Readers today are still fascinated by “Nat,” an eighteenth-century nautical wonder and mathematical wizard. Nathaniel Bowditch grew up in a sailor’s world—Salem in the early days, when tall-masted ships from foreign ports crowded the wharves. But Nat didn’t promise to have the makings of a sailor; he was too physically small. Nat may have been slight of build, but no one guessed that he had the persistence and determination to master sea navigation in the days when men sailed only by “log, lead, and lookout.” Nat’s long hours of study and observation, collected in his famous work, The American Practical Navigator (also known as the “Sailors’ Bible”), stunned the sailing community and made him a New England hero.
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"Illustrations, rich in detail, by John O'Hara Cosgrave II add authenticity and value." School Library Journal, Starred
About the Author
Jean Lee Latham was born in 1902 in Buckhannon, West Virginia. At an early age, she became a prolific writer, penning works of fiction and nonfiction, as well as theater scripts. Ever since its debut, Carry On, Mr. Bowditch has acquired an intrigued group of sea-loving fans.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
39 of 39 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Carry On, Mr. Bowditch contains absolutely fascinating background information about Salem and navigation in the 1700s, providing a valuable context for Nathaniel Bowditch's contributions to maritime navigation and allowing the reader to more fully understand just how remarkable and important they were.
It is quite inspiring to read how Nathaniel Bowditch, who experienced many traumatic events in his youth and childhood, made such a meaningful - albeit a bit obscure today - contribution to mankind by rewriting the book on Maritime navigation. While he had excellent intelligence, he did not have much luck in his early years, and his accomplishments are largely due to his dogmatic perseverence to educate himself against all odds.
My favorite parts of the book described his ocean voyages - how he solved various problems of navigation and how he won the allegiance of the motley crew of every ship he sailed on.
My children are not old enough yet for this story, but I look forward to the day they are.
It is quite inspiring to read how Nathaniel Bowditch, who experienced many traumatic events in his youth and childhood, made such a meaningful - albeit a bit obscure today - contribution to mankind by rewriting the book on Maritime navigation. While he had excellent intelligence, he did not have much luck in his early years, and his accomplishments are largely due to his dogmatic perseverence to educate himself against all odds.
My favorite parts of the book described his ocean voyages - how he solved various problems of navigation and how he won the allegiance of the motley crew of every ship he sailed on.
My children are not old enough yet for this story, but I look forward to the day they are.
33 of 34 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
This story is an incredible true tale of a simple young boy who is forced into an apprenticeship by his father. Rather than letting his new life depress him, he began the process of educating himself. He found he had a talent for math and navigation, and became a famous navigator at sea. I could not put this story down, even though it was written a long time ago and is a historical novel.
55 of 60 people found the following review helpful
By Plume45
Format:Library Binding
Jean Latham's 1955 Newbery award winner is an easy-to-read fictionalized biography of the early life and career of Nathanial Bowditch of Salem. Set in a proud Massachusetts sailing village and on the high seas, the story rolls along like a Yankee trader: now billowing ahead, now becalmed, now swamped yet often riding triumphant swells with exotic cargo. How a youth denied a Harvard education literally rewrote the book on 18th century navigation, thus making the ocean safer for all sailors.
Since the storyline must obey the facts, the author operates under some literary constraint. The stout-hearted protagonist suffers repeated family losses, yet he clings to his ideal of an accurate book, which captains can trust and will save lives the world over. While indentured in a ship's chandlery, Nat cherishes his dreams of higher education, teaching himself mathematics, astronomy, navigation and three languages.
Nat's genius for detail and swift mental calculations of figures make him a wonder in an age when most sailors relied on gut instincts (Lead, Log and Lookout,)for the common man clung to his inbred superstitions, rejecting fancy book learning from mere lubbers. It took a Yankee youth to identify the fatal errors in Moore's sacred charts. Young readers will appreciate Latham's extensive dialogue and the excellent b/w sketches by John Cosgrave. Read as Biography or Maritime History, this book breezes along like a trim Yankee clipper.
