In Buzzards Bay, a pocket of saltwater tucked away in southern Massachusetts, swamp yankee; traditions still prevail and the ghosts of Indians and 17th century explorers, pirates, and revolutionaries haunt every quarter. Among the many historical figures associated with the area are Herman Melville, Henry James, Grover Cleveland, and John F. Kennedy. Each summer, the research schooner SARAH ABBOT captained by Randall Peffer and crewed by a class of high school students studying marine biology drifts among the boats floating in the idyllic and largely unspoiled bay. A tale of exploration and adventure, Logs of the Dead Pirates Society is the absorbing account of an annual cruise that has become a rite of passage and a deeply personal quest for Peffer.
| ||||||||||||
Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Library Journal
Peffer (Watermen) is a licensed captain, a regular contributor to SAIL, WoodenBoat, Smithsonian, and National Geographic magazine, and a literature instructor at the Phillips Academy in Andover, MA. Each summer, as part of his school's "Oceans" program, he takes a number of high school students studying marine biology out on Buzzards Bay aboard the 55' wooden research schooner Sarah Abbot to explore and research the marine environment. Their voyages take them to unspoiled coves as well as busy shipping lanes, where they use seines (large nets) to gather marine specimens to monitor the health of the bay. Peffer delves into the physical and historical background of each area, telling tales of the indigenous Wampanoag Indians and relating fascinating Revolutionary War stories. He also does a fine job of chronicling the rise and fall of the whaling and shipbuilding industries. A good book for armchair sailors and an excellent view of historic Buzzard's Bay, Peffer's account is recommended for both school and public libraries.DJohn Kenny, San Francisco P.L.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Review
Logs of the Dead Pirates Society: A Schooner Adventure Around Buzzards Bay is an absorbing account of a routine cruise on Buzzards Bay that became a rite of passage and a deeply personal quest for Captain Randall Peffer. He ruminates on the bay's history, and presents unusually keen and articulate insights on the bay's islands, coves, towns and townspeople. Part travelogue, part biography, part regional history, Logs of the Dead Pirates Society is the memorable, engaging, highly recommended account of the schooner SARAH ABBOT, her crew of high school students studying marine biology, and Captain Randall S. Peffer. --Midwest Book Review
Whether you're a first-time visitor to Buzzards Bay or a veteran cruiser of the area, Peffer's log is both a history book and a cruising guide to the region. Three 11-day cruises with six high-school students take the reader from harbor to harbor with all the excitement of the locale's colorful history. --Cruising World
At one time Buzzards Bay was the home of the boat building business in America. This is the story of one man's sail around Buzzards Bay, and how it affected his life. It is a tale of exploration and adventure. --Latitudes & Attitudes
Whether you're a first-time visitor to Buzzards Bay or a veteran cruiser of the area, Peffer's log is both a history book and a cruising guide to the region. Three 11-day cruises with six high-school students take the reader from harbor to harbor with all the excitement of the locale's colorful history. --Cruising World
At one time Buzzards Bay was the home of the boat building business in America. This is the story of one man's sail around Buzzards Bay, and how it affected his life. It is a tale of exploration and adventure. --Latitudes & Attitudes
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
More About the Author
Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A dead pirate's treasure!,
This review is from: Logs of the Dead Pirates Society: A Schooner Adventure Around Buzzards Bay (Hardcover)
For anyone interested in Buzzard's Bay, Massachuesetts, whether a cruiser or landlubber, this is a must read. Peffer, and his crew explore the bay of today and yesteryear aboard a traditional sailing schooner. The historical perspectives of the bay were interesting, but even more engaging were his tales of the daily life of he and his crew of "dead pirates"(actually high school students seeing the bay for the first time), and the characters they meet on their adventures. In the final chapter Peffer manages to draw together beautifully his personal and historical exploration with the lives of his student crew. Stir it up!
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A "must" for armchair adventurers & sailboating enthusiasts.,
By Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Logs of the Dead Pirates Society: A Schooner Adventure Around Buzzards Bay (Hardcover)
Buzzards Bay is a pocket of salt water on the southern Massachusetts coast line. Logs Of The Dead Pirates Society: A Schooner Adventure Around Buzzards Bay is an absorbing account of a routine cruise on Buzzards Bay that became a rite of passage and a deeply personal quest for Captain Randall Peffer. He ruminates on the bay's history, and presents unusually keen and articulate insights on the bay's islands, coves, towns and townspeople. Part travelog, part biography, part regional history, Logs Of The Dead Pirates Society is the memorable, engaging, highly recommended account of the schooner Sarah Abbot, her crew of high school students studying marine biology, and Captain Randall S. Peffer.
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of my all time favorite books!,
By Peter A. Mello "Weekly Leader (http://weeklyl... (Mattapoisett, MA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Logs of the Dead Pirates Society: A Schooner Adventure Around Buzzards Bay (Hardcover)
Like the previous reviewer I grew up sailing on Buzzards Bay and attended Tabor Academy where I participated in their life changing sail training program. The experiences during those years had such a profound impact on me, that when I grew up I became the executive director of the American Sail Training Association (2001-2006). I still live and sail on Buzzards Bay and from these combined perspectives I can say that this is one of my favorite books of all time. I recently purchased 10 copies for a youth maritime education program that I created and manage.
Part sail training essay and part cruising guide, Peffer, a prep school English professor and travel journalist, uses his immense writing talent to capture the essence and spirit of sail training. Anyone interested in learning about sail training and/or the history of Buzzards Bay should read this book.
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
|
|
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
