Listen free for 30 days
-
Across Islands and Oceans
- A Journey Alone Around the World By Sail and By Foot
- Narrated by: Spencer King
- Length: 13 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged Audiobook
- Categories: Biographies & Memoirs, Adventurers, Explorers & Survival
Add to basket failed.
Add to wishlist failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Listen with a free trial
Buy Now for £23.49
No valid payment method on file.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Listeners also enjoyed...
-
Bound for Distant Seas
- A Voyage Alone to Asia Aboard the 28-Foot Sailboat Atom
- By: James Baldwin
- Narrated by: Nick O'Kelly
- Length: 13 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Bound for Distant Seas begins sailing author James Baldwin's epic tale of his second circumnavigation. His story is seasoned by his adventures during his first circumnavigation in 1984-86 as told in Across Islands and Oceans. Alone with little money aboard Atom, his now-engineless 28-foot sailboat, James embarks on his odyssey without the comforts and equipment most sailors consider essential.
-
-
Easy, fun, humorous, no nonsense
- By J. Wexler on 21-06-19
-
The Next Distant Sea
- The 28-Foot Sailboat Atom Continues Her Second Circumnavigation
- By: James Baldwin
- Narrated by: James Baldwin
- Length: 13 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Narrated in his own voice, in this third book about his travels aboard the 28-foot sailboat Atom, James Baldwin creates an ode to the sea and to those who venture upon her in small voyaging sailboats. The Next Distant Sea continues the memoir of his second adventurous circumnavigation as begun in his earlier book Bound for Distant Seas.
-
-
Great book 2 by James Baldwin.
- By LtCol RD Rtrd on 29-11-21
-
Old Man Sailing
- Some Dreams Take a Lifetime
- By: John Passmore
- Narrated by: Charles Robert Fox
- Length: 8 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When COVID-19 struck the UK, the government advised the over-70s to "shield" while the country went into lockdown. One old man went sailing instead. Single-handed and self-isolated, retired journalist John Passmore used the pandemic to achieve an ambition that had eluded him for 60 years. For 3,629 miles, he disappeared into a world of perfect solitude, adventure, and adversity, arriving back 42 days later, short of water and with shredded sails, to find himself celebrated on national radio as the embodiment of everybody’s lockdown dream. This is his story.
-
-
Feels like I paid to listen to an advert
- By Eric on 08-07-22
-
Home from Distant Seas
- The 28-Foot Sailboat Atom Completes Her Second Circumnavigation
- By: James Baldwin
- Narrated by: Ross Pipkin
- Length: 14 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Home from Distant Seas completes the trilogy of books by James Baldwin recounting his 25 years of live-aboard cruising adventures. The author creates a tribute to the sea and to those who venture upon her in small voyaging sailboats as he describes his personal journey of survival and discovery at sea as well as the sailors and local people he met along the way. Continuing here with the memoir of his second adventurous circumnavigation begun in his earlier books Bound for Distant Seas and The Next Distant Sea.
-
Sailing to the Edge of Time
- The Promise, the Challenges, and the Freedom of Ocean Voyaging
- By: John Kretschmer
- Narrated by: Matthew Kevin Anderson
- Length: 9 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
John Kretschmer is sailing’s practical philosopher - as much a doer as a thinker. And that is the overarching theme of this chronicle of a sailing life. Often amusing, sometimes poignant, occasionally terrifying but always inspiring, his deeply personal account is a welcome reminder of the good life waiting at sea. With hundreds of thousands of nautical miles under his keel, John’s adventures have taken him several times around the world.
-
-
I suffered my way through and it was worth it
- By Shrek on 04-04-22
-
Philosophy of Sailing: Offshore in Search of the Universe
- By: Christian Williams
- Narrated by: Christian Williams
- Length: 10 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Veteran sailor and writer Christian Williams invites us along once again on a 5,000-mile voyage of discovery around the North Pacific. Equipped with a new boat, a well-stocked toolbox, and the entire history of philosophic thought, he takes us as crew through squalls and calms deep into a laboratory of the universe that exists only out of sight of land. Funny, erudite, and at times deeply personal, Philosophy of Sailing explores who we are and how encounters with the unknown can be a path to revelation and joy.
