Customer Reviews

Master Mariner

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

 

 

Master Mariner, by N. Monsarrat, is the finest historical maritime novel I have ever read ... through a character damned to live centuries at sea we experience the evolution of seafaring under sail from the days of the Spanish Armada to the beginnings of modern times ... I am an historian, hold a Merchant Marine Master's license, have written the text book "Celestial Navigation", spent years at sea, and read hundreds of books on the subject ... this is the BEST ... it should be reprinted!

This is my first book by Nicholas Monserrat. From the very first page the author held me captive all through the novel. To weave a fictional character in and out of historical events, and real peoples lives, was a stroke of story telling genius. I was both entertained and educated, and left with a desire to know more about the happenings that the central character lived through. This book will, I'm sure, satisfy anyone with a sense of adventure and an eagerness to learn.

I used to wonder if Monsarrat desrved his outstanding reputation; years later, reading this book has convinced me he is one of the few masters of seagoing writing. He manages to convey the wonders, fears, joys and hardships of the sea graphically. Monsarrat weaves an absolutely original and moving tale in which the central character, Matthew Lawe, though flawed and sometimes cowardly, engages your understanding of how tough it is to live up to other peoples expectations. Running through the story is a magical thread holding together many of the great stories and people of the sea through the ages. A great read.

This book could have been excellent. Monsarrat is a good story teller. I think this book should have been expanded into several volumes rather than it's current form. The entire first section is devoted to a third person history lesson on the life and times of Sir Francis Drake. It culminates when the Spanish Armada is set to invade England and is driven off. That is when the real story begins.

As an adventure story, this one is a little lacking. As a history lesson, it is good at showing some of the more obscure incidents in time. Wilbur Smith and Gary Jennings are the masters of adventure/history.

Anyway, if you decide on this one, plan on it taking a long time to read. Very little action to speak of and only one real character is developed.

Is The Master Mariner the same as The Master Mariner Running Proud. Their reviews look the same, and I wonder if it's the same book published with different titles. Can someone help me?