Customer Reviews

Survive the savage sea;

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

 

 

This is one of the best survival adventure stories. The Robertsons are attempting a circumnavigation when their yacht is sunk by killer whales in the Pacific Ocean. With very few provisions, an inflatable raft (which later sinks) and a dinghy the Robertsons are able to survive 38 days on the ocean under extreme conditions.

Dougal Robertson's account of the adventure is gripping, at sometimes understated and brutally honest. Robertson was probably not an easy man to get along with but his indomitability, his command presence and force of will, coupled with his wife's emotional strength, got their family through. It is a tremendous story of leadership under the most extreme circumstances.

While looking up information on the Robertsons I was happy to find their own website, ... but was saddened to read that both Dougal and Lyn Robertson have since passed away. One of their twin sons however is preparing to embark on a round-the-world cruise with his own family soon.

Having read many survival and endurance books, I found this one exemplary. Written with quiet recollection - as only a log-keeping seaman could - he recounts both the inner and outer journey very well. I was appreciative of his honesty in the emotional shortcomings of himself and crew. You can imagine the difficulty of being so revealing of your own family in print! Without these insights, a reader would have been mislead about what it means to survive with others. I also listened to an unabridged book-on-tape, and the idea of a long story, well told, detail by detail was wonderful. For someone who has waited out storms on the sides of mountains, I appreciate long, detailed, unhurried stories. This is a wonderful book.

The Robertson family's ordeal at sea would be unbelievable if it weren't true. It's hard to imagine a group of six people stranded for 37 days in a failing life raft and then a small dinghy. Robertson does an impeccable job of recounting details and procedures used in surviving the journey and his experience as a master seaman comes through clearly in the telling. There's barely a detial left out and the knowledge gained by his family's proactive struggle to save themselves has gone on to save others subsequently lost at sea.

The only aspect I felt wasn't thoroughly explored, save for a couple pages near the end, was the emotional side of the drama. Six people of varying ages, experience and personalities thrust together into unimaginable circumstances must have created more upheaval than was apparent in the story. Robertson's writing style (and, one gets the impression, his personality style), while perfect for describing the situation and its outcome, lacks a certain sensitivity to emotion and personal reflection.

That said, this book is a terrific read and makes one truly grateful for even the uncomfortable irritations of land and everyday life. The practical information learned and imparted, too, is fascinating, though one hopes after reading this book such information will never have to be personally applied.

Add this to your collection of castaway tales and you won't be disappointed. If you're looking for a more personal and introspective point of view, check out Steven Callahan's outstanding first-hand account, "Adrift." And for an even more technical and fascinating education about ships and the sea, try "The Perfect Storm" by Sebastian Junger.

There are books that stand out in a person's life. This is such a book for me.

I read this book back in the 1970's as a teenager. The story, images and lessons from it still stand out in my mind years later. That is a measure of the impact that it had on me and may have on others. I wasn't aware then how deep that went. Years later I am able to recount a great deal from that read despite the intervening time. That is a measure of its impact and the vivid nature of the images and experiences recounted.

This is a story of survival. It is a true story. A family on a boat is set adrift when a pod of killer whales destroys their boat and they are set adrift. How they survive on a day to day basis learning the skills and discovering the hidden resources is progressively told.

More than a dull recounting of the challenges that they face and the rescue that ultimately comes, this is a book that explores the relationships between family members as they reach within themselves to survive the storms, the sun, the sharks, dehydration and every other challenge that an unforgiving environment can present.

I recommend this book for anyone, but in particular this is the type of book that can have an impact in the life of a young person who reads it. Especially in our western culture which is so overwrought by materialism and a sense of entitlement, this book has the ability, more-so than many others to pierce the veil of that thinking and present a story that is both riveting and also life-changing without coming across as moralistic or preaching.

Minimum age to read should probably be about 12 or 13 as some of the situations and stories recounted are stark. But they are realistic and add to the impact and flavor of this excellent book.

THis book was incredible. I learned so much about survival skills from it and could not put it down. I am only 11, and even though this book is not quite for my age, I still loved it. A true story of family and working together.

Having read many survival and endurance books, I found this one exemplary. Written with quiet recollection - as only a log-keeping seaman could - he recounts both the inner and outer journey very well. I was appreciative of his honesty in the emotional shortcomings of himself and crew. You can imagine the difficulty of being so revealing of your own family in print! Without these insights, a reader would have been mislead about what it means to survive with others. I also listened to an unabridged book-on-tape, and the idea of a long story, well told, detail by detail was wonderful. For someone who has waited out storms on the sides of mountains, I appreciate long, detailed, unhurried stories. This is a wonderful book.

this was a great book- i liked "adrift" better but this was still very enjoyable and an amazing true story- it was maybe too technical for me but not unbearably so- the dad is a bit pompous in his writing and tries to sound like a better writer than he is and the infighting he recounts was a bit unpleasant for me, but it was still very interesting to read their survival techniques and see their eventual rescue- i mentioned to my friend (who had also read the book) that i was disliking the father while reading it but his response was "the man is a hero for goodness sake! he single handedly is responsible for saving this entire family plus their guest!" and you know what? my friend is absolutely right, you may not like the father (or not mind him at all like my friend) but what matters is that he saved his entire "crew" and didn't play favourites with his family- he was brilliant and if my boat ever capsized, i would definitely want him on board with me- this is a good story that all should read-

One family faced the ship-wrecked situation. They all help each other to fight for their survival. This is the real story that will stop you from doing anything else but reading it.

After a binge on many incredible adventure books, Survive the Savage Sea doesn't quite stack up. However, to the newcomer in this category of suspense, endurance, and survival books, Survive the Savage Sea is a great, quick read

This book first came to my attention when it was printed (in abridged form) in "The Reader's Digest" in 1973, and later when the author appeared on "To Tell The Truth". I've always been a sucker for adventure stories and this true-life account of grit, determination and ultimate survival makes the statement "the truth is stranger than fiction" ring all the more true.

By the way - with the 30th anniversary of the Robertson family's disaster looming - does anyone know what ultimately happened to them?

NOTE 4/30/03 - After writing my original review, I was directed to the Robertson family website to learn the family's fate. Their daughter, who left the voyage in Miami and was not on board when the boat was sunk, is the web-mistress for the site, and was very gracious in e-correspondence when I sought details about her parents' later years. As stated in another review, Dougal Robertson passed away in 1992, aged 68, his wife Lyn following in 1998.