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Robin Lee Graham, pictured sailing in 1968 in Durban, South Africa, circumnavigated the world solo and wrote about it for National Geographic. His memoir Dove details his epic journey.

Set sail with these 10 books about epic ocean voyages

From solo trips around the world to family sojourns in the Pacific Northwest, these tales of high-seas adventures will inspire you.

Fifty years ago, Robin Lee Graham cruised into the Los Angeles harbor and made history, becoming at the time the youngest person to sail solo around the world.

The mariner was only 16 years old when he set forth nearly five years earlier, on July 27, 1965. His vessel: a 24-foot sloop called Dove. During his 1,739 days at sea traversing 30,600 nautical miles, Graham faced hurricanes, broken masts, crushing loneliness, a near collision with a freighter, and tedious weeks wallowing in the doldrums. But there were also moments of unparalleled beauty and long sojourns exploring fascinating destinations. He attended a memorial for a queen in Tonga, dived for shells in Fiji , safaried in South Africa’s Kruger National Park , hiked on lunar-like Ascension Island, ate piranhas in Suriname, and roamed the islands of the Galápagos .

Graham detailed his adventures in three National Geographic articles published between 1968 and 1970. “We sleigh-ride down into the deep trough of a trade-wind sea. Then Dove labors up the following crest, and down we plunge again, day after day, my boat and I,” he wrote in his first article. The teen’s quest captured hearts and imaginations, and readers avidly followed his journey and the challenges he experienced.

( Related: Discover stunning sailing adventures around the world . )

The most dramatic event was his second dismasting in the Indian Ocean. Only 18 hours out of the Cocos Islands , a roaring storm caused Dove’ s mast to buckle. Graham almost fell overboard—without his safety harness on—in the attempt to haul the trailing mast and sails back aboard. He sailed under a makeshift rig an astonishing 2,300 miles to Mauritius , off the coast of Africa . “Could I do it? I had no choice,” he wrote. “I had to; turning back against the trade winds was impossible.”

Published in 1972, Graham’s best-selling memoir, Dove (co-written with Derek L.T. Gill), expands on his articles and chronicles his love story with his wife, Patti, whom he met and married along the way. The book not only inspired countless mariners’ dreams but, as Graham also wrote, created “memories [at] landfalls where foreigners seldom set foot.”

“Dynamic, chaotic, brilliant. Both infinite and finite at once.” The seafarer pictured here might relate to how author Liz Clark describes the power of nature in Swell, her sailing memoir.

Graham is not the only seafarer with an extraordinary story. Here are 10 additional books—the latest installment in our ongoing Around the World in Books series—about adventurous sailors who test their mettle on the high seas.

Sailing Alone Around the World , by Joshua Slocum, 1900. Slocum’s iconic account of his solo trip around the globe—the first person to accomplish such a feat—can be found on almost every sailor’s bookshelf and was a prime inspiration to Graham. Setting off from Boston in 1895 in his 36-foot wooden sloop, Spray, Slocum sailed some 46,000 miles over three years. His wonderfully entertaining tale features close calls with pirates off Gibraltar, breakfasting on flying fish in the Pacific, and visiting with explorer Henry Stanley in South Africa .

Black Jacks: African American Seamen in the Age of Sail , by W. Jeffrey Bolster, 1997. Black seafaring wasn’t limited to the horrific Middle Passage . During the 18th and 19th centuries, thousands of Black sailors went to sea aboard whalers, warships, and clippers in pursuit of liberty and economic opportunity. They played a pivotal role in creating a new African-American identity, carrying news and information to Black communities ashore and even helping smuggle enslaved people to freedom—such as Frederick Douglass , who escaped from slavery disguised as a sailor.

The Boat Who Wouldn’t Float , by Farley Mowat, 1969. “The five hundred and fifty mile voyage across the center of Newfoundland was a prolonged exercise in masochism,” the Canadian author and naturalist writes in his hilarious account of his travails aboard the Happy Adventure . Beset by constant leaks, a cantankerous engine, and repeated sinkings, Mowat and his ornery wooden sailboat had a riotous time roaming the foggy shores of Newfoundland and the Maritimes in the 1960s.

( Related: 10 books that will take you on real-life adventures .)

The Curve of Time , by M. Wylie Blanchet, 1961. After being widowed, Blanchet turned to the sea, cruising with her five children on long summer sojourns in the 1920s and ’30s along the coast of British Columbia . A pioneer of family travel , Blanchet recalls in lyrical writing the beauty of the unspoiled Pacific Northwest and teaching her children the wonders of the natural world.

Maiden Voyage , by Tania Aebi, 1989. In 1985, Aebi’s father offered the 18-year-old a choice: go to college or sail a 26-foot boat around the world. She chose the boat. From surviving a terrifying collision with a tanker in the Mediterranean to braving a lightning storm off the coast of Gibraltar, her compelling memoir charts her two-and-half-year journey on Varuna as a young woman braving the sea alone with only her cat as companion.

The Last Grain Race , by Eric Newby, 1956. Windjammers once raced to carry grain from Australia to Europe the fastest, and Newby apprenticed aboard Moshulu during the final contest in 1939. Recounting his circumnavigation between Ireland and Australia, Newby captures the last era of big sailing ships.

Swell: Sailing the Pacific in Search of Surf and Self , by Liz Clark, 2018. Reading Aebi’s Maiden Voyage sparked Clark’s own dream to sail the world. Nominated for National Geographic Adventurer of the Year in 2015, Clark has captained her 40-foot sailboat throughout the Pacific for more than a decade. Her memoir weaves together life at sea, her love of the Earth, and her eternal quest for great surf.

Adrift: 76 Days Lost at Sea , by Steven Callahan, 1986. In 1982, several months after starting his voyage off the coast of Rhode Island, Callahan faced every sailor’s worst nightmare: His boat abruptly took on water and sank, leaving him stranded on a five-foot inflatable raft in the middle of the Atlantic. For the next 76 days, Callahan survived terrifying storms, shark attacks, and lack of food and fresh water while drifting 1,800 miles to the Caribbean .

The Cruise of the Snark , by Jack London, 1911. After reading Slocum’s book, The Call of the Wild author was determined to make his own grand voyage. London designed his dream boat, a 55-foot wooden ketch, and departed San Francisco in 1907 with his wife, Charmian, and a woefully inexperienced crew. On their travels through the South Pacific, London taught himself celestial navigation and learned how to surf in Hawaii before ending his trip in the Solomon Islands.

Taking on the World , by Ellen MacArthur, 2002. British sailor MacArthur holds the record for the fastest solo sail by a woman across the Atlantic and has circled the planet in record-breaking time. Her autobiography describes her extraordinary second-place finish (at the age of 24) in the world’s hardest single-handed yacht race, the Vendée Globe, where she faced frigid wind conditions, mountainous waves, and leaden skies in the Atlantic and Southern Oceans.

