Captain Bligh's Portable Nightmare

[Captain Smollett]

Captain Bligh's Portable Nightmare by John Toohey is an account of Bligh's 4100 mile journey in a 23 foot open boat.  The mutiny, which has been done to death elsewhere, is not covered in detail.  The launch, designed for 10 men, left the Bounty with 19 souls aboard and crossed the Pacific.  Plagued by storms, one ounce of pork per person per day and the tremendous psychological strain and cramped conditions, this journey is not only one of great seamanship but also of human endurance.

Toohey's style is easy to read and the material flows quickly.  This is not dry historical prose, but an engaging story.

Highly recommended for those quiet nights at anchor with shore within sight.

[CapnK]

Oh, that sounds good! Will have to get that one. :)

I read about the whaleship Essex and their trials and tribulations after a whale sunk their boat (arguably the inspiration for Melvilles "Moby Dick"). It sounds like this may well be a similar read. I'll have to post the Essex book, too...

[Captain Smollett]

Is that the one by Nathaniel Philbrick?  I recently finished Sea of Glory by Philbrick and it was very good.  I'll post a blurb about it in its own thread.

I'm looking for a good one about Shackleton; I had a chance to get one last year, and ended up getting something else.

[CapnK]

In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex - Link is to Amazon.com page for the book.

[dasein668]

However, Philbrick's novel really captures the agony of being adrift in an open boat.

Yeah it did!

I brought Moby Dick along for my cruise this year, too. Good read. Better than I remembered it.