Tunnell's Boys [Paperback]

Tony Junker (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 17, 2005

Reading Tunnell’s Boys, I was on a ship’s bridge for the first time again; only the persons’ names had changed. The story catches the true spirit of piloting, picturing life aboard sailing pilot boats, incredible feats of seamanship, and vivid descriptions of the vessels themselves. Tony Junker captures the essence of a much overlooked part of our nation’s maritime life and heritage.
—Captain Michael J. Linton, President
Pilots’ Association for the Bay & River Delaware

For one who loves both sailing and the history of Quaker Philadelphia, Tunnell’s Boys brings alive a time, a place, and a culture which I have lived in through my imagination. An exciting and absorbing human drama which kept me turning the pages.
—Margaret Hope Bacon
Author of The Quiet Rebels: The Story of the Quakers in America

With pro-war hysteria rising around him, a young pacifist man with a history of brawling embodies the yearnings and contradictions of those around him. Like Tony Junker’s adventurous protagonist, I found myself challenged anew: when to fight and by what means? When to question cynically my government’s posture and when to join my neighbor’s true hopes for democracy? How to express my passion and still listen for the inner voice? This book is for anyone who loves peace and finds “integrity” as much a verb as a noun.
—George Lakey
Author of Powerful Peacemaking

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Tony Junker, a Quaker, lives in Philadelphia where he practices architecture. He spends what time he can sailing his gaff-rigged wooden sloop, Friar Tuck, cruising the Maine coast.

Product Details

• Paperback: 298 pages
• Publisher: iUniverse, Inc. (August 17, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0595359515
• ISBN-13: 978-0595359516
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,608,147 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Tunnell's Boys, January 1, 2006

By 

Webster Mcleod - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Tunnell's Boys (Paperback)

I thought Tony Junker's book was pretty wonderful. He writes about sailing and ships with far more technical mastery than I could fully understand...O'Brien didn't seem to go quite as deeply into the details, except of course in the battles and chases. Junker's characters are certainly as vivid as you could ask for, and highly believable. I can't swear that I understood the motives at all points. The extremely interesting theme for me was the sometimes ambiguous Quaker discussion that dominates the book. It certainly lays down the question that is universal: what do you do when evil seems necessary to do good, and when the two seem to trade places?

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "Tunnel's Boys" - Two Thumbs Up, January 19, 2006

By 

Caleb T. Davison "nautical nut" (NYC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Tunnell's Boys (Paperback)

I could not put this book down until I had finished it and then felt sad that there was no more to read. This novel is well written with clever flashbacks clearly bringing the past together with the present narrative. Set in the time of the Spanish American War, around Philidelphia, the characters and trends of the times come to life under Tony Junker's skilled pen. The Quaker tenet of nonviolence is a main thread in this book as one of the main characters struggles with nonviolence ('the third way') versus using force to achieve percieved justice. Very poignant given our current involvment in wars created by our own government.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pilot Life on the Delaware, December 12, 2005

By 

Tony Junker (Philadelphia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tunnell's Boys (Paperback)

Looking for an historical novel for your favorite history buff for the holidays? Try Tony Junker's Tunnell's Boys. Junker weaves a story around the Delaware River and its pilots during the late 1800's. The pilots were a skilled lot who needed to know every nook and cranny of the river and be able to pilot any type of boat up to Philadelphia or back out to sea. The book reads as a compelling story, while at the same tine chronicling the period of the Spanish-American War. The war becomes a sub-plot with the characters divided in opinion on its justification. The pros and cons mirror today's discussion of the Iraq War, giving the book a contemporary edge. Junker's characters represent a mix of the social classes, including well-to-do Quakers. All remain complex individuals whose very complexity drives the plot. As in life, the outcome remains hard to predict, making this a most readable book.

Margo Tassi