The Greatest Sailing Stories Ever Told, edited by Chris Caswell, consists of 27 stories (fiction and non-fiction) written by sailors. I felt more at home with this book, as the sailing mentality pervaded the book. I missed the brief summaries in the table of contents that was included in Against the Sea, however each story is introduced with a brief bio of the author and his/her relationship to sailing. The stories cover man’s love affair with sailing and the depths and relationship we sailors have with our boats and the sea. Written by the infamous, famous, and the not-so-famous, the time frame ranges from the days of the tall ships to the modern racing yachts of today. Stories include works from the pens of Tristan Jones, Joshua Slocum, C. S. Forrester, and Sterling Hayden. After reading the book, I was impressed by the collection of stories that Chris Caswell had pulled together. These sailing authors described many feelings I have experienced but was never able to put into words. In his introduction, Chris says he pictures the “readers of this book enjoying it in one of two places. The first is in a comfortable chair in front of a roaring fire and the second is tucked in a cozy pilot berth aboard a sailboat, with rain pattering on the deck and the smell of coffee on the galley stove.” My experience was that it was enjoyable in both places.
The Greatest Stories Ever Told Edited by Christopher Caswell (The Lyons Press, 2002; 286 pages)
