Customer Reviews

The Incredible Voyage: A Personal Odyssey

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Inspiration is a personal matter in that what may inspire one, may not inspire another. For me, this book has left an indelible mark that has propelled me for the last 12 years - it's been that long since I've read it. Since that time however, I've been an advid reader and I have yet to find a book that can rival it.

Tristan, who died several years ago, was an unabashed old salt that lived by his own rules. He was unapologetic in his ways, which made him an entertaining man to take you on this incredible voyage. The book is less about seafaring (as a disappointed reader indicates below) and much more about incredible experiences in amazing places.

Suffice it to say that this book inspired me to pick up and travel around the world, learn to sail and cruise the Caribbean, and even name my son after him. How's that for being inspired? Most of all, it inspired me to go out and create my own adventures in life. After all, life is the voyage that Tristan was writing about.

Tristan Jones was truly a man of the sea. This is an amazing tale of truimph over the elements and physical exhaustion.
Mr. Jones wanted to be the first person to sail a ship on the lowest body of water and the highest, and sail the route between. For most of the voyage he is accompanied by another crewmate (one on the first leg of the journey and one at the end), but he also spent some time sailing alone.
One of the most memorable moments, and one that illustrates the hardships endured, was the description of the nightly preparations for aanchoring the ship on the Amazon River as they attempted to steer against the flow of that great body of water to reach Lake Titicaca. First, the men had to tie the ship to a tree and make certain it was anchored far enough from the canopy of branches to make sure no carpenter ants could fall into the vessel and start chewing on the wood. Next, they had to grease the rope tied to the tree to prevent snakes from slithering on board, and finally, the windows had to be boarded up so that no bats could enter. And that is just one small part of this adventure!!
Along the way, Mr. Jones not only describes life aboard ship, but also gives a look into the lives of those he comes in contact with, and sometimes a bit of history of the area he is currently visiting.
One thing is for sure - you won't be bored.

If you're looking for a great adventurous story, this is a great one to start with. Jones was not only a very interesting guy, and formidable sailor, but a heck of a storyteller as well. Alot will be said about how exagerated his tales are, or whether he made alot of them up. To me, this is beside the point. His books are great getaways for the mind of the reader. Jones had a unigue literary voice, and a salty character, and his books are great adventures. This book is the best of all the ones I have read by him, followed closely by "Ice." Whatever you say of the man, he was truly an original.

This is full of unbelievable adventures. It will teach you history and geography. But beyond all that, it is very good reading. I had never heard of Lake Titicaca before I read this book. When I finished it I got on the net find out more. There are at least 1666 web pages on Lake Titicaca. Amazing!

One of the very best sailing books because of the huge variety of situations encountered by Jones. His fortitude is incredible. Many episodes of bizarre (sometimes gross) encounters with wildlife were fascinating. A strong recommend for readers of Adrift or J. Slocum!

This book will keep you at the edge of your chair. From the Dead sea to Lake Titicaca through a six year voyage this book never gets boring. You wont put it down. OUTSTANDING!

I am in the midst of reading the Incredible Voyage and it just keeps getting better and better. Just when I think that Jones has had an adventure which just can not be topped, he immediately has an even more amazing exploit. This book never goes downhill. I am fascinated by his practical ethnology and insights into what makes indigenous cultures tick; along with the similarities that bind the human family together. Combine this with Jones' historical sleuthing and this book leaves you speechless. Not being a sailor, I cannot vouch for his yachting expertise, but that he got managed to get a sailboat up on the Andes and down the world's highest lake speaks for itself. I only wish I had a sailboat berth and a cozy gas lantern to read it by.

I read all sorts of books of various genres. This is my favorite book ever. Buy it, read it, pass it on, and then read it again!

If you are a real sailor, then you must read this book. Here is a guy that puts it all on the line and never gives up in the face of dispair. Every page is a new accomplishment. I have come to love and admire his courage and determination. Through this book he will certainly earn your respect as a true modern day pioneer. A real HERO!!!

This was a great book when it came out, I don't care that we've since learned there is embellishment and even some fiction in these pages. Jones still did an amazing journey, or set of journeys here, and in his lifetime. The crossing of South America was real. Even stripped of embellishment, he accomplished more than most sailors have, or ever will. This is a book about determination and individuality. Part fact, part fiction, in its essential and imperfect humanness, fundamentally truthful.