Sheridan Books

Having read SAILING ALONE AR0UND THE WORLD, I found Victor's book enlighening. He is not the writer his father was, but his recollections fill out the years of preparation leading eventually to his father's 'sailing alone around the world.' If it lacks the poetic style of his father, it does refer to his mother and ships owned and sailed by his father which lends romance(both senses)and understanding to the Captain. Joshua Slocum was a true man of the sea whose self-taught knowledge made him capable of deeds covering the gamet of seamanship. One can not read the chapter about the LIBERDADE, a canoe of hardly more than 30 feet in length built in the wilds of Brazil with ingenuity unknown today and sailed over 5,000 miles to Washington D.C., without a sense of wonder at the achievment. If you enjoy success stories, you will love this one which explains, in large part, the Captain's remarkable success in the sloop SPRAY. One other book, THE SEARCH FOR CAPTAIN SLOCUM, completes the triad, but that is a subject of another review.

Jumps right in and gives the meat and potatos of marine diesel without bogging you down or talking beneath you. Has good humor and excellent diagrams. I read it cover to cover and it actually got me interested in the diesels.

Pre-dating Bram Stoker's Dracula, this charmingly accessible vampire novel is perhaps a bit more subtle than modern novels but daring nonetheless, especially in the lesbian overtones that one might read as a cautionary message to young women of the era tempted to explore forbidden sensual impulses. Highly recommended.

J. Sheridan LeFanu's "Carmilla" stands as one of the richest, most literate and most enduring stories in the history of the vampire sub-genre. Many rate it higher than Bram Stoker's "Dracula," and while that estimation is at least debatable, there is no debate that "Carmilla" has exerted a mighty influence, consciously or not, on most vampire fiction to follow in its wake, "Dracula" not excepted. Indeed, Stoker's original early chapter in his masterpiece, later published independently as "Dracula's Guest," is particularly indebted to LeFanu's earlier work. As to which is better, let each reader decide for himself--and so enjoy them both!

The story is deceptively simple. A young girl, shaken up in a carriage accident, is left by her traveling mother in the care of the narrator's father. Laura, the young woman in whose voice we are told the tale, becomes fast friends with her new acquaintance, a friendship that is put to a powerful test when a strange malady begins infesting the idyllic Styrian countryside with nightmares, fever, and death.

LeFanu's style is unhurried, intelligent, and subtle, and the result is an eminently readable tale of mystery and the macabre that holds up remarkably well to repeated perusals. Though not as famous as "Dracula," and certainly written on a much smaller scale than Stoker's epic vampire opus, "Carmilla" is the more sustained and concentrated of the two. Many have traditionally argued that the novella, or short novel, is the ideal vehicle for a horror story, allowing for plenty of characterization and plot development without pushing the story itself beyond its dramtic limits. This reviewer tends to agree, and asserts that whereas "Dracula," masterwork that it is, often flags and succumbs to the doldrums, "Carmilla" never wavers and holds interest to the bittersweet end.

Originally published in 1871, "Carmilla" was quite sensational in its day, but I know many will not judge it to have aged well. A far cry from many modern vampire tales, "Carmilla" is probably not for everyone, or even every vampire fan. The deliberate pace, old-world feel, delicate characterization, subtlety, and relative brevity of the story may be turn-offs to those who expect page after page of gory action and explicit sex from their horror. Be that as it may, discerning readers will find few indulgences better than LeFanu's "Carmilla," a gothic triumph which will endure as long as vampire tales are read.

Victor Slocum's Castaway Boats is an amazing selection of true stories telling of castaway boats and the struggles endured by the survivors, all dramatically retold with every respect to historical detail and accuracy,. An incredible anthology of courage, determination, and the will to survive pitted against the depths of the sea itself, Castaway Boats is a fascinating nautical read filled with suspenseful true tales that will linger in the mind long after the book has been concluded and set back on the shelf.

Chance The Tide: How To Cruise To The Bahamas For The Winter by mechanical engineer and sailing expert Kenneth Mowbray is a practical and "user friendly" how-to guide for enjoying a Bahamas cruise in the wintertime. Individual chapters discuss a wide variety of different boats ranging from sail to power and in terms of how they are best utilized, what equipment to bring, how to navigate the Bahamas, enjoying life while living in a relatively small space, and more. A useful guide filled with sound advice for cruise lovers everywhere, Chance The Tide is especially commended to the attention of novice sailors while having a great deal to offer even the most experienced when cruising Bahamian waters.

An ideal introduction for the novice traveler, and an invaluable reference for the seasoned charterer, Chris Caswell's Chartering A Boat: Sail And Power provides a comprehensive explanation of everything necessary for the successful selection and chartering of a boat whether for business or for pleasure, a day cruise or a round-the-world excursion. Whether the reader seeks to bareboat (chartering solo), or with a skippered (crewed) vessel; or with a group (flotilla); there is a charter to suit individual interests and needs. Chartering A Boat is a completely "user friendly" compendium of advice on everything from selecting the right crusijng area to dealing with problems common to chartering, to choosing good company, to paying the right price for services received. If you are anticipating chartering any kind of vessel, your first step is to read Chris Cawell's Chartering A Boat!

General Philip Sheridan (1831-88) is widely remembered as one of the leading Union generals of the American Civil War. In this highly readable memoir, General Sheridan recounts his experiences during the Civil War, from his early days in the commissariat, to his rise in rank, to his smashing victories at Chattanooga, the Shenandoah Valley and the Battle of Five Forks, to the final surrender of Robert E. Lee at Appomattox Courthouse.

Although this book is almost entirely lacking in pictures (the 1991 paperback version, anyway), and has few maps, the book is well written and highly informative. Unlike several military memoirs I have read, General Sheridan was obviously very articulate, and his memoirs are quite enjoyable to read. The General not only covers the well-known experiences of his career, but also gives you many details that are unavailable in a normal history book. I highly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it to you.

Fantastic book, felt like I was one of the characters, watching everything unwind. Once I started reading I didn't get anything done until I finished! Fred Webster, hope you have another one coming out very soon!!

In "Come Aboard", Eric & Susan Hiscock write about their third circumnavigation, started from New Zealand in May, 1974 and finished in September, 1976, for a distance of 31,895 nautical miles! It is written in Eric's characteristically descriptive style that puts you on board their 38 foot yacht to enjoy the delights of remote places, the menace of ocean storms and the pleasure of meeting blue water cruising folk. As the voyage progresses from the tropical waters of the Western Pacific and across the Indian Ocean to Durban, many techniques of seamanship are discussed. These practical interludes in the narrative continue throughout the book, and will prove invaluable to those seeking advice on all aspects of cruising. Having cruised the South coast of England for three months, "Wanderer IV" sails on to the West Indies and crosses into the Pacific Ocean via the Panama Canal. The final return leg across the Pacific includes visits to many of the exotic islands en route. Printed on thick paper with maps, and black and white photos add to the adventure this book details. I like the ease of his writing too - if you like adventures or sailing, this series is for you.