A World of My Own (The mariner's library) [Hardcover]

Robin Knox-Johnston (Author)

Book Description

Series: The mariner's library | Publication Date: May 1994

Originally published in 1970, Robin Knox-Johnston's A World of My Own has become a treasured classic - the dramatic account of the first nonstop, single-handed voyage around the world, for which Knox-Johnston won the Sunday Times Golden Globe trophy. On June 14, 1968, Suhaili, a tiny ketch, slipped almost unnoticed out of Falmouth harbor while Knox-Johnston's family and a few friends waved goodbye to the solitary twenty-nine-year-old figure at the helm. His was an incredible adventure, a feat of endeavor and seamanship which will be unsurpassed and unforgotten. Sheer determination helped him survive every imaginable difficulty: Several knockdowns in the Southern Ocean, the disintegration of the self-steering system, polluted water tanks and acid burns were among the numerous setbacks he encountered even before reaching Cape Horn, the fearsome test of any seaman's nerve. Written from diaries and logbooks kept throughout the voyage, A World of My Own is a gripping, startling, and moving account of one of the greatest sea adventures of our time.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A gripping tale of human achievement, 'A World of My Own' also provides an honest, personal insight..."—Devon Life

 

"A very readable story of adventure."—The Little Ship

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

About the Author

Robin Knox-Johnston entered the Merchant Navy at the age of 17,
obtaining his Master's Certificate 8 years later. Of the 9 competitors
he was the only one to complete the Sunday Times Golden Globe Race in
1968 after 312 days alone at sea and win the trophy for the first solo
non-stop circumnavigation. Since then Robin has participated in many
ocean races including the Whitbread, and in 1994 co-skippered Enza with
Sir Peter Blake to set a new world record for a circumnavigation. He
has been UK Yachtsman of the Year twice, International Yachtsman of the
Year in 1995, and was knighted in 1995. He still owns and sails Suhaili.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company (May 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 039302900X
• ISBN-13: 978-0393029000
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 6.8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,309,393 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The young man and the sea, January 17, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (Encinitas, Ca) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A World of My Own (The mariner's library) (Hardcover)

The reader enters the inner workings of the mind of a great sailor and one of the most self sufficient individuals you will ever read about. The book is as enjoyable as "The Old Man and the Sea" and should be kept aboard every small yacht that sails the seas. The true adventure of R. Knox-Johnston's self sail around the world. The first man to do so non-stop and unassisted. It is a great reading and learning experience. A great place to start if you want to learn about sailing, the sea,nature, courage and fortitude.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good read for fans of the 1968 Golden Globe Race, January 2, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: A World of My Own (The mariner's library) (Hardcover)

For aficionados of the 1968 Golden Globe sailing race, this book, from the official winner, Robin Knox-Johnson, is an authentic account of a Herculean task - to sail non-stop around the world. The book is a metaphor for the race itself - at times exhilarating and often monotonous. Although ÒThe Longest RaceÓ by Hal Roth is still the most entertaining book on the subject (it covered all nine race entrants), Knox-JohnsonÕs book is a quick read. Be prepared, however, for a healthy dose of British colloquialisms. Sadly, the end of the book is rather anti-climactic - it ends when the race ends. There was no mention of the events following his return to Falmouth (acclimatization to civilization, fanfare, news of the other contestants, etc.). My sense is that when writing the book, just as in sailing the race, he had just had enough of it.

14 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Juxtaposition at Sea, February 17, 2003

By 

B. Drew (oceanside,ca, ca United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A World of My Own (The mariner's library) (Hardcover)

A good and easy read by Robin Knox-Johnson who now helps manage the Golden Globe race of today. (2003; see Brad VanLiew's brilliant success in the Class 2 fleet in the news)
Readers should also include Bernard Moitessier's `The Long Way' book of the same 1968 race. It is intensely interesting that where one flourished, the appointed `winner' suffered a long and arduous ordeal. Knox-Johnson describes his exhausted stop in Australia and time at anchor in this book, yet accepted the trophy. Moitessier was far ahead off the South American coast when he took a right and continued on half way around the globe again to rest free of the commercialization the media had put upon the event. Bernard had reached the highest levels of thought and global mindedness, while Robin had been reduced to survival mode and raw instinct. Can you call the "Winner" of this non-stop circumnavigation? These two accounts of the same race cover the range of human limits and ethics and should be bundled together as a set.