Audiobook · read by volunteers
Sailing Alone Around The World
Joshua Slocum (1844–1909)
Read by Alan Chant · 22 chapters · 7 h 52
About the book
On 24 April 1895 Joshua Slocum set sail from Boston in the Spray, an old fishing sloop that he had rebuilt with his own hands. More than three years later he returned, having become the first person to sail around the world alone. In this book he tells the story of the voyage in a plain, humorous voice that is entirely his own. He describes storms and calms, strange ports and stranger visitors, rough passages through narrow straits and the loneliness of long days with only the sea for company. Slocum never poses as a hero; he writes as a seaman who loves his boat and enjoys a good tale. Twenty-two chapters, read by a single volunteer, last just under eight hours. They make an irresistible companion for armchair sailors, and a classic account of a feat that still stirs the imagination.
Introduction
Joshua Slocum, born in 1844 and lost at sea in 1909, was a Canadian-born seaman who became an American sea captain. After years commanding merchant ships, he decided to sail round the world in a small boat that he had restored himself. The Spray, an eleven-metre sloop, took him from Boston in 1895 around the globe and back to the American coast in 1898.
Sailing Alone Around the World, published in 1899, is his own account of the voyage. It became a classic of travel writing, admired for its warmth, humour and clear style. Slocum does not dwell on technique; he recounts encounters, landscapes and small adventures with an understated wit. The book has inspired generations of sailors and has remained in print ever since.
The recording follows the book through its twenty-two chapters and runs for about eight hours, all read by one LibriVox volunteer. Because the chapters are fairly self-contained, it is easy to listen to in stages. Today it offers a vivid picture of a world before satellite navigation, when a single person with a sextant and a good deal of nerve could cross the oceans. Slocum's humour is dry and never forced, and his love of the sea runs through every page. Many listeners will be struck by how modern the book feels in its mixture of self-reliance, curiosity and modesty. It is an ideal choice for anyone who enjoys true stories of adventure and the lore of small boats.
Public domain
Joshua Slocum died in 1909: the work is in the public domain in Switzerland, more than 70 years after the author’s death.
The LibriVox volunteers dedicated this recording to the public domain.
Sources : LibriVox page · Files at the Internet Archive · Original text