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Best sailing books: 25 tales inspired by the sea

A list of the best sailing books including memoirs, novels and biographies, constituting the most fascinating nautical tales ever penned

After recently compiling a list of the best sailing movies we’ve seen, I was prompted into some related reading. Fresh from a delivery of sailing bestsellers (and less-sellers), I’ve put together a list of the best sailing books.

The list covers everything from epic voyages, tales of survival, investigative biographies and sailing manuals – with a few coffee table reference books thrown in.

Best sailing books

The below list is in no particular order. If you have any suggestions that you feel deserve a place on this list of best sailing books, please add them in the comments below.

Sailing Alone Around the World by Joshua Slocum

In 1895, Joshua Slocum set out to prove that a man could sail alone around the world. Some 46,000 miles and three years later, he completed the first single-handed circumnavigation of the globe in his 34ft sloop, the Spray.

A Voyage For Madmen by Peter Nichols

In 1968, nine sailors set off on the most daring race ever: to single-handedly circumnavigate the globe non-stop. 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.

The Strange Last Voyage of Donald Crowhurst by Nicholas Tomalin and Ron Hall

One of the best sailing books I’ve ever read. Donald Crowhurst was a contestant in the above round the world race. Hopelessly out of depth, he attempted to pull off one of the greatest hoaxes of our time.

The Last Grain Race by Eric Newby

This was one of the first sailing books I ever read and it got me hooked. In 1939, a young Newby set sail aboard Moshulu, the largest sailing ship still employed in the transportation of grain from Australia to Europe as part of what was known as ‘the grain race’. His story of the passage has become a classic.

Kon-Tiki: Across the Pacific in a Raft by Thor Heyerdahl

The adventure of Thor Heyerdahl and his companions on their raft across the Pacific has gone down in legend as a feat of endurance and courage. This is that story in Heyerdahl’s own words.

The Annapolis Book of Seamanship by John Rousmaniere

Since the publication of the widely hailed first edition in 1983, this book has set the standard. Used throughout the world as a textbook in sailing schools, the Annapolis Book of Seamanship thoroughly and clearly covers the fundamental and advanced skills of modern sailing.

A Race Too Far by Chris Eakin

Chris Eakin recreates the drama of the epic inaugural Golden Globe race. He talks to all those touched by the event: the survivors, the widows and the children of those who died.

Adrift: 76 Days Lost at Sea by Steven Callahan

I’m currently halfway through this gripping tale and it is already one of the best sailing books I’ve read. Steven Callahan’s dramatic account was on the NYT bestseller list for 36 weeks. In many ways, it’s the model for the new wave of adventure books. At the time, he was the only man known to have survived more than a month at sea alone.

438 Days: An Extraordinary True Story of Survival at Sea by Jonathan Franklin

In 2012, Salvador Alvarenga left the coast of Mexico for a two-day fishing trip. After 14 months, he washed ashore having drifted over 9,000 miles.

Master and Commander by Patrick O’Brian

The first of Patrick O’Brian’s famous Aubrey/Maturin novels, regarded by many as the greatest series of historical novels ever written. There were 20 completed – and one unfinished – in the series set during the Napoleonic Wars.

Gipsy Moth Circles the World by Francis Chichester

First published in 1967, just months after the completion of Chichester’s historic journey, the book was an instant international best-seller. It inspired the first solo around-the-world race and remains a timeless testament to the spirit of adventure.

Maiden Voyage by Tania Aebi

Tania Aebi was an unambitious 18-year-old in New York City. She was going nowhere until her father offered her a challenge: choose college or a 26ft sloop. The only catch was that if she chose the sailboat, she’d have to sail around the world alone. Off she went.

DK Complete Sailing Manual by Steve Sleight

DK are renowned for producing beautiful reference books and this sailing manual does not disappoint. Now in its fourth edition, the book covers the basics of sailing, mastering navigation and maintaining your boat.

The Ashley Book of Knots by Clifford W. Ashley

First published in 1944 and reprinted many times since, this magnificent, fully illustrated book of knots is collated by Geoffrey Budworth with the help of other members of the  International Guild of Knot Tyers .

Swell: A Sailing Surfer’s Voyage of Awakening by Liz Clar

Clar chronicles her 2006 solo voyage across the South Pacific in search of great surf. She recounts her story in gripping detail, telling tales of self-awareness, solitude, connection to the earth and surfing.

Once is Enough by Miles Smeeton

This timeless classic is an exciting true story of survival against all odds. Smeeton and his wife sailed their 46ft ketch, Tzu Hang, in the wild seas of Cape Horn, following the tracks of the old sailing clippers through the world’s most notorious waters.

Last Man Off: A True Story of Disaster and Survival on the Antarctic Seas by Matt K. Lewis

The waters of Antarctica, 1998. A 23-year-old Lewis has just started his dream job aboard a deep sea fishing boat. A storm hits. With the captain missing and the crew forced to abandon ship, Lewis leads the escape onto three life rafts, where the battle for survival begins.

A World of My Own: The First Ever Non-stop Solo Round the World Voyage by Robin Knox-Johnston

In1968, a tiny ketch called Suhaili slipped almost unnoticed out of Falmouth. Ten and a half months later, Suhaili came romping joyously back to Falmouth to a fantastic reception for Robin Knox-Johnston who’d become the first man to sail single-handedly around the world non-stop.

The Proving Ground by Bruce Knecht

This is the story of the 1998 Sydney to Hobart boat race, the most dramatic in yacht racing history. Of the 115 boats that started, just 43 would finish. Knecht recreates those dramatic hours and the gut-wrenching fear of those caught in the eye of the storm, battling for their lives.

The Racing Rules of Sailing for 2017-2020 by Royal Yachting Association

The essential manual includes the updated International Code and Race Signal flags. Water-proof editions are also available.

The Long Way (La Longue Route) by Bernard Moitessier

The Long Way is Bernard Moitessier’s own incredible story of his participation in the first Golden Globe Race, a solo, non-stop circumnavigation rounding the three great capes of Good Hope, Leeuwin and the Horn.

Left for Dead: 30 Years On – The Race is Finally Over: The Untold Story of the Tragic 1979 Fastnet Race by Nick Ward & Sinead O’Brien

The second edition is updated with a new chapter describing Nick’s eventual completion of the Fastnet Race 30 years after his first, ill-fated attempt.

Love with a Chance of Drowning by Torre DeRoche

This sometimes hilarious, often harrowing, and always poignant memoir is set against a backdrop of the world’s most beautiful and remote destinations. Equal parts love story and travel memoir, the book is witty, charming, and proof that some risks are worth taking.

Two Years Before the Mast by Richard Henry Dana Jr.

A memoir first published in 1840, written shortly after a two-year sea voyage starting in 1834. To this day, the book is regarded as a valuable historical resource describing 1830s California.

