The Way of a Ship: A Square-Rigger Voyage in the Last Days of Sail

Language: English

Published by Ecco, New York, 2003

ISBN 10: 0066210127 (ISBN 13: 9780066210124)

  • First Edition
  • Hardcover
  • Used
See all details

Seller: The Secret Bookshop, Tararua, New ZealandThe Secret Bookshop

5-star seller

AbeBooks seller since January 11, 2016

View this seller's items
Hardcover

Condition: Used - Near fine

£ 7.50

£ 23.94 shipping 
Ships from New Zealand to U.S.A.

Quantity: 1 available

Add to basket
Free 30-day returns

Item description from seller

A very clean copy which feels unread. When, as a young man in the 1880s, Benjamin Lundy signed up for unimaginably hard duty aboard a square-rigged commercial sailing vessel -- one destined for a treacherous, white-knuckle passage around that notorious graveyard of ships, Cape Horn -- he had no idea that his experience would also provide a window into an epochal transition that would fundamentally change man's relation to the sea. A century later, Derek Lundy, author of the bestselling Godforsaken Sea and an accomplished amateur seaman himself, set out to recount his forebear's journey. The Way of a Ship is a mesmerizing account of Benjamin's life on board the square-rigger Beara Head, a remarkable reconstruction of a harrowing journey through the most dangerous waters, furling sails 150 feet aloft in heavy weather; enduring cold and danger; sleep-deprived and malnourished, at times half-starved; fighting each day to save the ship and his crewmates. In the process, Benjamin learns the eternal lessons of the sea, which is to say that he finds out the sort of man he is. But The Way of a Ship extends beyond the dramatic narrative of the voyage itself, evoking both the romance and brutality of a bygone era, illuminating the history of square-rigger seamen and the last days of the beautiful, widow-making, deep-sea sailing ships, above all demonstrating how the ascendancy of the steam engine led to the end of a centuries'-old tradition. Derek Lundy's masterful account reminds readers of what Melville and Conrad expressed so well: that the sea voyage is an overarching metaphor for life itself.

Seller Inventory # 040579

Bibliographic details

Title
The Way of a Ship: A Square-Rigger Voyage in the Last Days of Sail
Author
Lundy, Derek
Publisher
Ecco, New York
Publication year
2003
Condition
Near Fine
Dust jacket
Near Fine
Binding
Hardcover
Language
English
Edition
1st Edition
Seller catalogs
Biography, History, Transport

The Secret Bookshop

Tararua, New Zealand

5-star seller

AbeBooks seller since January 11, 2016

Shipping rates from New Zealand to U.S.A.

Item10 to 21 business days7 to 14 business days
First item£ 23.94£ 54.61
Delivery times are set by sellers and vary by carrier and location. Orders passing through Customs may face delays and buyers are responsible for any associated duties or fees. Sellers may contact you regarding additional charges to cover any increased costs to ship your items.

Payment methods

  • Visa
  • Mastercard
  • American Express
  • Apple Pay
  • Google Pay

Store description

Where some of the best books in New Zealand hide. Fantastic range of NZ history, Military History, Collectible fiction, Rare and out of print books and some modern popular books.

Specialty

Religion, General History, General Non-fiction, Collectible Fiction. Signed first editions, New Zealand and Australian Non Fiction

Seller's business information

The Barn Smith Limited

70, Wakeman Street
Pahiatua, New Zealand 4910