What be yer favorite Nautical novel?

[Capt Robertsgrave Thighbiter]

For them pirates what can read and has thier letters all atanto, what be yer favorite 'wet' novel?



For me, the Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey/Maturin novels of the Master and Commander series are hands down the best.  Endearing, human, occasionally droll characters and great ship board terms and language.   

So what be it, mates?

[Pascal]

At the risk of sounding sacriledgious, I cannot stand the Patric O'Brien novels.  There are others that are so much more fun to read.

Probably Dewey Lambdin is my favorite -- Dudley Pope and Alexander Kent are right behind.  Of course, you can't beat the classic -- Horatio Hornblower.

[Capt Robertsgrave Thighbiter]

And, pray, good Pascal, what rasies your ire at these maunderings of O'Brien?

[Harbinger]

always liked "The Sea Wolf" by Jack London,
I guess Melville should be in there.


-harb

[Taffy Saltwater]

More of a short story actually, but Hemingway's Old Man & The Sea just speaks to me.

[Rani Zemirah]

Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway
Captains Courageous by Rudyard Kipling
Captain Blood: His Odyssey by Rafael Sabatini

These are three of my favorites, the first because it deals with the relationship between man and nature, but on a very personal level, although the lessons and experiences can be applied over a broad spectrum.  No one who reads it is left untouched by some aspect of the story.  

The second I appreciate for it's transformative boy-into-man, rites of passage storyline, unashamed sentimentality and redemption theme.  

The last, of course, for not only it's sense of adventure, courage and romance, but also for the subtle reminder that ultimate oppression begets ultimate violence, yet the base instinct for murderous revenge can be overcome if the heart is pure, the will is strong and the spirit is unbroken.  

(Taffy, you snuck that in on me... and stole my thunder!...  LOL)

[Pascal]

And, pray, good Pascal, what rasies your ire at these maunderings of O'Brien?

It's probably the meandering "maunderings" -- too much vernacular, too much talk, not enough action.  Helps with character building, but I'm more interested in story lines and action.  With Pope, Lambdin, and Kent, you know that in general the Brits are the good guys, the French are the bad guys, and the Spanish are the hopelessly inept guys.  No need to establish that with character building!

I can read 20 pages of O'Brien -- at the end, nothing much has happened except a lot of dialogue.  I can read 20 pages of any of the others and will have experienced great battles, tactics, drama, etc, etc.

Maybe I've just picked the wrong O'Brien books -- but I've never been disappointed in the others.

[dragongirl]

Well of course, my all time favorite is The Old Man and the Sea.  Daddy used to read it too me when when I was small instead of traditional bedtime stories.  Then there are is the Captive Series by Fern Michaels.  Spanish lady sets out to take revenge against those who wronged her and killed her family by taking to piracy, what's not to love? 

[BubbleWright]

Kon-Tiki- not a novel but a true account of a a journey of 4,300 nautical miles across the Pacific Ocean by raft. Intrigued by Polynesian folklore, biologist Thor Heyerdahl suspected that the South Sea Islands had been settled by an ancient race from thousands of miles to the east, led by a mythical hero, Kon-Tiki. He decided to prove his theory by duplicating the legendary voyage.

[renfairephotog]

New book by Jurassic park author, Pirate Latitudes: A Novel (Hardcover)  by Michael Crichton (Author) coming November 24, 2009. And due to a price war with walmart.com it's $9.00 at Amazon

[Blaze]

The Cristopher Syn series of books by Russel Thorndyke.  Smuggler, pirate and country Vicar based in 1770's Romney Marsh of Kent. Known as the Scarecrow, Disney did a family movie roughly based on the characters but nowhere near true to the books.

[Lady Renee Buchanan]

I've always enjoyed "Treasure Island."  Even re-read it as an adult.  Especially since we lived in the British Virgin Islands (on Peter Island) and rumor had it that Norman Island, which was next to Peter, was the inspiration for Treasure Island.  There's a legend that the treasure is still buried there somewhere.

And just to throw in more useless trivia, about a half mile off of Peter Island is the small island of Dead Chest.  Some sailors that failed in a mutiny attempt were supposedly put there with some rum and nothing else.  In those days, most people couldn't swim, so even though it was only a half mile, no one attempted it, and they died.  The beginnings of the lyrics "Fifteen men on a dead man's chest, yo ho ho, and a bottle of rum."

[Rani Zemirah]

I've always enjoyed "Treasure Island."  Even re-read it as an adult.  Especially since we lived in the British Virgin Islands (on Peter Island) and rumor had it that Norman Island, which was next to Peter, was the inspiration for Treasure Island.  There's a legend that the treasure is still buried there somewhere.

And just to throw in more useless trivia, about a half mile off of Peter Island is the small island of Dead Chest.  Some sailors that failed in a mutiny attempt were supposedly put there with some rum and nothing else.  In those days, most people couldn't swim, so even though it was only a half mile, no one attempted it, and they died.  The beginnings of the lyrics "Fifteen men on a dead man's chest, yo ho ho, and a bottle of rum."

Lady Renee, I adore bits of historical trivia like that... and it makes me want to reread the book all over again!!! 

[tiberiusflynn]

I loved reading Jack London's The Sea Wolf.and Christopher Reeve did a TV movie of it which wasn't too bad.....and of course there's the classic Treasure Island (which was also Disney's first fully live action movie). I tried reading the Horatio Hornblower series myself when I was younger and couldn't get into it...I might give them another try now that I'm older...I know I loved the series starring Ioan Grufford.

[Charlotte Rowan]

New book by Jurassic park author, Pirate Latitudes: A Novel (Hardcover)  by Michael Crichton (Author) coming November 24, 2009. And due to a price war with walmart.com it's $9.00 at Amazon

I just finished it. It was pretty good, but I think there was a reason it was never submitted to a publisher. It's not on par with his other work... either he must have decided not to pursue it, or he was going to do more work on it. It's basically one piratical adventure on which everything that typically can happen to a pirate, does. I'd say worth a read, but unless you collect pirate books, don't buy it.

I really liked Star of the Sea by Joseph O'Connor. Not really about seafaring, but it does take place on a ship. It's about an Irish immigrant on one of the "coffin ships" during the famine.

[Barret]

I have to second the first post with a vote for the Patrick O'Brian master and commander series. I haven't yet read them all but I plan to, and I will agree that some of them certainly drag at times, but nothing else I have found gives as accurate a portrayal of the life of captain in the golden age of sails. O'Brian did a lot of research for his books and I have had several naval historians tell me that they are the most accurate fictional accounts they have seen. For example most of the battles plaid out in the books are taken from notes in actual ships logs about battles that really happened. He changes the names of the ships and where on the globe they are taking place but the maneuvers and tactics are real. This is just one of the many details that make me like these books. As for the dragging I think it serves as an interesting counterpoint and a reminder that the life of a captain wasn't all flash of the cannon and swing of the sword, but that they also had to play political games to get good commands and move through the ranks, not to mention most of them had families to take care of.

[Taffy Saltwater]

As a bit of light reading, I am currently in the midst of Sense & Sensibility & Sea Monsters, by Jane Austen & Ben Winters.  I may break down & buy this on CD as the sound of the banter is giggle inducing.

[Charlotte Rowan]

As a bit of light reading, I am currently in the midst of Sense & Sensibility & Sea Monsters, by Jane Austen & Ben Winters.  I may break down & buy this on CD as the sound of the banter is giggle inducing.

I thought about getting that the other day when I was at the bookstore... I might have to, it sounds great!