Godforsaken Sea: Racing the World’s Most Dangerous Waters by Derek Lundy

In 1996, 16 sailors set out from the Bay of Biscay to embark on the Vendee Globe – a single-handed yacht race through the world’s most treacherous and isolated seas. Only six completed the course, six others withdrew, three were plucked from sinking boats and one disappeared without a trace.

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• The 5 best books about sailing the seas: perfect holiday reading for sailors

There's nothing better than lounging on a sun-drenched deck, gently rocking on the waves with the breeze washing over you and a great book in your hand. And what better subject than sailing at sea? Here are some of our picks for the best reads about sailing adventures. 

PROFESSIONAL (BUT READABLE) LITERATURE ABOUT SAILING:

1. total loss (paul gelder, 2008, bloomsbury publishing).

Paul Gelder's books are required reading for all skippers. The best way to learn is from your own mistakes, but making mistakes can sometimes be fatal. With 45 dramatic stories of yachts lost a sea, packed with first-hand accounts and brought together by an experienced yachtsman and British Yachting Monthly magazine editor, you can learn from their mistakes. Fortunately, in most cases, at least the crew was spared (although every loss, including that of the boat, is painful). Analyzing the reasons why the disasters occurred, the author comes up with recommendations on how to avoid similar tragedies. Although this is essentially a work of professional non-fiction, trust us, these short accounts are far from boring.

2. Sunk Without Trace (Paul Gelder, 2012, Bloomsbury Publishing)

A sequel to Gelder's bestselling Total Loss ,   this will be a welcome addition to your library. This new collection brings together 30 more terrifying and compelling stories of shipwrecks and sinkings caused by weather, storms, faulty navigation, collisions, gear failure, fire, and crew exhaustion. It is a gripping read that carries valuable lessons.

Destinations worth exploring:

The best sailing routes from biograd na moru, sail to the 7 most beautiful sights in greece, from lefkada or corfu to paxos and antipaxos, sail from lefkada for 14 days. where to, what not to miss when visiting lefkada, where and why to sail from lefkas marina, real voyages of brave sailors:, 3. the lonely sea and the sky (francis chichester, 1964, summersdale).

In 1967, Francis Chichester became the first person to sail single-handed around the world from east to west via the great capes, and as a result, was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II. In this book, he recounts his beginnings as an amateur aviator and pilot, and how he turned to sailing — in particular his two solo voyages from England to New York which gave rise to a popular yacht race across the Atlantic (the Sunday Times Golden Globe Race). This is the story of strong will and indomitable courage told with dry British wit by a man who experienced it all first hand.

4. The Kon-Tiki Expedition (Thor Heyerdahl, 1950, Allen & Unwin)

In 1947, legendary Norwegian explorer and adventurer Thor Heyerdahl set out on adventure on a balsawood raft from South America to Polynesia to prove his theory that the South Sea Islands had been settled by an ancient race, undertaking a similar voyage. The book, a bestseller in its day, is a record of this astonishing journey — the experiences of 6 people, their coexistence, their knowledge and their merging with nature, the sea and its inhabitants ... and their eventual landing in Polynesia.

YACHTING.COM TIP: What about female sailors? For a long time, women were simply not allowed to sail on board a ship. Yet, undeterred, some of them still managed to conquer the seas. To find out the ones that made history, check out our article —  Women aboard: the most famous female sailors of all time .

5. Swallows and Amazons series (Arthur Ransome, 1930–47, Jonathan Cape)

As the heroes of these classic novels have their adventures in the Lake District in England, Swallows and Amazons doesn't strictly belong on our list. Still, no list would not be complete without a novel from this classic series, especially as it may have even been one of Ransome's works that got you into sailing in the first place, fuelling your desire to explore the seas. No matter what, they make perfect bedtime reading for your kids in a gently rocking cabin of a sailing boat.

The Swallows and Amazons  series is a series of 13 children's adventure novels about the adventures of the Walker siblings (on a dinghy named  Swallow ) on holiday at a lakeside farm and the local Blackett sisters (on the Amazon ) who live on the opposite shore. The children sail their little sailing boats around the lake (in some books on the Norfolk Broads or even tropical seas) and their childlike imagination is wonderfully encouraged by their parents and other relatives. The first book, Swallows and Amazons , published in 1930, was a spectacular success, leading to 11 equally successful books in the series. Unfortunately, the 13th book Coots in the North remained unfinished at the author's death, with the first few chapters later edited and published by his biographer. The books have been adapted to screen and stage, although without much success.

Due to his dislike of the illustrations commissioned for the first two books, current editions of the books have illustrations by Ransome himself in pen and ink. The novels do often require the reader to have quite a lot of knowledge about boats and sailing, but publishers of newer editions have supplemented them with explanatory notes. 

YACHTING.COM TIP:  If you enjoy yachting, then don't miss our list of the best sailing films of all time — our pick of adventure stories, thrillers and documentaries about sailing, as well as films for our little sailors. Also check out our list of the 10 most famous fictional sailors , featuring adventures that haven't just fascinated us since childhood, but perhaps sparked our own desire to sail the seas. Which is your favourite?

On which boat will you set sail on adventure?

Got a question about the skipper's course or want help choosing a boat? Get in contact.

Denisa Nguyenová

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Top 10 nautical fiction books

The recent controversy over The Modern Library’s list of the 100 greatest novels in English inspired editors here at Ocean Navigator to discuss the greatest books of the sea. In no particular order, we came up with what we believe to be the 10 greatest nautical fiction books ever written. Still to come will be a list of nautical nonfiction and nautical movies.

Moby Dick, by Herman Melville: The granddaddy of American literature follows the adventures of Ishmael aboard the ill-fated whaling vessel Pequod.

Grey Seas Under, by Farley Mowatt: An ocean salvage tug crew battles the seas of the North Atlantic recovering grief-stricken ships.

Lord Jim, by Joseph Conrad: A British merchant sailor is haunted by a cowardly act performed in his youth while aboard a steamer in the Indian Ocean.

The Old Man and the Sea, by Ernest Hemingway: A battered old salt braves the ocean alone and captures a giant fish.

Captains Courageous, by Rudyard Kipling: An aristocratic snot gains life experience after accidentally landing a berth aboard a New England fishing schooner.

Master and Commander, by Patrick O’Brian: The first of the 19-book Aubrey Maturin series describes the sea-borne adventures of an affable British captain and his surgeon shipmate during the Napoleonic wars.Spartina, by John Casey: A down-on-his-luck Rhode Island fisherman struggles to finish his home-built boat and head for sea.The Sea Wolf, by Jack London: A battle between good and evil begins when a refined castaway is rescued by the seal-hunting schooner Ghost and becomes an unwilling sailor under the brutal Wolf Larsen.The Riddle of the Sands, by Erskine Childers: In The Annapolis Book of Seamanship; John Rousmaniere called this book "probably the only spy story whose solution lies in a tide table."

