little money aboard Atom, his now-engineless 28-foot sailboat, James embarks on his odyssey without the comforts and equipment most sailors consider essential.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Cool sailing story
- By Roger M Robins on 05-25-16
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Sailing Alone Around the World
- By: Joshua Slocum
- Narrated by: Bernard Mayes
- Length: 7 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 350
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 325
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 325
Challenged by an expert who said it couldn’t be done, Joshua Slocum, a fearless New England sea captain, set out in April 1895 to prove that a man could sail alone around the world. A little over three years and forty-six thousand miles later, the proof was complete. This is Slocum’s own account of his remarkable adventures during the historic voyage of the Spray.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Awesome
- By Anniebligh on 04-21-13
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Across Islands and Oceans
- A Journey Alone Around the World By Sail and By Foot
- By: James Baldwin
- Narrated by: Spencer King
- Length: 13 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 66
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 62
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 61
Across Islands and Oceans is the memoir of 25 year-old James Baldwin and his epic two-year, solo circumnavigation in Atom, his trusty but aging 28-foot sailboat.
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5 out of 5 stars
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A true sailor' s quest
- By ThunderInTheSun on 10-08-18
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Sailing, Yachts and Yarns
- By: Tom Cunliffe
- Narrated by: Tom Cunliffe
- Length: 6 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 111
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 108
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 104
Sailing, Yachts and Yarns is a selection of Tom Cunliffe’s funniest, wisest and most thought-provoking writing from the pages of Yachting Monthly. Tom’s love of language and sense of humour shine through as he recalls the wealth of sinners and saints he has met on docksides from Southampton to South America, Greenwich to Greenland and Newtown to New York. He has a gift for capturing the magic of sail and finding pearls of practical wisdom in the most unlikely nautical adventures.
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5 out of 5 stars
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A jolly good collection!
- By Jimmy R. Stewart on 02-19-15
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Philosophy of Sailing: Offshore in Search of the Universe
- By: Christian Williams
- Narrated by: Christian Williams
- Length: 10 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 79
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 75
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 75
Veteran sailor and writer Christian Williams invites us along once again on a 5,000-mile voyage of discovery around the North Pacific. Equipped with a new boat, a well-stocked toolbox, and the entire history of philosophic thought, he takes us as crew through squalls and calms deep into a laboratory of the universe that exists only out of sight of land. Funny, erudite, and at times deeply personal, Philosophy of Sailing explores who we are and how encounters with the unknown can be a path to revelation and joy.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
A heading is required... " A heading"
- By Anonymous User on 11-14-18
-
Alone Together
- Sailing Solo to Hawaii and Beyond
- By: Christian Williams
- Narrated by: Christian Williams
- Length: 11 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 395
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 368
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 372
What happens when a man of today's overconnected world sets off alone across the Pacific at the age of 71? Christian Williams, a veteran sailor and writer, planned a 6,000-mile voyage as a test of his own seamanship and endurance, and to fulfill a lifelong goal. But he found his focus quickly turning from the surrounding sea to all of us. Is anyone the same person when no one else is there? Do we dare to find out?
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Best for the arm chair adventurer, or a sailor or philosopher
- By Mark on 09-07-16
-
Bound for Distant Seas
- A Voyage Alone to Asia Aboard the 28-Foot Sailboat Atom
- By: James Baldwin
- Narrated by: Nick O'Kelly
- Length: 13 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 137
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 127
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 127
Bound for Distant Seas begins sailing author James Baldwin's epic tale of his second circumnavigation. His story is seasoned by his adventures during his first circumnavigation in 1984-86 as told in Across Islands and Oceans. Alone with little money aboard Atom, his now-engineless 28-foot sailboat, James embarks on his odyssey without the comforts and equipment most sailors consider essential.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Cool sailing story
- By Roger M Robins on 05-25-16
-
Sailing Alone Around the World
- By: Joshua Slocum
- Narrated by: Bernard Mayes
- Length: 7 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 350
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 325
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 325
Challenged by an expert who said it couldn’t be done, Joshua Slocum, a fearless New England sea captain, set out in April 1895 to prove that a man could sail alone around the world. A little over three years and forty-six thousand miles later, the proof was complete. This is Slocum’s own account of his remarkable adventures during the historic voyage of the Spray.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Awesome
- By Anniebligh on 04-21-13
-
Across Islands and Oceans
- A Journey Alone Around the World By Sail and By Foot
- By: James Baldwin
- Narrated by: Spencer King
- Length: 13 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 66
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 62
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 61
Across Islands and Oceans is the memoir of 25 year-old James Baldwin and his epic two-year, solo circumnavigation in Atom, his trusty but aging 28-foot sailboat.
