The Sailor's Bookshelf: Fifty Books to Know the Sea

by James Stavridis

Overview

Admiral Stavridis, a leader in military, international affairs, and national security circles, shares his love of the sea and some of the sources of that affection. The Sailor's Bookshelf offers synopses of fifty books that illustrate the history, importance, lore, and lifestyle of the oceans and of those who “go down to the sea in ships.” Stavridis colors those descriptions with glimpses of his own service—“sea stories” in popular parlance—that not only clarify his choices but show why he is held in such high esteem among his fellow sailors. ​Divided into four main categories—The Oceans, Explorers, Sailors in Fiction, and Sailors in Non-Fiction—Admiral Stavridis’ choices will appeal to “old salts” and to those who have never known the sights of the ever-changing seascape nor breathed the tonic of an ocean breeze. The result is a navigational aid that guides readers through the realm of sea literature, covering a spectrum of topics that range from science to aesthetics, from history to modernity, from solo sailing to great battles. ​Among these eclectic choices are guides to shiphandling and navigation, classic fiction that pits man against the sea, ecological and strategic challenges, celebrations of great achievements and the lessons that come with failure, economic competition and its stepbrother combat, explorations of the deep, and poetry that beats with the pulse of the wave. Some of the included titles are familiar to many, while others, are likely less well-known but are welcome additions to this encompassing collection. Admiral Stavridis has chosen some books that are relatively recent, and he recommends other works which have been around much longer and deserve recognition. ​

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781682477168
Publisher:	Naval Institute Press
Publication date:	12/15/2021
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	192
Sales rank:	610,239
File size:	3 MB

About the Author

Admiral James Stavridis is a retired four-star officer who led the NATO Alliance in global operations from 2009 to 2013 as Supreme Allied Commander with responsibility for Afghanistan, Libya, the Balkans, Syria, counter piracy, and cyber security. He served as Commander of U.S. Southern Command, with responsibility for all military operations in Latin America from 2006-2009. Admiral Stavridis earned a PhD in international relations and has published eleven books and hundreds of articles in leading journals around the world. Admiral Stavridis is Chair Emeritus of the U.S. Naval Institute Board, Vice Chair, Global Affairs, at The Carlyle Group, and Chair of the Board of the Rockefeller Foundation. His most recent book is The Sailor's Bookshelf: Fifty Books to know the Sea. 

Table of Contents

Preface xiii

The Oceans

1 Atlantic: Great Sea Battles, Heroic Discoveries, Titanic Storms, and a Vast Ocean of a Million Stories Simon Winchester 3

2 Atlas of Remote Islands: Fifty Islands I Have Never Set Foot On and Never Will Judith Schalansky 7

3 Cod: A Biography of the Fish that Changed the World Mark Kurlansky 11

4 Deep: Freediving, Renegade Science, and What the Ocean Tells Us about Ourselves James Nestor 15

5 Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time Dava Sobel 19

6 Dutton's Nautical Navigation, 15th edition Thomas J. Cutler 22

7 Naval Shiphandler's Guide Capt. James A. Barber Jr., USN (Ret.) 26

8 Sea Power: A Naval History E. B. Potter Chester W. Nimitz 30

9 The Hungry Ocean: A Swordboat Captain's Journey Linda Greenlaw 33

10 The Outlaw Ocean: Journeys across the Last Untamed Frontier Ian Urbina 36

11 The Sea around Us Rachel L. Carson 40

12 The World Js Blue: How Our Fate and the Ocean's Are One Sylvia A. Earle 43

13 Watch Officer's Guide, 16th edition Adm. James Stavridis, USN (Ret.), Rear Adm. Robert P. Girrier, USN (Ret.) Capt. Tom Ogden, USN Capt. Jeff Heames, USN 46

Explorers

14 Across the Top of the World: The Quest for the Northwest Passage James P. Delgado 51

15 Blue Latitudes: Boldly Going Where Captain Cook Has Gone Before Tony Horwitz 55

16 Captain Cook: Master of the Seas Frank McLynn 59

17 Kon-Tiki: Six Men Cross the Pacific on a Raft Thor Heyerdahl 63

18 Sailing Alone around the World Captain Joshua Slocum 67

19 The Conquest of the Ocean: An Illustrated History of Seafaring Brian Lavery 70

20 The Endurance: Shackleton's Legendary Antarctic Expedition Caroline Alexander 74

21 The Silent World: A Story of Undersea Discovery and Adventure, by the First Men to Swim at Record Depths with the Freedom of Fish Jacques Yves Cousteau Frédéric Dumas 77