The Wreck of the Mary Deare, by Hammond Innes: A captain with a past battles to save his ship and then his reputation against a marine insurance scheme to frame him for the loss of the merchant ship Mary Deare.

Top 10 Must-Read Maritime Novels

In the world of literature, many fiction writers are known for blending facts with fantasies in such a way that their readers do not lose their perspective. Each and every author has his or her own style of writing which has kept their readers hooked and waiting – sometimes months and years on end.

The domain of fiction includes literary works, in different genres, which deal with various aspects of human life, from love to tragedy and life to death. Among these, the marine domain is an area that not many authors have chartered, but the ones that have done it, have done so with great skill and aplomb.

Known as Nautical fiction, this category of works tells stories of life at sea, explaining the complex human relationship with the sea and its uncertainties.

Detailed below are ten such wonderful penmanship revolving around the domain of oceans and its immense vastness. These books have been greatly appreciated by readers across the world and are a must-read for those working at the sea.

1. Moby Dick:

Written by American novelist Herman Melville in the mid-1850s, Moby Dick is considered to be a classic book which D. H. Lawrence once described as “the greatest book of the sea ever written.” Moby Dick or The Whale tells the story of the obsessive quest of Captain Ahab of the whaler Pequod for revenge on Moby Dick, the albino sperm whale that on the previous whaling voyage destroyed his vessel and bit off his leg at the knee.

The author has put the novel in the first-person point of view of Ishmael, whose character is shown to be that of a whaler. The book combines the aspect of revenge, orthodoxy and the then-vintage profession of whaling for ambergris. More than just a story of adventure, this masterpiece of Melville narrates a struggle between good and evil.

Moreover, this works thrills readers when realising that a good part of the material of this book was drawn from Melville’s own experiences as a seaman aboard whaling ships.

• Melville, Herman (Author)
• English (Publication Language)
• 378 Pages - 11/06/2018 (Publication Date) - CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (Publisher)

2. The Old Man And the Sea :

The Old Man and the Sea, written by legendary American writer Ernest Hemingway, tells a relentless, agonising battle of an old Cuban fisherman with a giant marlin far out in the Gulf Stream.

With his simple and brilliant language, the writer narrates the patience and determination of the fisherman, Santiago, in his solitary struggle against his catch after days of unluckiness in the sea.

After 84 days-long string of bad luck, a big Marlin takes hold of the line, however, leaving Santiago incapable of handling his catch because of its size. After three days of struggle in the sea, Santiago reaches shore only to see that his efforts were in vain.

Beyond a thrilling tale, the novel talks about the battle of humans with the environment and even a fight against our own doubts.

The short novel, published in 1952, was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1953 and acted as an important work in Hemingway winning the Nobel Prize in literature in 1954.

• Hemingway, Ernest (Author)
• 128 Pages - 05/05/1995 (Publication Date) - Scribner (Publisher)

3. The Perfect Storm : 

A creative nonfiction work based on the “1991 Perfect Storm” that hit North America between October 28 and November 4, The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea qualifies as a real-life thriller.

Written by Sebastian Junger in 1997, the book explores the impact of a massive storm that was caused by the freak meeting of two weather fronts through the story of a trawler, the Andrea Gail, and its six-man crew abroad. Its main component can be regarded as the perfect combination of incorporating a real-life incident with the author’s re-creation of the resultant happenings.

Sebastian Junger’s thoughts flow clearly and at no point in time would readers feel like keeping the book aside. Andrea Gail is immortalised in the hearts and minds of readers across the world, thanks to Mr. Junger literary contribution.

The book was made into a movie of the same title in 2000 by director Wolfgang Petersen.

• Junger, Sebastian (Author)
• 248 Pages - 06/29/2009 (Publication Date) - W. W. Norton & Company (Publisher)

4. Hornblower Series :

A series of 10 books written by C.S. Forester offers a fictionalized history of the Royal Navy during the Napoleanic era. The books depict the life of a newly commissioned seaman, named Horatio Hornblower, during the harsh marine times of the Napoleonic War.

As Horatio climbs up the vessel hierarchy, from midshipman to Lord, he meets and interacts with various kinds of people who add to his adventures.

For readers, the books work as a window into history because of the outstanding details appears in these books. Through this singular series, according to critics, C.S. Forrester has contributed his own uniqueness to the confluence of fact and fiction.

• Forester, C. S. (Author)
• 320 Pages - 06/06/1998 (Publication Date) - Back Bay Books (Publisher)

5.  Deadly Straits :

R.E. McDermott’s first novel, Deadly Straits , is built around the context of marine terrorism and piracy as the name suggests and justifies its title with a fast-paced plot, which is disturbingly plausible. This maritime thriller, published in 2013, tells the story of a marine engineer named Tom Dugan, who becomes collateral damage in the War on Terror.

With his years of experience in the marine industry, the author could make the characters in the novel entirely familiar for those who have spent time in the marine industry.

However, what adds to the book’s speciality is the fact that the author is able to put into written context, his imagination for the audience – especially for those who might not be that well-versed in the marine aspect. For those who love sequels, Deadly Straits sets up the right tone for a potential sequel, though it is unsure whether the author is planning to write one or not.

• Used Book in Good Condition
• McDermott, R E (Author)
• 308 Pages - 07/22/2011 (Publication Date) - R.E. McDermott (Publisher)

6. Shogun :

Penned by James Clavell in 1975, Shōgun is a maritime novel set in Japan around 1600 and tells the story of a bold English sailor who encountered two people who were to change his life – a warlord with his own quest for power and beautiful woman torn between two ways of life – after his ship was blown ashore in Japan.

The novel talks about a real-life person who rose to popularity amidst really troubling waters from the perspective of a Westerner. This unique confluence of an imaginary Western character meeting and understanding the larger-than-life Oriental hero defines the book as one of the all-time marine classics.

Shōgun, the first novel of Clavell’s Asian Saga, a series of six novels written by the author between 1962 and 1993, is an enjoyable epic despite the complex plot. Shōgun was a major best-seller as it had sold 15 million copies worldwide by 1990.

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7. The North Water

The North Water Ian McGuire’s The North Water, which was published in 2016, is a brilliant novel that tells the story of a group of men abroad a nineteenth-century whaling ship sets sail for the Arctic.

The Irish ex-army surgeon Patrick Sumner, an opium addict, joins as a surgeon on the whaling ship only to meet more villainous and unfortunate people, including the most vicious Henry Drax, onboard during the voyage.

With sharp, cinematic details of violence, cruelty and the awful reality of whale-killing, McGuire takes his readers along with the whaling ship, the Volunteer, to the cold waters of Arctic.

Confirming its brilliance, The North Water was included in the Man Booker Prize 2016 longlist and The New York Times’ 10 Best Books of 2016.

