Two Years Before the Mast: A Personal Narrative of Life at Sea (Modern Library) (Modern Library Classics) - Softcover

Richard Henry Dana

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0375757945 ISBN 13: 9780375757945

Publisher: Modern Library Inc, 2001

Synopsis

Tracing an awe-inspiring oceanic route from Boston, around Cape Horn, to the California coast, Two Years Before the Mast is both a riveting story of adventure and the most eloquent, insightful account we have of life at sea in the early nineteenth century. Richard Henry Dana is only nineteen when he abandons the patrician world of Boston and Harvard for an arduous voyage among real sailors, amid genuine danger. The result is an astonishing read, replete with vivid descriptions of storms, whales, and the ship's mad captain, terrible hardship and magical beauty, and fascinating historical detail, including an intriguing portrait of California before the gold rush. As D. H. Lawrence proclaimed, "Dana's small book is a very great book."

About this title

Review:

"Possesses . . . the romantic charm of Robinson Crusoe."
--Ralph Waldo Emerson

Synopsis:

This is a sailing narrative tracing a convalescing young man's adventure sailing from Boston, around Cape Horn, to the California coast. It has an introduction by Gary Kinder, plus commentaries, notes and a reading group guide.

About this edition

• Publisher: Modern Library Inc
• Publication date: 2001
• ISBN 10: 0375757945
• ISBN 13: 9780375757945
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 512