Sailors in Fiction

22 20,000 Leagues under the Sea Jules Verne 83

23 Master and Commander Patrick O'Brian 87

24 Mister Roberts Thomas Heggen 91

25 Moby-Dick or, The Whale Herman Melville 94

26 Moods of the Sea: Masterworks of Sea Poetry George C. Solley Eric Steinbaugh 99

27 Mutiny on the Bounty Charles Nordhoff James Norman Hall 103

28 Run Silent, Run Deep Edward L. Beach 107

29 Short Stories of the Sea George C. Solley Eric Steinbaugh, with introduction and biographies David O. Tomlinson 111

30 The Bedford Incident Mark Rascovich 114

31 The Caine Mutiny Herman Wouk 117

32 The Cruel Sea Nicholas Monsarrat 121

33 The Good Shepherd C. S. Forester 124

34 Life of Pi Yann Martel 128

35 The Old Man and the Sea Ernest Hemingway 132

Sailors in Nonfiction

36 Turner & the Sea Christine Riding Richard Johns 137

37 The Autobiography of George Dewey: Admiral of the United States Navy and Hero of the Spanish-American War George Dewey Frederick Palmer 141

38 Empires of the Sea: The Siege of Malta, the Battle of Lepanto, and the Contest for the Center of the World Roger Crowley 146

39 In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex Nathaniel Philbrick 151

40 Lady in the Navy: A Personal Reminiscence Joy Bright Hancock 154

41 One Hundred Days: The Memoirs of the Falklands Battle Group Commander Adm. Sandy Woodward Patrick Robinson 157

42 Sea of Thunder: Four Commanders and the Last Great Naval Campaign 1941-1945 Evan Thomas 161

43 She Captains: Heroines and Hellions of the Sea Joan Druett 165

44 The Battle of Salamis: The Naval Encounter that Saved Greece-and Western Civilization Barry Strauss 168

45 The Influence of Sea Power upon History, 1660-1783 Alfred Thayer Mahan 172

46 The Navy as a Fighting Machine Bradley A. Fiske 177

47 The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men against the Sea Sebastian Junger 180

48 The Seafarers, Time-Life twenty-two-volume series, 1978-81 by various expert authors and the editorial staff of Time-Life Books 183

49 Trailblazer: The U.S. Navy's First Black Admiral Vice Adm. Samuel L. Gravely Jr., USN Paul Stillwell 186

50 Two Years before the Mast: A Personal Narrative of Life at Sea Richard Henry Dana Jr. 190

Conclusion 193

Afterword-A Course to Steer By Cdr. J. D. Kristenson, USN 197

Acknowledgments 202

Notes 205

Editorial Reviews

"If we are to trust anyone's recommendations on books to read about the mysteries of the ocean, it certainly would be Admiral Stavridis'.... What makes Admiral Stavridis' selections so unique is that he relates his experiences as a master of the seas to the works that he recommends.... With the vast experience and knowledge that Stavridis has on world conflicts throughout history, he is a trustworthy source whether he is speaking in today's media, or suggesting books for those interested in tales of the seas." --TAPintoUnion

"This is an accessible and enjoyable collection which is likely to appeal to a broad readership, whether or not they class themselves as sailors." --Intelligence and National Security

"Highly recommended." --Argunners

"If you are going to read one book this year, you would do well to read The Sailor's Bookshelf. Similar in structure to Stavridis's earlier book The Leader's Bookshelf, The Sailor's Bookshelf is a list of, as the subtitle states '…Fifty Books to Know the Sea….' But this book is much more than just a list. Admiral Stavridis clearly conveys his appreciation of both the sea and the written word, combining them into a format that both educates the reader while guiding them towards even more information. The list spans subjects and genre encompassing fiction, history, law, environmentalism and more!.... The diverse range of topics covered in The Sailor's Bookshelf is a key feature in its utility. If you have any interest in the sea, the books on this list are bound to include several you will want to chase down. As such, it's the perfect gift for that nautically minded person. Don't just give them another book about submarines, give them a book that will make them think about the sea in all its wonder." --Armchair General

