Customer Reviews

American Sailboat

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Reading this book was fun AND extremely educational. I was struck by the beauty of the photographs. The author weaves a tapestry about the experience and history of sailing that engages you in a unique manner. He captures the personalities of sailboats as well as those who love to sail them. The intricate relationship between history, economics, human nature and the drive to escape onto the water, comes to life in this well written book. My praise is so high that I have purchased copies for close friends who are avid sailors!

The American Sailor is attractive enough to deserve a place on your coffee table but will most likely end up on your night table while you continually peruse its sparkling prose! It is a fascinating portrait of sailing and sailboats. I loved it!

The American Sailboat was a pleasant surprise. I was interested in the history of small boats, wanting to find out more about the boats I sailed with my dad and brothers, like the Thistle, Penguin, Lightning, Scotsman, and a no name pram we built in our basement, our first sailboat. I found out it had a name. And the company and designer had a history, too. The chapter about the postwar boom of sailing by middle class folk - that was us. Good writing, outstanding photos, thorough research. The histories of some of the boatyards and people that designed and built for diverse markets was fascinating, like connecting the family sailboat with the economic, industrial, and cultural histories of the U.S. The evolution of the pleasure boat from `working boats' of the seacoasts, Great Lakes, and rivers was a kind of metaphor of American ingenuity. Good chapters on the pleasure and racing boats of the money classes, too, and some of the designers that helped establish and maintain the U.S. dominance in cup racing. This could pass as a coffee table book, which is what I thought I was buying, but I got a good history and a good read.

Our family is all sailors, and we saw the book and bought it. My son, in high school, liked it, and so did his father and I. My son noticed that it's longer than you said it was, 192 pages, but that was just fine as it was a good book. Lots of history, and it told about the boat we sail on, the Snipe class.
We're going to get one for some friends who aren't sailors, just because the pictures are really pretty.