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5 out of 5 stars
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A true sailor' s quest
- By ThunderInTheSun on 10-08-18
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Sailing, Yachts and Yarns
- By: Tom Cunliffe
- Narrated by: Tom Cunliffe
- Length: 6 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 111
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 108
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 104
Sailing, Yachts and Yarns is a selection of Tom Cunliffe’s funniest, wisest and most thought-provoking writing from the pages of Yachting Monthly. Tom’s love of language and sense of humour shine through as he recalls the wealth of sinners and saints he has met on docksides from Southampton to South America, Greenwich to Greenland and Newtown to New York. He has a gift for capturing the magic of sail and finding pearls of practical wisdom in the most unlikely nautical adventures.
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5 out of 5 stars
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A jolly good collection!
- By Jimmy R. Stewart on 02-19-15
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A Foolish Voyage
- Self-Discovery at Sea
- By: Neil Hawkesford
- Narrated by: Dennis Kleinman
- Length: 4 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 74
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 68
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 68
In A Foolish Voyage, Neil Hawkesford gives us a remarkable tale not just about sailing but about life. Good times and bad. Here we learn what happens at the very limits of physical, emotional, and mental endurance. Here we also learn how personal tragedy can lead to a life-changing discovery, the realization that hidden deep inside all of us is the perseverance and passion needed for achieving life's greatest goals.
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5 out of 5 stars
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This was a really good listening book easy to.<br />
- By Scott B Gorges on 11-15-17
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Blue Water, Green Skipper
- A Memoir of Sailing Alone Across the Atlantic
- By: Stuart Woods
- Narrated by: Steven Collins
- Length: 6 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 163
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 149
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 149
Stuart Woods had never owned more than a dinghy before setting out on one of the world's most demanding sea voyages, navigating single-handedly across the Atlantic. How, at the age of 37, did this self-proclaimed novice go from small ponds to the big sea? Now with a new afterword that looks back at how one transatlantic race changed his life, Woods takes listeners on a spectacular journey not just of traveling across the world, but of being tried in fire, learning by accepting challenges, appreciating the beauty of the open water, and living to tell about it.
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5 out of 5 stars
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For the Hardened Sailor, Novice, and Dreamer Alike
- By Striker on 06-02-16
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Taleisin's Tales
- Sailing Towards the Southern Cross
- By: Lin Pardey, Larry Pardey
- Narrated by: Michelle Murillo
- Length: 5 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 48
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 47
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 45
Including stories from paradise and hard-won lessons in seamanship, Taleisin's Tales reflects back to the first miles Lin and Larry Pardey gained together on the second boat they built lovingly with teak carvel planking over sawn black locust frames. The book includes details from outfitting, provisioning, and final detailing during the early months Lin and Larry spent getting to know their new bluewater cruiser, as well as moments of melancholy as they let go of attachments to their first trusty boat.
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5 out of 5 stars
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A nice mix of adventure and information.
- By Noah on 05-22-18
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Celestial Navigation for the Complete Idiot
- A Simple Explanation
- By: Gene Grossman
- Narrated by: Gene Grossman
- Length: 3 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 11
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Performance3.5 out of 5 stars 10
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Story3.5 out of 5 stars 9
Celestial Navigation for the Complete Idiot is groundbreaking not because of what it has, but what it doesn't have: no mathematics problems; no astronomical talk; and no big words you've never heard of. Sailor-author Gene Grossman finally breaks this wonderful subject down into plain English and explains it in such a way that you will no longer have any excuse to claim that you know nothing about the valuable boater's subject of celestial navigation.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Interesting, Author's Story & Technique
- By Jerry Chapman on 07-11-17
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Islands, Oceans, and Dreams
- The True Story of a Sailor's Seven Year Solo Voyage Around the World
- By: Michael Salvaneschi
- Narrated by: Andrew Parker
- Length: 19 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 281
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 251
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 248
Islands, Oceans, and Dreams is a true story of a man who, at the age of 33, began dreaming of voyaging with his wife to the South Pacific. He wasn't an adventurer or daring by nature, but he bought a boat and began learning the ways of the sea. Twenty years later, racked with the pain of divorce and still aching to live out his dream, he set off alone for Tahiti. After reaching French Polynesia, he continued cruising for seven years and wound up solo sailing around the world. Islands, Oceans, and Dreams takes the listener on that voyage.
