Dove [Paperback]

Robin L. Graham (Author), Derek L. T. Gill (Contributor)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 27, 1991

In 1965, 16-year-old Robin Lee Graham began a solo around-the-world voyage from San Pedro, California, in a 24-foot sloop. Five years and 33,000 miles later, he returned to home port with a wife and daughter and enough extraordinary experiences to fill this bestselling book, Dove.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Even in an era of superlatives, Dove is an incredible story." -- --St. Louis Post-Dispatch

"Filled with a youthful philosophy about life and love and high adventure." -- --Milwaukee Journal

"Perfectly marvelous. Anyone who enjoys the sea or who loves adventure will love it." -- --Sloan Wilson, author of The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Paperback: 199 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks (March 27, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060920475
• ISBN-13: 978-0060920470
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (78 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #88,531 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

44 of 48 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A love story and lots of sailing, April 26, 2000

By 

Kevin Spoering (Buffalo, Missouri United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dove (Paperback)

Years ago, when I was growing up, I read the account of Robin Lee Graham as the young man who sailed around the world alone, and also got married along the way, in three installments of the National Geographic, circa 1965-1970. These articles so affected me that I also wanted to sail around the world. However, as I read this book it soon became apparent to me that this book is also an account of a true life love story, between Robin and Patti, both with simple values and needs, in sharp contrast to most people who are primarily concerned with money and social status. They were deep in love and would, and did, do anything for each other.

Robin alone, and later with Patti, sailed to some of the most beautiful places on Earth, I think they must have enough memories for 20 lifetimes. The writing style makes you feel that you are right there with them.

The pictures included in this book are poor black and white, but as I remember, the National Geographic articles included excellent color photographs, it would do you well to find those issues.

As for me, I never did get to sail around the world, a little thing called life intervened, the grind and all that! I did take a sailing class through a local university in the summer of '77, even got an "A" in the class, but this pales in comparison to the daring sailing of Robin Graham. Sometimes, during trips to Florida I gaze at ocean-going yachts at wharfs, and yes, the dream is still alive, thanks to Dove

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Boy and his Boat, July 12, 2000

By 

J. H. Minde "Everything I need is right here" (Boca Raton, Florida and Brooklyn, New York) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Dove (Paperback)

I read DOVE in 1973, shortly after it was published, and I will eternally thank Robin Lee Graham for introducing me to the sailing life! As a boy not much younger than Graham himself I was captivated by his story, by his daring in taking a 24-foot sloop across trackless oceans, by his exotic ports of call, and by the romance which fueled his ambition.

Robin Lee Graham was like a lot of baby boomers, but when he dropped out at age 16, he dropped into exotic places like Fanning Island, Papeetee, and the Indian Ocean. More travelogue than sailing guide, DOVE gave it's readers glimpses of places rarely visited and virtually unknown at the time. Thirty years later in the Internet and Cellular World it's hard to picture just how far-flung Graham's travels really were. Graham sailed three-quarters of the way around the world without a 2-way radio, and without SatNav, GPS, Loran, EPIRB, or even a real life raft, in a boat barely bigger than a bedroom. He finished the trip in a slightly larger, better equipped boat.

Graham was a reluctant sailor who was happiest ashore with his wife, Patti (who he met along the way in Fiji). Revisiting DOVE, I found that Graham felt overly pressured (by his father and by NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC, both of which were financing the trip) to complete the circumnavigation. His strongest motivation to sail on was his wife, who played global hopscotch to stay always one port of call in the future. His best reminiscences always include her.

Graham closed the circle, but I had to wonder if he would not have been happier, like Moitessier, just to sail off into the sunset and find his own way.

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good to read this story again after so many years., May 8, 2006

By 

Mark Wilsonwood (Grapevine, TX) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dove (Paperback)

I first read Robin Lee Graham's account as it was printed in installments in National Geographic at the time of his voyage more than three decades ago. I was a few years younger than he, and fascinated by the narrative and photos of his exploits.
It was very good to find this book recently and revisit his story. This book is of course an expanded account, a lengthier chronicle of his voyage. Also a more frank account; in those days, journalism observed proprieties, and Robin's relationship with Patti was portrayed by National Geographic as more G-rated than it was. (Not that the book is explicit -- Robin simply makes it clear that he and Patti lived together for periods during his journey, and considered themselves to be married before they had an official wedding ceremony).
The book ends with Robin's account of the newlyweds, with young daughter in tow, moving to the woods of Montana to live a "simpler life". I must confess that the cynic in me was certain that they must have run into reality at some point and separated. But I was pleasantly surprised to find some articles on the web that indicated they are still married, with their two children grown and gone, and still living in Montana. In fact, I sugggest you go to Google Images and search for "robin patti graham". You will find a photo, taken just a few years ago, of a grey-bearded but smiling Robin Lee Graham, and beside him Patti -- who, despite being middle-aged, retains the blonde good looks that attracted Robin to her when they met in Tahiti about 40 years ago. There is a passage in this book where Patti asks Robin if he will still love her when she's 64. This photo provides a wonderful postscript to that passage.