Sea Fever: The True Adventures that Inspired our Greatest Maritime Authors, from Conrad to Masefield, Melville and Hemingway

by Sam Jefferson

Overview

How did a big-game fishing trip rudely interrupted by sharks inspire one of the key scenes in Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea? How did Robert Louis Stevenson's cruise to the cannibal-infested South Sea islands prove instrumental in his writing of The Beach of Falesa and The Ebb Tide? How did Masefield survive Cape Horn and a near-nervous breakdown to write Sea Fever?

The waters of this world have swirled through storytelling ever since the Celts spun the tale of Beowulf and Homer narrated The Odyssey. This enthralling book takes us on a tour of the most dangerous, exciting and often eccentric escapades of literature's sailing stars, and how these true stories inspired and informed their best-loved works. Arthur Ransome, Erskine Childers, Jack London and many others are featured as we find out how extraordinary fact fed into unforgettable fiction.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781472908827
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Publishing
Publication date:	03/12/2015
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	304
File size:	10 MB

About the Author

Sam Jefferson is a journalist and maritime historian, and is one of the leading authorities on the clipper ship era. He is a former Deputy Editor of Sailing Today, and writes regularly for Classic Boat, Sailing Today and Traditional Boats and Tall Ships. He is the author of Clipper Ships and the Golden Age of Sail, published by Adlard Coles Nautical.
Sam Jefferson is a journalist and maritime historian, and is one of the leading authorities on the clipper ship era. He is Editor of Sailing Today, and writes regularly for Classic Boat and Traditional Boats and Tall Ships. He is the author of Clipper Ships and the Golden Age of Sail, Gordon Bennett and Sea Fever, all published by Adlard Coles Nautical.

Table of Contents

Introduction
Erskine Childers: Hidden depths
Joseph Conrad: Clipper ship captain turned literary titan
James Fenimore Cooper: The first of the nautical novelists
Ernest Hemingway: A strange fish
Jack London: The call of the sea
Captain Marryat: A forgotten hero of the Royal Navy
John Masefield: The seasick sailor
Herman Melville: Literary leviathan
Arthur Ransome: In search of utopia
Tobias Smollett: Grudging grandfather of the nautical novel
Robert Louis Stevenson: Home is the sailor – the final voyage

Editorial Reviews

It is a testament to Jefferson's curatorial ability and joyful expository pen, as well as the famed words of his subjects, that could make readers long, sickly, for the sea.” —Paste Magazine

“Those who relish historical fiction, seafaring and maritime history or adventure, and literary history are sure to find much to enjoy in this pleasurable read.” —starred review, Library Journal

“Including 11 stories that inspired the ranks of Herman Melville, Ernest Hemingway, Joseph Conrad and others, this is a cool collection for lit fans and history buffs alike.” —best new May books, Paste Magazine

“Jefferson's study of how seafaring has influenced great American and English writers has moments of great charm.” —Publishers Weekly

“It's the perfect books for bibliophilic maritime enthusiast and if you have one of those in your life or are one I suggest you read this book.” —Reet Champion Book Reviews

“This enthralling book takes us on a tour of the most dangerous, exciting and often eccentric escapades of literature's sailing stars, and how these true stories inspired and informed their best loved works.” —Historical Naval Fiction

“Sea Fever carries the subtitle The true adventures that inspired our greatest maritime authors, from Conrad to Masefield, Melville and Hemingway. The subtitle says it all.” —English Plus Language Blog

"With Sea Fever, Jefferson has shown us the stranger than fiction lives of the great nautical novelists, and to his credit, the masters do not overshadow his fine writing." —Sailing Magazine

From the Publisher