-
-
Loved this book of sailing musings
- By Philip McKee on 17-04-19
-
Bound for Distant Seas
- A Voyage Alone to Asia Aboard the 28-Foot Sailboat Atom
- By: James Baldwin
- Narrated by: Nick O'Kelly
- Length: 13 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Bound for Distant Seas begins sailing author James Baldwin's epic tale of his second circumnavigation. His story is seasoned by his adventures during his first circumnavigation in 1984-86 as told in Across Islands and Oceans. Alone with little money aboard Atom, his now-engineless 28-foot sailboat, James embarks on his odyssey without the comforts and equipment most sailors consider essential.
-
-
Easy, fun, humorous, no nonsense
- By J. Wexler on 21-06-19
-
The Next Distant Sea
- The 28-Foot Sailboat Atom Continues Her Second Circumnavigation
- By: James Baldwin
- Narrated by: James Baldwin
- Length: 13 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Narrated in his own voice, in this third book about his travels aboard the 28-foot sailboat Atom, James Baldwin creates an ode to the sea and to those who venture upon her in small voyaging sailboats. The Next Distant Sea continues the memoir of his second adventurous circumnavigation as begun in his earlier book Bound for Distant Seas.
-
-
Great book 2 by James Baldwin.
- By LtCol RD Rtrd on 29-11-21
-
Old Man Sailing
- Some Dreams Take a Lifetime
- By: John Passmore
- Narrated by: Charles Robert Fox
- Length: 8 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When COVID-19 struck the UK, the government advised the over-70s to "shield" while the country went into lockdown. One old man went sailing instead. Single-handed and self-isolated, retired journalist John Passmore used the pandemic to achieve an ambition that had eluded him for 60 years. For 3,629 miles, he disappeared into a world of perfect solitude, adventure, and adversity, arriving back 42 days later, short of water and with shredded sails, to find himself celebrated on national radio as the embodiment of everybody’s lockdown dream. This is his story.
-
-
Feels like I paid to listen to an advert
- By Eric on 08-07-22
-
Home from Distant Seas
- The 28-Foot Sailboat Atom Completes Her Second Circumnavigation
- By: James Baldwin
- Narrated by: Ross Pipkin
- Length: 14 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Home from Distant Seas completes the trilogy of books by James Baldwin recounting his 25 years of live-aboard cruising adventures. The author creates a tribute to the sea and to those who venture upon her in small voyaging sailboats as he describes his personal journey of survival and discovery at sea as well as the sailors and local people he met along the way. Continuing here with the memoir of his second adventurous circumnavigation begun in his earlier books Bound for Distant Seas and The Next Distant Sea.
-
Sailing to the Edge of Time
- The Promise, the Challenges, and the Freedom of Ocean Voyaging
- By: John Kretschmer
- Narrated by: Matthew Kevin Anderson
- Length: 9 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
John Kretschmer is sailing’s practical philosopher - as much a doer as a thinker. And that is the overarching theme of this chronicle of a sailing life. Often amusing, sometimes poignant, occasionally terrifying but always inspiring, his deeply personal account is a welcome reminder of the good life waiting at sea. With hundreds of thousands of nautical miles under his keel, John’s adventures have taken him several times around the world.
-
-
I suffered my way through and it was worth it
- By Shrek on 04-04-22
-
Philosophy of Sailing: Offshore in Search of the Universe
- By: Christian Williams
- Narrated by: Christian Williams
- Length: 10 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Veteran sailor and writer Christian Williams invites us along once again on a 5,000-mile voyage of discovery around the North Pacific. Equipped with a new boat, a well-stocked toolbox, and the entire history of philosophic thought, he takes us as crew through squalls and calms deep into a laboratory of the universe that exists only out of sight of land. Funny, erudite, and at times deeply personal, Philosophy of Sailing explores who we are and how encounters with the unknown can be a path to revelation and joy.
