The Unlikely Voyage of Jack De Crow: A Mirror Odyssey from North Wales to the Black Sea (Paperback)

by A. J. Mackinnon (Author) "This is an account of a journey made from North Shropshire in England to Sulina on the Black Sea, sailing and rowing over three thousand..." (more)
Key Phrases: Jack de Crow, Black Sea, Harbour Master (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal
More nutty stunts come from the British Isles than from anywhere else on earth, and the escapade Australian-born Mackinnon recounts here is as addled as anyone's. One day, he stepped into a dinghy, intending to sail a few hundred miles down the Severn River, stopping at pubs and having a lark for a few days. He named his little craft Jack de Crow in honor of his childhood dream of owning a tame crow (not a cuckoo?). To make a short story even shorter, he passed up most of the pubs in England, almost got gored by a bull, sank Jack in a drunken stupor, patched the little boat back up, battled pirates, and landed in Romania. Loaded with self-deprecating humor and one giddy adventure after another, this fun account of Mackinnon's voyage is definitely for armchair travelers. as it is highly unlikely that anyone would be wacky enough to use this book as a guide to try a similar stunt. Highly recommended for all public libraries.
Joseph L. Carlson, Allan Hancock Coll., CA
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review
"...[a] blend of high adventure, immeasureable charm and comedy..." -- Latitudes & Attitudes

"...a wonderful idea for a book--a series of ever bolder improvisations...undertaken in praise of the spirit of adventure." -- Times Literary Supplement

"...one of the most original and entertaining books on sailing and voyaging to come out in years." -- Sailing, December 2003

"...the cavalier attitude, wit, and romanticism of this book are enough to capture the heart of any adventurer..." -- Watercraft, March/April 2004

"...will have you alternately laughing and shaking your head in disbelief at the brilliant insanity of the ill-defined quest." -- Cruising World, November 2002

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Sheridan House; Second impression edition (May 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1574091522
• ISBN-13: 978-1574091526
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #261,047 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #13 in	Books > Travel > Europe > Great Britain > Wales
  #58 in	Books > Outdoors & Nature > Outdoor Recreation > Sailing > Narratives

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Classic is Born!, August 11, 2003

By	WHL (Winston-Salem, NC United States) - See all my reviews

"Sandy" Mackinnon tells a tale of nautical adventure with a style that reads like a delightful mix of Jerome K. Jerome, Jean Shephard, and Monty Python. This books is so very English, though Mackinnon is Australian- it is told with love, warmth, wisdom, humanity, and with prose as crisp as Beaujolais and warm as old port. This is a very FUNNY book, but also life affirming without being pretentious. Once you start this book you will want to keep rowing through the pages as the author travels along the great rivers of Europe from Wales to Romania. This book is definitely a new classic, and ranks up there with The Saga of Cimba and Alone in the Caribbean as one of the three most evocative nautical travelogues ever written. A genuine treasure- and pleasure.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A crazy tale of Daring-do by an Australian Englishman!, June 28, 2002

By	G. Hallam "gary_hallam" - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Like the Author, once you start this journey it is difficult to stop. This book is very difficult to put down.

As you breeze along the waterways and across seas with Sandy you find yourself saying "No! You can't? You won't? You shouldn't..." then you turn the page and he can, he will and he has; your eyes open wide and you read fervently onwards.

After one crisis is over you are calmed back into the beautiful journey, bumbling along serenely and naively into the arms of the next demon waiting beyond the horizon.

Whilst many of the literary quotes went over my head I found this a fantastically written story of eccentric daring-do with laugh-out-loud moments of extreme hilarity.

A real, live "Lord Of The Rings" journey full of near-death experiences told as if they weren't and real life experiences told like it was.

You have to read this book.

Incidentally whilst not putting down this book at 1 am, high up in the Taipei Hilton the other week I found my hotel bed shaking with laughter, when I stopped, the bed didn't and the contents of the min-bar spilled out onto the floor. It was then that I realised the Earth was moving! That's never happened with any other book I've read.

Well done Mr. Mackinnon!

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mirror Dinghies will never be the same again!, December 28, 2002

By	J. Gregory (North Wales. United Kingdom) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

A beautifully written book - but then you would expect that from an English teacher! Full of hilarious escapades, frightening experiences and gloriously colourful accounts of this unbelieveably exciting yet delightful journey! Should be on the bookshelf of every Mirror Dinghy owner, and the reading list of every school! With its broad appeal this book makes an excellent gift. I look forward to the author's next publication - which I have no doubt will be forthcoming in due course as a result of world demand!