• McGuire, Ian (Author)
• 272 Pages - 03/14/2017 (Publication Date) - Picador (Publisher)

8. Aubrey–Maturin series

British novelist Patrick O’Brian’s Aubrey–Maturin series, a sequence of over 20 nautical historical novels, is another sea saga of the Napoleonic Wars. Published between 1969 and 1999, the story of the novels is set in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars.

The novels are built around the friendship of Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin, the English naval captain, and the Irish–Catalan physician, respectively.

Often described as the best historical novels were ever written, O’Brian’s works offers a detailed depiction of 19th-century life and many among this series reached The New York Times Best Seller list.

The last and unfished novel in the series was published four years after the demise of O’Brian in 2000.

• PATRICK O'BRIAN
• THE COMPLETE AUBREY MATURIN NOVEL
• Hardcover Book
• O'Brian, Patrick (Author)

9. The Shadow-Line

Written in 1915, The Shadow-Line of Polish-British writer Joseph Conrad is an autobiographical short novel. One of the masterpieces of Conrad, the novel portrays the life of a young new sea captain at a crossroads in his life.

The story moves through a succession of crises- the turbulent waters, the crew suffering from fever and seemingly haunted ship- the new commander faces.

Notable for its dual narrative structure, the fictionalized account of the owner’s own experience as a young captain treats readers with subtle style of narration that filled with suspense.

• Conrad, Joseph (Author)
• 136 Pages - 05/15/2009 (Publication Date) - Oxford University Press (Publisher)

10. Captain Blood

Known as one of the greatest adventure novels of all time, Rafael Sabatini’s Captain Blood is a tale of swashbuckling adventure.

In this classic naval fiction, Sabatini tells the story of Irish physician Peter Blood, a former sailor and soldier, who wrongly convicted of treason.

Escaping the hangman’s noose, Blood ends up being the most feared pirate captain on the Spanish Main. Alongside the adventures of Blood, the layer of a strong romance makes this an excellent page-turner.

As a continuation of this novel, the author has written fifteen more short stories set during Blood’s pirate career. In 1935, the novel was adapted into a film in the same title by Michael Curtiz.

• Sabatini, Rafael (Author)
• 250 Pages - 09/13/2011 (Publication Date) - CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (Publisher)

Over to you..

Do you know any other maritime/seafaring/marine novel that can be added to this list?

Let’s know in the comments below.

You may also like to read:

Top 11 Books On Diving

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Journalist by training, and an academic in aspiration, Shamseer Mambra currently works as a freelance journalist, after spending three years in the newsrooms of some of the reputed media houses in India. When not at work, he likes to read, click photographs and go for a ride on his bike.

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20 comments.

Sirs, I would like to propose to add another novel to your list of maritime Novels.

B. Traven ‘The Dead Ship’ is in my oppinion another novel worth to mention. The story keeps in my mind during my first reading sometimes as a youth. Nevertheless I went to sea to start my carreer in shipping business.

Pirate Latitudes- Michael Crichton Captain Blood

I would suggest the novel ‘Fall of the Suns’ recently released – by author Ieuan Dolby. In contrast to many maritime works of fiction this book is set in in the modern world as written by a recent seafarer – no sails here.

Visit for more info on this exciting release and for future novels once published.

The Wanderer by actor Sterling Hayden

I would add two books to this list.

1) The Cruel Sea by Nicholas Monsarrat. This is the fictional story of the Batle of the Atlantic during the Second World War, seen through the eyes of the crew of two escort ships.

2) The Ship by C S Forester. This is the fictional story of The Battle of Sirte in the Mediterranean during WW2, taken from the captain’s log. Very well written.

The Ramage series of novels by Dudley Pope should be considered essential reading for fans of The Age of Sail.

Richard woodman has wrote a wonderful set of books in the Nathaniel Drinkwater series. Very gritty and lively naval fiction and he makes hornblower look tame.

I agree with The Comment of Larry Grosfield. The Ramage series by Dudley Pope is excellent. Set during the Napoleonic Wars, they rival Forester’s and O’Brian’s series.

@Carol:????

For a good yarn and a nautical history lesson Nicolas Monsteratt’s “Darken Ship” and “Running Proud” can’t be beat. Another of his novels “The Cruel Sea” will break your heart. Also consider “Gray Lady Down” and “Gray Seas Under” by Farley Mowat.

Just started Dewey Lambdin Lewrie Naval Adventures.

I recommend CORRIE’S WAR about how women hid in Nelson’s navy. Twenty books in the series. Non-stop adventure. Available from Amazon in the US, the UK, Canada and Australia.

Two Years Before the Mast. Its a memoir by the American author Richard Henry Dana Jr., published in 1840, having been written after a two-year sea voyage from Boston to California on a merchant ship starting in 1834. Based on his personal journals taken while at sea. Non-Fiction.

@Jonny: Thank you for adding to the list.

Two Years Before the Mast by Richard Henry Dana, Jr.

Moby Dick by Herman Melville.

Forgot this one – The Sea Wolf by Jack London.

Hi I’d like to suggest The Kydd Series of novels by Julian Stockwin. A great series of stories in the CS Forster Alexander Kent stable if not better. the historical attention to detail is very thorough

I have read every book by Dewey Lambdin; Alexander Kent, and Dudley Pope. I have read all Forrester, and O’Brian…. I aam now at a loss for my favourite reading material. I read a book a day, and have spent hundreds on paperback books. Now, I joined Kindle Unlimited…. still looking for material… Monsarraat and Mowatt are also past conquests…. Who is next?

Please do not leave out the Bolitho Series by Alexander Kent and if you enjoy the historical parallels the Destroyer men Series by Taylor Anderson. Thank you all for your input.

The Richard Bolitho series by Alexander Kent

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8 Nautical Novels That Will Make You Want to Run Off to Sea

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Nautical fiction deserves a place on your summer reading list. Here are 8 sea novels that will give you a taste of the maritime literature genre–and make you want to come back for more! If you love tall ships and the age of sail, these are some of the best classic sailing novels ever written.

Best Sea Adventure Novels

Almost one hundred summers ago, Frenchman Alain Gerbault set sail from Gibraltar to circumnavigate the globe–alone.

Why undertake such a feat?

“I wanted freedom, open air and adventure.” Gerbault said. “I found it on the sea.”

While most of us probably aren’t up to the task of solo-sailing the world, we’d all probably like that breath of freedom that Gerbault craved. Nautical fiction offers us an expansive, other-worldly experience that pulls us out to sea, immerses us in pure adventure, and sends us back to shore reborn. On the surface, reading a good sea novel looks a lot like plain escapism. But salt-seasoned readers know that those book covers enclose pages that are fathoms deep with the kind of heroism and human experience that change us in our real lives, too.