-
-
Loved this book of sailing musings
- By Philip McKee on 17-04-19
-
Cape Horn to Starboard
- By: John Kretschmer
- Narrated by: Tom Perkins
- Length: 6 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Legendary account of the author's voyage around Cape Horn in a 32-foot sailboat, sailing east to west (thus the Horn is to starboard, or on the right). This is a notoriously difficult and dangerous passage, especially in a boat this size.
-
-
Great account of a good adventure
- By Patrick Powell on 11-07-22
-
James Baldwin: A Collection of Speeches and Lectures
- By: James Baldwin
- Narrated by: James Baldwin
- Length: 18 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
James Baldwin was an American novelist, playwright, essayist, poet, and activist. His essays, as collected in Notes of a Native Son, explore intricacies of racial, sexual, and class distinctions in Western society, most notably in regard to the mid-20th-century United States.
-
-
Always eloquent. Still relevant.
- By FFaruq on 13-07-21
-
Alone Together
- Sailing Solo to Hawaii and Beyond
- By: Christian Williams
- Narrated by: Christian Williams
- Length: 11 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
What happens when a man of today's overconnected world sets off alone across the Pacific at the age of 71? Christian Williams, a veteran sailor and writer, planned a 6,000-mile voyage as a test of his own seamanship and endurance, and to fulfill a lifelong goal. But he found his focus quickly turning from the surrounding sea to all of us. Is anyone the same person when no one else is there? Do we dare to find out?
-
-
Thank you Christian
- By rhys walters on 01-03-17
-
Disappointment River
- Finding and Losing the Northwest Passage
- By: Brian Castner
- Narrated by: Brian Castner
- Length: 12 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Disappointment River is a dual historical narrative and travel memoir that at once transports listeners back to the heroic age of North American exploration and places them in a still rugged but increasingly fragile Arctic wilderness in the process of profound alteration by the dual forces of energy extraction and climate change.
-
On Island Time
- Kayaking the Caribbean
- By: Scott B. Williams
- Narrated by: Dean Smart
- Length: 8 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Tourists visit popular islands of the Caribbean by the planeload. What they don't see from their resort hotels are the hundreds of out-of-the-way, uninhabited islands sprinkled along the West Indies, from Florida to South America. This alluring archipelago, strung with beaches accessible only by boat but spaced temptingly close together, led Mississippi adventurer Scott B. Williams to embark upon an open-ended quest to see how far south he could go in a 17-foot sea kayak.
-
Wild Journeys
- By: Bruce Ansley
- Narrated by: Kevin Key
- Length: 9 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Discover a world of wild, mysterious and audacious journeys. Bruce Ansley retraces the path of the doomed surveyor John Whitcombe across the Southern Alps; follows the raiding party of the Northern chief Te Puoho along the West Coast; sails around New Zealand's Northern and Southern capes; walks through the Valley under the Two Thumb Range to the mythical Mesopotamia; drives from Waiheke to Wanaka (in a hurry); sets off on a hunt for the South Island's Grey Ghost; looks deep into the heart of volcanic New Zealand and tracks our most unlikely hero, the prison escaper George Wilder.
-
Swell
- A Sailing Surfer's Voyage of Awakening
- By: Liz Clark
- Narrated by: Liz Clark
- Length: 12 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Captain Liz Clark spent her youth dreaming of traveling the world by sailboat and surfing remote waves. When she was 22, she met a mentor who helped turn her desire into reality. Embarking on an adventure that most only fantasize about, she set sail from Santa Barbara, California, as captain of her 40-foot sailboat, Swell, headed south in search of surf, self, and the wonder and learning that lies beyond the unbroken horizon.
-
-
Not Just For Sailors
- By Jase Moorcroft on 28-06-19
-
Introduction to Sailing
- By: Christian Williams
- Narrated by: Christian Williams
- Length: 5 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Introduction to Sailing is veteran sailor Christian Williams’ candid and highly entertaining invitation to boats and the sea. Writing for new sailors of every kind, he evokes the joy of wind and water in an intimate style that begins with dinghies, which he advocates as most fun of all, and continues through cruising boats small and large and for every budget.