"In this outstanding volume, the author shares his love of the sea and suggests books that are valuable as a guide to sailors to better understand ourselves and the world around us. He succeeds in offering examples of leadership and heroism valuable to laypersons, members of the military in and beyond the Navy, whether novices or veterans." --Naval Historical Foundation

"The Sailor's Bookshelf is a personal journey of a sailor's life. Admiral Stavridis has given us a fine maritime anthology to be enjoyed by all who serve, have served or are moved by the awesomeness of the oceans and their impact on our lives, past, present and into the future. The Sailor's Bookshelf is highly recommended." --Australian Naval Institute

"Control of the sea means control of commerce. Maintaining control often means war as nations extend their strategic reach. This is one of those books that are useful to have in your seabag and it is recommended." --Virtual Mirage

"Stavridis gives a very personal reflection of some of the favorite books on his bookshelf.... The Sailor's Bookshelf is a labor of love." --Navy Reads

"The Sailor's Bookshelf, a volume in the Naval Institute's 'Blue & Gold Professional Library', is a valuable resource for the layman or the sailor who wants to know more about the ways of the sea." --StrategyPage

"Admiral Stavridis has for many years been a very prolific author and commentator. He proves that the expression 'naval intellectual' is not a complete oxymoron. This little book explaining why the fifty books he cites are his favorites and why they are important is both useful and interesting.... The books he cites do a first-rate job of assisting their readers to really know the sea." --Baird Maritime

"Stavridis impresses with his style and his passion for the sea, and in this case, for books." --On the Old Barbed Wire

"With this book, Admiral Stavridis stays true to his love: The Sea and books about it. He has selected 50 books, which he describes in four main categories, each in short summaries of mostly three to four pages: seas, researchers, seafarers in novels, seafarers in non-fiction. The sailor will find well-known works as well as unknown ones. He guides us through history, teaching about great naval battles over the centuries, bold explorers, and the struggle for survival of individuals and ship crews." --Marine Forum

"I've known Admiral James Stavridis for decades, and he deeply appreciates the sea as both a mariner and a naval officer. His keen intellect, warrior spirit and diplomatic prowess clearly qualify him as an expert judge of sea service prose by any measure. The fifty summaries of these classics are concise but very enlightening, and the individual choices of books are spot on. This sailor's bookshelf will reward any reader, whether an 'old salt' or a new Sailor straight out of boot camp." --Master Chief Petty Officer Jim Herdt, USN (Ret.), former Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy

"Admiral Stavridis's new book is a gem. It's the whose who and what's what about a sailor's life presented in a lively style and bringing readers the best fiction and nonfiction in an authoritative and yet accessible and enjoyable manner. It should become classic reading for U. S. Naval Academy Midshipmen, their professors, and anyone who enjoys the literature of the sea." --Philip K. Jason, Professor Emeritus, United States Naval Academy, author of Fourteen Landing Zones: Approaches to Vietnam War Literature, Encyclopedia of American War Literature, and Acts and Shadows: The Vietnam War in American Literary Culture

"A fundamental task of developing a Sailor is learning how to pack a seabag. The shape of the bag has changed over centuries, but the size has remained small, restricting what we can take to sea. Our choices, what we put in the bag, can make all the difference in the voyage. Admiral Stavridis' remarkable list of books and his insights offers wisdom to novice mariners and old salts alike. Everyone should find room in their seabags for this content!" --Adm. Michelle Howard, USN (Ret.), former commander United States Naval Forces Europe

"Admiral James Stavridis knows the sea first hand, has mastered maritime history, and always conveys its importance in a most compelling way. This collection charts a wonderful course for all who already share his passion for the sea and those ashore who wish to embrace the majesty of the oceans. Get underway and enjoy! You'll be glad you did." --Adm. Jay L. Johnson, USN (Ret.), former Chief of Naval Operations

"This book should be on every sailor's shelf. Admiral Stavridis's love of the sea and love of reading come through on every page." --Tom Ricks, author and Pulitzer Prize winning reporter

"No one knows the literature of the sea better [than Admiral Stavridis]. The selections on this 'sailor's bookshelf' will be a terrific resource for both old salts and newcomers to the world's oceans. It's an instant classic!" --Adm. Harry Harris, USN (Ret.), former Commander, U.S. Pacific Command

From the Publisher