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4 out of 5 stars
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If you're into maritime adventure
- By John S. on 09-04-12
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Two Years Before the Mast
- By: Richard Henry Dana
- Narrated by: Bernard Mayes
- Length: 16 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 191
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 122
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 120
Richard Henry Dana, a law student turned sailor for health reasons, sailed in 1834 aboard the brig Pilgrim on a voyage from Boston around Cape Horn to California. Drawing from his journals, Two Years Before the Mast gives a vivid and detailed account, shrewdly observed and beautifully described, of a common sailor's wretched treatment at sea, and of a way of life virtually unknown at that time.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Great Read!
- By Thomas on 03-15-08
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Fourteen
- A Daughter's Memoir of Adventure, Sailing, and Survival
- By: Leslie Johansen Nack
- Narrated by: Leslie Johansen Nack
- Length: 11 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 43
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 42
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 42
Winner of three independent book awards: NIEA, Readers' Favorites and Beverly Hills Book Awards. Obsessed with sailing, Leslie Nack's larger-than-life Norwegian father has a dream to live on a sailboat and show his three daughters the world. And although it takes years, in 1975 he finally completes his preparation and sets his sights on French Polynesia.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Great Narrative!
- By Gabriela O. on 02-10-19
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Breaking Seas
- An Overweight, Middle-Aged Computer Nerd Buys His First Boat, Quits His Job, and Sails Off to Adventure
- By: Glenn Damato
- Narrated by: René Ruiz
- Length: 9 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 267
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 249
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Story4 out of 5 stars 251
Do you have a dream you must pursue, but everyone says it's unrealistic? Or that you're not qualified? Too old, too out of shape? Or you don't have the "right experience?" Glenn Damato was a 41-year-old software instructor who sought to exceed the bounds of his comfortable but humdrum existence. He embarked on an adventure for which he was miserably unprepared. Why did he do this? How did he answer the ancient human question: how do we jump-start growth in our lives? We become something we were not.
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1 out of 5 stars
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Disappointing
- By Bill S. on 07-18-15
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At the Mercy of the Sea
- The True Story of Three Sailors in a Caribbean Hurricane
- By: John Kretschmer
- Narrated by: Patrick Conn
- Length: 7 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 120
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 110
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Story4 out of 5 stars 109
"The tale of Carl Wake and the hurricane that was waiting for him goes straight to the heart of the greatest sea stories: they are not about man against the sea, but man against himself. John Kretschmer's audiobook is as perfectly shaped and flawlessly written as such a story can be. In addition to being the best depiction I have ever listened to of what it is like to be inside a hurricane at sea, At the Mercy of the Sea is as moving a story of a man's failure and redemption as can be found anywhere in the literature of the sea. This audiobook is surely destined to become a classic."
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3 out of 5 stars
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Three separate stories told at the same time
- By Shopready on 05-17-17
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As Long as It's Fun, the Epic Voyages and Extraordinary Times of Lin and Larry Pardey
- By: Herb McCormick
- Narrated by: Russell Stamets
- Length: 10 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 143
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 131
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 130
To anyone interested in small-boat cruising and voyaging, the names Lin and Larry Pardey need no introduction. As world-girdling sailors who roamed the planet on a pair of small, engineless boats that they built themselves, the Pardeys established their hard-earned reputations by eloquently (and sometimes controversially) telling their stories through a series of best-selling books and manuals, and countless seminars and boat shows.