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful
By Nate
Format:Paperback
I first read this beautifully and simply written book when I was about ten and it immediately became my favorite. I identified with Nathaniel Bowditch in many respects - my name is also Nathaniel and I also love math - but still he amazed me with his intense desire to learn and persevere through struggles.
I learned alot from this story. I was fascinated by Nathaniel Bowditch's amazing brilliance (writing an almanac as a teenager and doing insanely complex math problems in his head), his hard work (studying multiple languages from books), and his humility (teaching sailors math and navigation, giving them confidence in themselves). Amazingly, he did all this though his life was full of struggles. For me, someone who already liked to learn, this story powerfully reinforced just how exciting and valuable it is to gain more knowledge and then pass it on.
Today, about 10 years since I first read this book, I still love to read it. The title of "favorite book" has since passed on, but something still excites me about the impact one man can have because he dedicated himself to learning and to helping others through what he learned. That's a message young people, especially those already excited about learning, need to hear. And that's why those kids need to read this book.
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
A Kid's Review
Format:Hardcover
As a small country strives for her freedom, a small boy also fights to be free. And as that country grows into the powerful United States, the boy grows also.
Nathaniel Bowditch- a small boy in a poor family who has a history of mariners, with a curiosity and a love for math. Nat's dream is to enter Harvard and get a degree. However, that dream is cut short when his father sends him to be apprenticed to a bookkeeper because he cannot support Nat. Even this apprenticeship cannot stop Nat from learning. Using his position to his advantage, he uses the books around him whenever he has time. He comes across Newton's "Principia" He discovers, chagrined, that it is written in Latin, which he cannot comprehend. He tackles this problem by using his memory of the Bible and comparing it with a bible written in Latin. As he slowly but surely translates Principia, he develops a love for languages.
Carry On, Mr. Bowditch is a book that inspires us to never give up our dreams no matter how bad our situation is. Anyone interested in astronomy, math, navigation, or ships in general will most likely love this book.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Inspirational
This was very well written which included some real history and the inspiring story of this young man. Good for a read aloud in 5th grade. Or at home to your children. Read more
Published 3 days ago by Nancy Oveson
5.0 out of 5 stars
Interesting with good values taught
This book is well worth reading. It is a true story (at least based on a true story) of a man who refused to allow his circumstances to dictate his future. Read more
Published 7 days ago by djones
4.0 out of 5 stars
A true classic
I missed the original cover and illustrations, but the story was as good as I remembered it from the 1950s. I bought it to share with my grandson--hope he will love it as I did.
Published 27 days ago by Storyteller7
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent Read!
This is a classic, right up there with Johnny Tremain. Ms. Latham portrays Nathaniel Bowditch's life with humor and realism. Seafaring terms (starboard, doubling, etc. Read more
Published 2 months ago by mcctaft
5.0 out of 5 stars
Carry On, Mr. Bowditch
I will purchase again and tell others about this product. it came fast and well packaged, Thanks again. we enjoyed it
Published 2 months ago by Luis
5.0 out of 5 stars
Good story of a young man who changed navigation.
Nathaniel Bowditch is the epitome of what a young man can do with the perseverance and spare time that a sea voyage can provide.
Published 2 months ago by Richard A. Sims
4.0 out of 5 stars
held my attention
I read this book as a book club selection- it takes place in early New England and taught me some about the way lives were lived at that time. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Jane A. Ensminger
4.0 out of 5 stars
Bowditch in Manila!
I would hazard to say that there is no Geodetic Engineer or Surveyor or even a Civil Engineer in the world, before the advent of satellites, that did not have recourse to the log... Read more
Published 5 months ago by Antonio R. Sievert
4.0 out of 5 stars
A fascinating and inspiring read!
This is a story of a life that impacted the world. Through poverty Nathaniel Bowditch was unable to go to Harvard and had to grind through a nine-year apprenticeship but throughout... Read more
Published 5 months ago by E. F. Jones
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great
I homeschool my son and we read many books together. He thought it was okay and I loved it. According to my son though, "that's what you say about every book." (-:
Published 5 months ago by B. Stensgard
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