I love nautical novels because they engage our senses in a different way than we experience with shore-bound books. In a sea novel we smell briny winds and oozing tar and wet wood. We hear creaking planks and the crack of canonfire or the high and promising sound of seagulls. What we feel is never steady–we might be lurching in a launch on an off-ship mission, weathering a gale, or sensing the faintest tremor on a becalmed sea. And when we regain solid land it seems to reel beneath our feet after weeks on the ocean.

It’s this sensual, cathartic experience that draws me back to the nautical genre every summer. When June rolls in I scan my bookshelves for new adventures. Pages curl like whitecaps; by July I’m fathoms deep in the main course of my summer reading list–always a sea story. I’m a seasonal reader , and books about ships and the sea are a taste of summer.

Want to experience this often-unusual, always-rewarding genre? Dive into one of these classic sea stories this summer or any time of year!

Note: While you’re reading these books, it might be helpful to keep this glossary of nautical terms handy for reference! Also, here’s a guide to the different types of sailing ships , so you know the difference between a barque and a brigantine.

8 Best Nautical Fiction Novels for Armchair Sailors:

1. Billy Budd by Herman Melville (1924)

Billy Budd was Melville’s last novel, and it was pieced together and published after he died. It’s short–a novella, actually–so it’s a good pick if you just want to dip your toes into the nautical genre without getting completely submerged.

Synopsis: Billy Budd is a young seaman who is immensely popular with everyone in the crew–except for John Claggart. Claggart’s antagonism eventually leads to his accusing Budd of inciting mutiny. I don’t want to give away too much because it’s more fun to experience the story as it unfolds! But the events that follow lead to a fascinating moral conundrum that invites a variety of interpretations. (Although I’m still doing research, I have yet to find anyone who shares my own interpretation! Of course, I still have to find more evidence to substantiate it, too!)

• Find it on Amazon
• Watch the film version

2. Master and Commander by Patrick O’Brian (1969)

Synopsis: Master and Commander is the first book in a series of maritime fiction novels that occur during the Napoleonic Wars at the turn of the nineteenth century. The friendship between the two main characters–Captain Jack Aubrey and ship’s surgeon Stephen Maturin–is a complex and satisfying theme that carries throughout the 21-novel series. ( Check out this post for other famous literary friendships .) There’s good action in this book, too, based on real historic naval battles and exploits, as well as a bit of intrigue and a good dose of humour.

Patrick O’Brian has been compared to Jane Austen (his favourite author), numerous times, and if you’re an Austen fan you’ll see why. Of course, there’s the obvious fact that O’Brian’s novels are set in the same era as Austen’s. The naval backdrop of  Mansfield Park and Persuasion  gets fleshed out in O’Brian’s novels, all served up with engaging, witty dialogue and fascinating interpersonal relationships–trademarks of Jane Austen.

3. Carry On, Mr. Bowditch by Jean Lee Latham (1955)

Synopsis: This is a sea novel you can read aloud to your kids–but it’s engrossing enough to read on your own, too! Carry On, Mr. Bowditch   is a novelization of the life of Nathaniel Bowditch, an American mathematical genius who revolutionized maritime navigation.

The novel, which won the Newberry Medal in 1956, is simple to read, but you’ll soon find yourself captivated by Bowditch’s life. His strength of character through hardships and victories is inspirational, even more so when you know that he was a real person. Our family read this story aloud when I was little, and it’s stuck with me into adulthood.

4. The Riddle of the Sands by Erskine Childers (1903)

Synopsis: Two Englishmen take it upon themselves to investigate suspicious German naval activity around the Frisian Islands in the North Sea. They navigate their small, weather-beaten yacht through the maze of treacherous sandbars to uncover a secret plot that threatens to target England in a way she least expects it.

Critics consider The Riddle of the Sands to be one of the first (and best) spy thrillers. It helped to launch the espionage genre and an entire sub-genre of “ invasion literature .” Childers hoped his novel (the only one he wrote) would alert the public to the growing threat of Imperial Germany. It did.  The Riddle of the Sands  was an instant bestseller, and Winston Churchill even agreed that it was instrumental in motivating funding for increased naval security.

Apart from its fascinating historical context, The Riddle of the Sands is a bewitching novel that’s unlike anything else I’ve read. I was captivated by the writing, which was both visceral and cerebral, the unusual setting, and the gradually unfolding plot.

• Read it on your device
• Listen to the audiobook

5. Captain Blood by Rafael Sabatini (1922)

Synopsis: Once a respectable English doctor, a twist of fate turns Peter Blood into a pirate who roams the Caribbean in search of treasure, honour, and adventure on the high seas. Rafael Sabatini carefully researched the 17th-century historical setting of his novel, even basing Blood on a real person. His swashbuckling adventure story was wildly popular, and for good reason. It has all the ingredients you could want in an adventure story: epic scope, action, and romance, executed with plenty of witty dialogue and literary skill. 

Captain Blood is light and fast paced enough for a beach read. In fact, it’s a novel that’s best read in the summer, with your toes buried in the sand and a clean view of the horizon over a sun-flecked sea.

P.S. Captain Peter Blood happens to be one of my favourite literary heroes !

6. Mr. Midshipman Hornblower by C. S. Forester (1950)

Synopsis: Chronologically, Mr. Midshipman Hornblower is the first in a naval fiction saga that follows a young man up the ranks as a British officer in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic wars. Horatio Hornblower starts as a seasick teenager, but even in this origins story we get a glimpse of the ingenious and larger-than-life hero that he’ll become in later books.

The episodic nature of Mr. Midshipman Hornblower makes it easy to jump in to when you find small chunks of reading time . It’s also a very accessible naval adventure and isn’t too technical for us landsmen!

• Watch the miniseries

7. The Bounty Trilogy by Charles Nordhoff and James Norman Hall (1932-34)

Synopsis: The Bounty trilogy is based on the surprising and fascinating true story of the HMS  Bounty mutiny of 1789. An angry crew seizes control of Captain Bligh’s ship and sets him and 18 other seamen adrift in an open boat in the South Pacific. The first volume, Mutiny on the Bounty , describes the rising tensions and the events leading up to the mutiny. Men Against the Sea  tells of the incredible voyage of Captain Bligh and his loyalists, while Pitcairn’s Island  follows the mutineers.

Sidenote: Did the Bounty mutiny help to serve as inspiration for the mutiny that figures in to Elizabeth Gaskell’s North and South ? There were a number of famous mutinies at the turn of the nineteenth century, and Gaskell likely would’ve heard these controversial stories growing up.

• Watch the film versions:  Clark Gable 1935 , Marlon Brando 1962 , Mel Gibson 1984

8. The Sea Wolf by Jack London (1904)

Synopsis: Landsman Humphrey van Weyden is taking a ferryboat in foggy San Francisco bay when his boat collides with another craft and sinks. He’s rescued by a schooner captained by the tyrannical Wolf Larsen, who forces van Weyden to join his crew. As the schooner sails for Japan, van Weyden is forced to grapple with his own physical shortcomings and the psychological strain of his relationship with Captain Larsen.

