In his early twenties Miles Hordern first crossed the oceans from Northern to Southern Hemisphere, but one final leg of his round the world journey eluded him for twelve more years: the stretch between New Zealand and the Indian Ocean, guarded by the Torres Strait. Once thought to be mythical, so difficult was it to find and pass, the first authenticated passage took place in 1606; in 1768 it was charted by Captain Cook. In that age of sail, most sailors who attempted a passage through it still either drowned on the treacherous reefs or starved in open boats. But Hordern's 28-foot sloop took him more than 4000 nautical miles via the islands of Melanesia, the Coral Sea and the Great Barrier Reef to Australia. His cabin library included tales of individual, lingering histories that he wanted to trace for himself between the lines of the great chronicles. For it was the beachcomber -- the sailor who jumped ship, mutinied or was shipwrecked, and stayed - who had an even more enduring impact on island life.
Rezensionen / Stimmen
'A good read' -- Dover Express & Folkestone Herald 20050630 'In this gripping book Hordern vividly charts the realities of a life at sea and challenges our perception of Australasia.' -- Accent 20050601 'An absorbing read ... packed with drama' -- Worcester News 20050711 'A thrilling history' -- TNT magazine 20050717 'A mariner's tale' -- Wanderlust 20050801 'Hordern ... serves up the sea in the best way possible ... through the lives of others before him who found in it a reckless and sometimes tragic freedom.' -- Sunday Times 20050807 'A perceptive, intelligent observer with an original mind, he has a far better than average sensitivity to indigenous cultures' -- Times Literary Supplement 20050812 'Lyrically written, this is a wonderful description of his epic journey and a fascinating account of the sailors that went before.' -- Good Book Guide 20050701 'This is a wonderfully engaging and informative book by an author whose writing and nautical skills are equally impressive' -- Adventure Travel Magazine 20050901 'Hordern is that rare species -- a poet and man of action. His achingly beautiful descriptions of sailing and the sea, richness of language and intense involvement with nature are reminiscent of Saint-Exupery' -- Geographical Magazine 20050901 'Well caulked, it is a rewarding and very seaworthy read' -- The Times: Ross Leckie 20060624
Auflage
Sprache
Verlagsort
Verlagsgruppe
Illustrationen
col. Illustrations, maps, ports., (some col.)
Maße
Höhe: 232 mm
Breite: 154 mm
Dicke: 23 mm
Gewicht
ISBN-13
978-0-7195-6498-7 (9780719564987)
Copyright in bibliographic data is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or its licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Klassifikation
Miles Hordern was born in 1965 and grew up in land-locked Worcestershire. He first went to sea at the age of nineteen in a 16-foot open boat bound from Cornwall to Africa; in 1990 he sailed single-handed from Britain to New Zealand. He has now crossed the Pacific four times under sail.
