Customer Reviews

Two Years Before the Mast: And Twenty-Four Years After

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I know many people cringe at the thought of reading a narrative that seems to greatly resemble Moby Dick, but I tell you this better than Moby Dick and easy makes it into my top ten books I have ever read! Occassionally the text bogs down in obscure sailing terms, but that is an exception and not a rule, otherwise, it is sheer poetry and lights the fire of wonder of exploration, and makes a sea voyage from almost 200 years ago spring to life. I give you my favorite short little passage, which explains it so much better.

"So quiet too, was the sea, and so steady the breeze, that if the sails had been sculptured marble they could not have been more motionless. Not a ripple upon the surface of the canvas; not even a quivering of the extreme edges of the sail, so perfectly were they distended by the breeze. I was so lost in the sight that I forgot the presence of the man who came out with me, until he said, 'How quietly they do their work!'"

Dana so perfectly described sea life you will be a part of the crew, you will feel his fear, his wonder, his joy and his awe.

You will not regret reading this, philosophy disguised as a travelogue, a must-read!

I reread this book about every three years. It never gets stale. It intertwines history, philosophy, and a personal travelogue in a book that is so well paced and entertaining to read that it is hard to imagine anyone that would not find it worthwhile. And if you are interested in sailing ships or what California was like in the 1830s, this is a must read.

This is a great book about the merchant trade sailors on the Coast of California during the end of the Spanish period about 1835. Cattle hides were the hot commodity and large sailing ships moved up and down the coast for a whole year collecting hides from ranchos at the various ports. Richard Dana had been a young college student when a failure in his eyesight made it difficult for him to read so he decided to try his hand as a merchant marine. Leaving from Boston Harbor he sailed around the Horn on his way to and from the west coast of America. His tale of adventures both on the sea and land is engrossing and educational, as to the nature of life during our country's infancy. Any student of California history MUST read this book!

This book is written by a Harvard lawyer about his experiences as a young man aboard a sailing ship in the 1830's. It is a fascinating piece of California history as well as a firsthand look at the life of a sailor in the early 1800's. It is extremely well written and includes a final dissertation about the powers of the captain and the rights of the common sailor.

Many read this book as a history of California during Mexico's time at the helm of governance. Far, far more, this is a history of one man, Richard Henry Dana. This is the story of a young man discovering himself through a perilous voyage from Boston to Yerba Buena, now San Francisco. Life is seen fragile when a shipmate is swept over the rail into the unforgiving sea. Compassion is seen as necessity when those with power flog a man with glee. Dana through his experiences returns a better man who makes a difference in lives of others. Cheers! This is why sea stories have always proved popular.

Great piece of history. Changed my perspective on California and who held it before the United States.