-
-
A great listen
- By daniel hulme on 13-06-22
-
Breaking Seas
- An Overweight, Middle-Aged Computer Nerd Buys His First Boat, Quits His Job, and Sails Off to Adventure
- By: Glenn Damato
- Narrated by: René Ruiz
- Length: 9 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Do you have a dream you must pursue, but everyone says it's unrealistic? Or that you're not qualified? Too old, too out of shape? Or you don't have the "right experience?" Glenn Damato was a 41-year-old software instructor who sought to exceed the bounds of his comfortable but humdrum existence. He embarked on an adventure for which he was miserably unprepared. Why did he do this? How did he answer the ancient human question: how do we jump-start growth in our lives? We become something we were not.
-
-
Just what I needed
- By Mr Thomas Gordon on 08-10-16
-
Amazing Sailing Stories
- True Adventures from the High Seas
- By: Dick Durham
- Narrated by: Steve Hodson
- Length: 8 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Tales of adventures on the high seas captivate both sailors and those who stand on the shore and gaze out across the oceans. In this original collection of sea stories, edited by veteran writer Dick Durham, the gamut of human experience is mirrored in a world of tragic shipwrecks and sea monsters, epic races and brave rescues, tall ships and tiny dinghies.
-
-
Gripping!
- By Louise on 15-03-12
-
Sailing a Serious Ocean
- Sailboats, Storms, Stories and Lessons Learned from 30 Years at Sea
- By: John Kretschmer
- Narrated by: Sean Runnette
- Length: 10 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
After sailing 300,000 miles and weathering dozens of storms in all the world's oceans, John Kretschmer has plenty of stories and advice to share. John's offshore training passages sell out a year in advance, and his entertaining presentations are popular at boat shows and yacht clubs all over the English-speaking world. John's talent for storytelling enchants his audience as it soaks up the lessons he learned during his often challenging voyages. Now you can take a seat next to John - at a lesser cost - and get the knowledge you need to fulfill your own dream of blue-water adventure.
-
-
Great book but poor orator
- By Balooe on 15-10-19
-
Sailing, Yachts and Yarns
- By: Tom Cunliffe
- Narrated by: Tom Cunliffe
- Length: 6 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Sailing, Yachts and Yarns is a selection of Tom Cunliffe’s funniest, wisest and most thought-provoking writing from the pages of Yachting Monthly. Tom’s love of language and sense of humour shine through as he recalls the wealth of sinners and saints he has met on docksides from Southampton to South America, Greenwich to Greenland and Newtown to New York. He has a gift for capturing the magic of sail and finding pearls of practical wisdom in the most unlikely nautical adventures.
-
-
Not that interesting
- By Slowhand on 10-10-20
Summary
Across Islands and Oceans is the memoir of 25 year-old James Baldwin and his epic two-year, solo circumnavigation in Atom, his trusty but aging 28-foot sailboat.
Early on and "as broke as [he] dared to be", James determined not only to sail around the world, but also to hike across every island that he visits. His inland forays are unique in the literature of circumnavigators as he finds danger, humor, friendship, and romance in places most sailors will never visit. James' story unfolds in his earnest exploration of distant lands and seas, his meditations on the people whose lives he touched, and his greater voyage to explore his own private ocean of solitude.
His adventure is not merely an attempt to seek thrills, nor even to tempt death, but rather a voyage of discovery as he set out in the direction of his youthful dreams to meet the life he imagined.
"Go seek what you will, where you will, but be a seeker all of your life." (James Baldwin)
What listeners say about Across Islands and Oceans
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- william r
- 27-02-19
one of the best
A very well written truly positive adventure tale. Interesting and informative and inspiring author, well narrated.
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- LtCol RD Rtrd
- 30-11-21
First book in a Trilogy by James B.
Brilliant true story of his travels from Florida to mid Pacific island.
Using the Cyclone season to do odd jobs to earn cash to finance the next part of his Journey.
Unlike many modern sailors he relied on Sun, Stars Tec to navigate through From small island to island.