Jack London was fast becoming a celebrity author by the time The Sea Wolf was published, and the book was an instant best seller.  Although harsh conditions at sea lend a psychological element to many maritime novels, this theme is especially notable in The Sea Wolf , and still makes for a fascinating drama over one hundred years later!

When you come to the end of these eight books, you might be surprised to learn how grueling and tenuous life at sea actually is. If these stories are anything to go on, it’s no picnic. Alain Gerbault spent 700 days at sea during his round-the-world voyage, often under intense physical and mental strain.

Yet there’s something about the sea that renews us even while it demands our exertion. Alain Gerbault knew that, and I get a glimpse of it every time I slip between the pages of a good nautical novel.

Do you love seafaring books? What nautical novels or sea fiction would you add to this list?

More Classic Nautical Fiction

Besides the books spotlighted in this post, there are many other classic books set at sea. Try one of these:

• The Odyssey by Homer
• The Pilot by James Fenimore Cooper ( The Pilot is often credited as being the first true sea novel, establishing a more technical and accurate nautical fiction genre than previous books set at sea)
• The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket by Edgar Allan Poe
• Moby Dick by Herman Melville
• Captains Courageous by Rudyard Kipling
• Mr. Midshipman Easy by Frederick Marryat
• Peter Simple by Frederick Marryat
• Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
• Chance by Joseph Conrad
• The Dark Frigate by Charles Hawes (A children’s/YA nautical book that won the 1924 Newberry)
• The Wreck of the Grosvenor by William Clark Russell
• The Boats of the “Glen Carrig” and Other Nautical Adventures by William Hope Hodgson (includes one of Hodgson’s nautical horror novels, as well as a number of his maritime short stories and weird fiction)
• The Ghost Pirates and Other Revenants of the Sea by William Hope Hodgson (more nautical horror stories)
• The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway
• Ship of Fools by Katherine Anne Porter
• A High Wind in Jamaica by Richard Hughes
• The Cruel Sea by Nicholas Monsarrat (a wartime nautical novel set during World War II and based on the author’s own experiences)
• The Long Ships by Frans G. Bengtsson
• The Golden Ocean by Patrick O’Brian (a standalone novel, not part of the Aubrey/Maturin series)

Classic and Modern Nautical Nonfiction

• A General History of the Pyrates (this book influenced both Robert Louis Stevenson and J. M. Barrie)  
• The Loss of the Ship Essex, Sunk by a Whale (eyewitness accounts of events that inspired Moby Dick )
• Two Years Before the Mast by Richard Henry Dana
• Sailing Alone Around the World by Joshua Slocum
• South by Ernest Shakleton
• Kon-Tiki by Thor Heyerdahl
• In the Heart of the Sea by Nathaniel Philbrick
• The Wager by David Grann

More Reading Lists You Might Enjoy:

• 7 Books to Pack on Your Next Beach Vacation
• Suspenseful Summer Page-Turners
• 12 Books to Inspire Wanderlust
• Top 101 Classic Books of All Time
• Books That Will Transport You to Scotland
• Classic Books Set in Ireland
• Must-Read Southern Fiction

25 Comments

Thanks for this, Elsie! I didn’t know Mutiny on the Bounty was part of a trilogy! Also looking forward to checking out titles 4 & 5. Never heard of _The Riddle of the Sands_ before! Love thinking of you writing these posts; marching on in a good life down south but still accessible through this marvelous technology. Hope you’re well! We’re marching along here in Kzoo too. God is good. 🙂

So fun to see you here, Michal! The sunset picture at the bottom of this post was taken on Lake Michigan! I miss Kalamazoo and all of you there. But yes–also loving this beautiful life down south.(:

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A few of my favorites on this list for sure! A particular favorite of mine is A High Wind in Jamaica by Richard Hughes. Four of my own novels are set at sea, and another one in progress.

Thanks, I will check out that title! I love tall ships, so I will have to take a look at your books! I noticed in your bio that you sailed as a crew member on board the Endeavour . My dad sailed on the Rose/The Surprise, and I would LOVE to do something like that someday! We did tour the Endeavour when I was a little girl–it’s a lovely ship!

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Definitely check out Linda’s books! As a fellow author of nautical historical fiction, I really enjoy her characters. We both like to write about strong, interesting women at sea!

Thank you for the reminder! I actually have been meaning to, and I have a Jane Thorn book on my TBR, too!

Great reminder and I enjoy reading your article. History mentions to us what individuals do; chronicled fiction encourages us to envision how they felt. Thanks for sharing it!

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I just finished working through the entire Chronicles of Narnia, and I think Voyage of the Dawn Treader could be included here! Granted it’s a fantasy and about a journey in a magical land that’s not quite relateable to those of us who’ve never visited Narnia, but pretty much the whole thing takes place aboard a ship 🙂

Oh, good one, yes! The ship/sailing aspect is a chief reason why Dawn Treader is one of my favourite of the Narnia books!

Thank you for the list! I read ‘Bowditch’ as a boy. My teacher thought I was crazy because I read it twice. I will read the other books on your list and report back, Cap’n. : ) P.S. ‘The Caine Mutiny’ is very good, too, though not in the strict spirit of old-school sailing and sailors.

Thanks for that title! I’ve gone and added The Caine Mutiny to my TBR…looks like there’s a good classic movie of that, too!

Ahoy, Nautical Enthusiasts! I am Commander Roger L Johnson, the author of the pirate adventure novel, “The treasure of Dead Man’s Chest.” I am writing a new pirate adventure novel titled, “Of Chains and Slavery” that will be published within the next year by Seaworthy Publications of Florida. The novel follows the early life of John Flint’s bastard son, Joshua Smoot, and the events that cause Joshua to go into piracy.

Captains Courageous~ Rudyard Kipling As one of the greatest sea stories.

Thank you, that’s an excellent addition!

I read “Treasure Island” I found it iye enjoyable. Marilyn

That is a great favourite of mine from childhood! So classic!

Reading “Treasure Island” for me was a treasure. I will eventually re-read the book again. Marion

It’s a jewel!!(;

Hi Elsie, I found The Voyage of the Dawn Treader in a free Little Library box in my neighborhood, so that is the one I will read for the June reading challenge. I’ve read the first Narnia book, so I will have some idea of the characters, I think. Have a great month. Mez

That’s perfect! Dawn Treader is one of my favourites in the Narnia series!