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5 out of 5 stars
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splendidly written, beautifully narated
- By Jeanne D'Arcy on 05-09-14
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The Boy Behind the Gate
- How His Dream of Sailing Around the World Became a Six-Year Odyssey of Adventure, Fear, Discovery and Love
- By: Larry Jacobson
- Narrated by: Larry Jacobson
- Length: 11 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 179
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 162
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Story4 out of 5 stars 164
With his first mate and crew, amateur sailor Larry Jacobson embarked on a lifelong goal to circumnavigate the globe. Willing to risk all, Jacobson spent six years sailing into the unknown where the unrelenting oceans served as a teacher of seamanship, personal strength, and perseverance. In The Boy Behind the Gate, the author reveals those crucial steps that will motivate you to make your dreams come true. We are each given one great opportunity at life. What are you going to do with yours?
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5 out of 5 stars
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This book changed my life
- By LeeAnne on 08-26-12
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Sailing
- The Beginner's Guide to Sailing and Planning Your First Sailing Adventure
- By: Kurt Fenton
- Narrated by: Ward Paxton
- Length: 42 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 54
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 43
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Story3.5 out of 5 stars 42
Sailing is an international sport that offers many rewards. Imagine white sails billowing against a clear sky, the brisk feel of the breeze on your face, and the gentle motions of the boat as it cleanly slices through the water. While sailing is a great way to enjoy the outdoors, it also requires you to be an active participant more than almost any other type of boating.
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1 out of 5 stars
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Difficult to grasp in Audio format
- By T. Banderob on 10-06-17
Publisher's Summary
In 1968, nine sailors set off on the most daring race ever held: to single-handedly circumnavigate the globe nonstop. It was a feat that had never been accomplished and one that would forever change the face of sailing. Ten months later, only one of the nine men would cross the finish line and earn fame, wealth, and glory. For the others, the reward was madness, failure, and death.
In this extraordinary book, Peter Nichols chronicles a contest of the individual against the sea, waged at a time before cell phones, satellite dishes, and electronic positioning systems. A Voyage for Madmen is a tale of sailors driven by their own dreams and demons, of horrific storms in the Southern Ocean, and of those riveting moments when a split-second decision means the difference between life and death.
Critic Reviews
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Overall
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4.5 out of 5 stars
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5 Stars62
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4 Stars28
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3 Stars8
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2 Stars3
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4 out of 5 stars
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5 Stars43
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4 Stars31
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3 Stars12
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2 Stars5
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1 Stars3
Story
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4.5 out of 5 stars
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5 Stars59
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4 Stars24
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3 Stars7
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2 Stars2
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1 Stars1
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- D. Wetzel
- 08-30-17
One of the best, most disturbing, and insightful.
This book had moments that were very difficult to take and moments that gave new understanding of the human condition, highly recommended.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Patrick
- kansas city, KS, United States
- 09-22-18
great story
I just reread this book a second time while a recreation of the race is underway. it is September 2018 and the boats in the current Golden Globe race just suffered a knock down last night. To boats just fasted one person injured.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- MarkBass58
- 01-17-19
Ok story but long and boring
I would return this title if they would let me. I listened to this story with the VERY intriguing title, for 20+ chapters. The announcer is dry and much like your 7th-grade science teacher--boring.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- escapewheel
- 08-14-18
Wow
A story with a character for each facet of man's collective personality. The man we dream of being, the man we hope we aren't, and the men we more probably are.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Bekki Seipelt
- 08-13-18
The greatest story of all
Superbly detailed and written, this story is the greatest recount of an era and unbelievable events I have ever read. Exciting, horrific and compelling, a true must read for any and all who enjoy history, sailing, adventure or are just looking for entertainment. This book will not disappoint.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Ryan G.
- 07-31-18
investing in danger
A document of the first Golden Globe Race. From a time when men took to death and danger to make a name. Competition, design, negotiation, fight, arrogance, ignorance, success and death is all in sailing and all in this book.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Phelm
- 07-30-18
Amazing!
What people will do when faced alone by their own demons and ghosts! Still presents as a mystery!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Jeremy Sanderson
- 02-14-18
Captivating
An incredibly gripping narrative superbly narrated. One of the best sailing books I have read or listened to. An inspiring tale of courage and endurance.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 12-08-17
Story thrills with 1st Golden Globe race
Loved the story. The listener should be interested in sailing. I enjoyed the parallel stories of each of the competitors.