At each destination he joins local tribes and finds people's not yet randomly the trapping of modern life.
A brilliant story, showing life before GPS and high budget fast traveling hatch with no interest in the true locals😍🔔🔔😎
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- John Stuart
- 31-03-20
A complete & enriching adventure.
This is the best sailing , travel or otherwise book I have read ( listened to) . It’s like Chichester’s novels but enriched with honest descriptive feeling. This coupled with the land travel adventures & invaluable detail ( simply tells you vital stats) given of the numerous passages completed make it a must read for all travellers wether you are a sailing circumnavigator or not.
What an incredible descriptive life experience in all aspects of life.
Well done James Baldwin.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Jon
- 03-05-19
Amazing Adventures
First, I must say that one of the reviewers had given a misleading review - he claimed that James Baldwin was a black man and complained that the narrator was a white man. This is not true - I think the reviewer had mixed up the author with another James Baldwin who was also a writer, playwright and activist. This caused a little confusion to me as I listened to the story picturing young James as a black person exploring various islands inhabited by colored people. I did not realize until half way through the story that James is white! This is actually important as I had to reimagine what it would be like for a white person to befriend the locals on his many exciting and challenging adventures.
Second, I am awestruck at this story and the courage and bravery of a 25 year old to go on this journey of spirit and discovery of nature and humanity. I didn't want the journey to end and now I am looking forward to listening to Jame's other books. The writing is a great mix of humor, education, and poetry. It is also an excellent resource for anyone contemplating long passages at sea.
9 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- ThunderInTheSun
- 08-10-18
A true sailor' s quest
As a young man, this is something I always dreamed of doing. Now, I have sailed vicariously freely around the world. Thank you James Baldwin for this wonderful adventure as your first officer!!
7 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- javi
- 22-06-20
Exceptional story!
This was a phenomenal book! I would highly recommend this book to anybody that is interested in sailing. He shares his adventures on the high seas and in remote parts of the world in ways that leave the reader captivated. A must read!
4 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- M. Bishop
- 10-03-19
A good read for young people
I think young people who would like to escape the virtual morass of the internet should read this book and think about escaping and living a more authentic life. James did it on a shoe string and balls.
The story is well told and James seems to be a genuenly decent person.
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- T. Shirley
- 28-12-18
fantastic!!
I loved every single minute of this audio book!! extremely interesting and well written! thx!
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Eric Zander
- 28-09-20
Fantastic tale of Life!
By the end, you wish you could experience life as he had. But you can't because times have changed. However, you can start your journey now so a life worth living can be lived. Loved this story immensely.
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Shawn Bailey
- 18-06-22
Excellent Read
I loved the story narrative of not finding the path in life attractive where you slog away in a boring and dreadful job for moments of joy only found on some packaged vacation. The best part and always so true is travel around the world is not just for rich people but frugal people with courage and a sense of adventure combined with a savvy interest in many things equals an interesting life worth reading about. Well done!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Den Ardinger
- 30-04-22
A yachtsman's dream voyage
I very much enjoyed this book. As a yachtsman myself, it is, unfortunately, a voyage that I can only read about (or listen to in this case). The tremendous courage needed to do this is astounding. There is daily risk that goes far beyond what the average person encounters. What I found interesting is that he not only sailed the oceans but when he came to an island, such as Papua New Guinea for example, he thoroughly explored it by walking all over the place even if there was great risk to do so. I really admire courage like this. I highly recommend this book.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- John J. Elert
- 19-11-21
Wonderful story and very narrative
I loved the fact he was so interested in staying and exploring ports and Island in a completely un-tourist manner. In some locales he immersed himself in the local communities for extended periods, before moving on to the next port of call. He truly made the effort to visit as many places as he could, that Joshua Slocum, the good-like hero of many sailors and dreamers, had visited so long before.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Marke Turner
- 05-04-21
Fantastic listen!
It's one of those books that you didn't want to end!
Sounded like an amazing 2 years.
The only thing that I was taken aback by was how he respects animals and so became a vegetarian yet threw pages of a book and then the book jacket itself into the ocean which could have affected the wildlife.