Lists such as this are always great to read, always hoping to find some new, as yet unknown to me, gem. I’ve already read several of these, but will now look forward to discovering Bowditch, Dawn Treader and London’s “Sea Wolf”. Having said that, whilst cruising Down East to Nova Scotia and back again in our own yacht, back in 2011, I was impressed by the reading list included in the CCA’s Pilot Guide. Reading as many of Farley Mowatt’s books as I could lay my hands on in Halifax’s excellent Secondhand bookshop, gave me a fabulous glimpse into a new, literary treasure trove, that happily married a true sailor’s experiences together with those naturalist’s enthusiasms of Gerald Durrell, and David Attenborough’s animal adventures as well as with Bill Bryson’s comic perceptions. “The Boat That Wouldn’t Float”, “Grey Seas Under, Grey Skies Over” and “The Ship That Wouldn’t Sink”, all come to mind as sea stories of the highest order. I’m just sorry I came to this link so late! Happy sailing, Alan

Thank you for those additions! I have not read any of Farley Mowatt. Right now I’m reading a nautical nonfiction that came out recently: The Wager. It’s so good!

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Hampton Sides examines 18th Century British naval captain James Cook through a modern lens in ‘The Wide Wide Sea’

Author and historian Hampton Sides was the first Colorado College Griffiths Journalist in Residence in 2014 and co-founded what would eventually become the CC Journalism Institute in Colorado Springs. He has also written nonfiction accounts about the frontiersman Kit Carson, the rescue of Bataan Death March survivors and more.

Sides’ latest book, “The Wide Wide Sea,” depicts the fatal third voyage of 18th Century British naval captain James Cook. The book recently debuted at number 3 on the New York Times bestseller list for nonfiction.

The historian sat down with Colorado Matters to discuss the book.

During Cook’s third voyage to the South Pacific, he became the first European to set foot on the Hawaiian islands and later produced the first reliable maps of the northwest coast of North America, from Oregon to the arctic regions of Alaska. That was after nearly reaching Antarctica and traveling through Tasmania, New Zealand and Tahiti earlier in the four-year journey.

“They're basically going from the realm of penguins to the realm of polar bears. I don't know how many voyages in world history have had that sort of range,” Sides told Colorado Matters.

The new book comes out in an era when condemnation of Europe’s colonial past dominates the public discourse. Cook, who was killed during a skirmish on the Big Island of Hawaii in 1779, has had his legacy included in that contemporary reckoning. Modern critics highlight Cook’s role in introducing venereal diseases into indigenous populations, imposing cultural values and representing the onset of centuries of imperial exploitation. 

Monuments honoring Cook have been recently vandalized . When Sides visited the site of Cook’s death, he found the marble obelisk dedicated to the captain splashed with red paint along with the sentence “You are on native land.”

In “The Wide Wide Sea,” Sides attempts a balanced account of Cook’s voyage, including skepticism of crew members and indigenous oral histories where possible. Sides said he finds Cook a rather nuanced figure compared to other key figures of European exploration.

“He never, for example, ever tried to convert anyone to Christianity,” Sides said. “He rarely, maybe never, used words like ‘savage’ or ‘heathen’ to describe the indigenous people that he encountered, which was so typical of the European explorers. He was genuinely curious about them.”

Sides described Cook as a product of the Enlightenment, almost a proto-anthropologist in his study of indigenous tribes.

“If the argument is they shouldn't have come, they shouldn't have wandered, they shouldn't have wondered,” Sides said. “Yeah, maybe that's right, in a moral sense … But, that’s sort of asking humans not to be human.”

Other Westerners would have eventually reached the Indigenous peoples of the Pacific, Sides argued. As Cook did, they would have likely brought with them the devastating diseases, vastly different paradigms for trade and global politics that decimated Indigenous populations.

“It probably would have come if it hadn’t come with Cook,” Sides said. “It would have come with somebody far less humane and far less interested in these people and these cultures.”

If you’d like to hear the full Colorado Matters interview with Hampton Sides, click the audio player at the top of the page. 

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Swashbuckling sea adventure books that are perfect for all ages

Pirates have captured the imagination of readers for centuries, offering tales of adventure, treasure, and the high seas. From classic literature to modern stories, pirate-themed books provide excitement and a sense of adventure that appeals to all ages. This article explores a selection of pirate-themed books suitable for readers from children to adults, each offering its unique take on the swashbuckling theme.

'Treasure Island'

Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson, published in eighteen eighty-three, is the ultimate pirate adventure. It narrates young Jim Hawkins' discovery of a treasure map and his voyage on the Hispaniola. Facing mutiny and battles, alongside characters like Long John Silver, Jim searches for gold. This seminal book is ideal for those exploring the origins of pirate stories.

'Pirates!' 

Pirates! by Celia Rees is a novel that offers a fresh perspective on pirate adventures through two female protagonists in the early 18th century. Nancy and Minerva defy societal expectations by becoming pirates for freedom and adventure. This book blends historical detail with an exciting narrative, making it an engaging read for those interested in a different side of piracy.

'The Voyage of the Dawn Treader' 

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis, part of The Chronicles of Narnia , features a magical sea journey. It's not purely about pirates but includes seafaring adventure elements. Edmund, Lucy Pevensie, and cousin Eustace join King Caspian to find seven lost lords. Their voyage is filled with dragons, sea serpents, and magical islands, appealing to those who enjoy pirate stories.

'Pirateology: The Pirate Hunter's Companion' 

Pirateology: The Pirate Hunter's Companion by Captain William Lubber combines story and activity. Acting as Lubber's journal, it details his chase of pirate Arabella Drummond with maps, flaps, and letters to discover. This interactive book is perfect for young readers or families seeking an engaging pirate experience. It invites exploration into the adventurous world of pirates through its immersive elements.

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Jun 6, 2024 • 7 min read

Beautiful beaches and natural wonderlands drenched in southern charm – Coastal Georgia's islands have something for everyone.

The queen of the French Riviera, Nice drips elegance and panache. Here are some things to know before you arrive to help you fit in with the glitterati.

Jun 5, 2024 • 8 min read

Andean flavors, coastal seafood, Afro-Ecuadorian recipes and Spanish influences converge to create an innovative food-and-drink scene in Ecuador.

Jun 5, 2024 • 7 min read

No matter your hiking ability, Alaska's diverse trails provide plenty of opportunities for recreation.

Plan a summer adventure to Hilton Head, Folly Beach and other South Carolina Sea Islands with this guide.

Jun 5, 2024 • 11 min read

Plan your summer vacation to Wisconsin's Door County with our top tips.

Jun 5, 2024 • 5 min read

Explore Boston by bike with this guide to the city's best off-road routes, its local bike-share program and top safety tips.

Plan your trip to Argentina with this guide to climate, crowds and costs.

Jun 5, 2024 • 10 min read

Whether you're a history buff, a nature lover, or simply seeking relaxation by the sea, Rhode Island will make you glad you came.

Jun 5, 2024 • 17 min read

An expert's guide to flying the world with the boost of points & miles: how to choose the perfect airline credit card.