Sailing Alone cover art

Sailing Alone

A History

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Sailing Alone

By: Richard J. King
Narrated by: William Hope
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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

Sailing on a boat by yourself out at sea and out of sight of land can be exhilarating or terrifying, compelling or tedious - sometimes it can be all of these things just in one morning. It is an adventure at odds with our normal, sociable lives, carried out floating on a medium wholly inimical to our existence. But the deep ocean is also a remarkable place on which to think.

Richard King's enormously engaging and curious book is about the debt we owe to solo sailors: women and men, young and old, who have set out alone. Spending weeks and months alone, slowly, quietly and close to the ocean surface is to create the world's largest laboratory: an endlessly changing, capricious and startling place in which to observe oneself, the weather, the stars and myriad sea creatures, from the tiniest to the most massive and threatening.

This is a book for anyone who is fascinated by sailing, solitude and the vast seas that cover so much of our planet.

©2023 Richard J. King (P)2023 Penguin Audio Adventurers, Explorers & Survival Maritime History & Piracy Sailing Sailing & Boating Travel Writing & Commentary Water Sports World Sports

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Critic reviews

Those who have chosen to face the dangers of the ocean alone are a colourful and inventive bunch ... I was delighted to read of [King's] amazement. (David Mills)
The book is as much a feat as the crossing ... something to be marvelled at ... I’ve already started plotting my own ocean crossing. (Peter Hoskin)
First-hand accounts evoke the elation, frustrations and dangers of life in a small boat crossing the ocean ... King assembles a truly eccentric, even flamboyant cast of solo sailors. (Victor Mallet)
All stars
Most relevant  
Great listen, very informative and well researched book. So easy to listen to and was actually looking forward to my next visit.

Very informative & interesting.

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If you read sailing books, like those of Moitessier, Slocum and Chichester then some of this will be known but you will enjoy the contrasts and comparisons made between the voyages and new information added by the author. The book is divided by topic, rather than sailor, so we led through different solutions to the issues involved in sailing. If you do not read sailing books, then this is a wonderful introduction and the massive bibliography will allow you to choose further reading on the subject.

The book is a comprehensive review of solo sailors and voyages and continually asked the question we all wonder about - why do it (spoiler- there is not one reason!). As an audio book it is very good value and a great way for the bored commuter to dream of endless oceans while on the way to work.

The author’s own experience is dotted through the book and makes a nice thread. I feel that any sailor should experience this book - if only to be able to bluff their way through conversations with rugged old sailors at the club bar.

A complete review of solo sailing

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Very thoroughly researched book into the many facets of single handed ocean sailing.

Unfortunately, a little spoiled by soporific narration with constant mis pronunciation of words such as "bow-sprit" and "gybe". Not a big deal but the narrator clearly couldn't be bothered to familiarise themselves with the subject before taking on the task. Ironic in a book about people who take care of every detail before embarking on a voyage.

Very detailed research, issues with narration

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Nothing particularly special about this book, it’s well narrated and well written, it is a compilation of solo sailing stories many if not most of which I have already read about, but nonetheless it will be of great interest to anyone who likes books on sailing, it lacks technical details of sailing as it hopes to appeal to a wider audience I suppose, I did see a review by a reader who seems to have been triggered by the chapter entitled “sailing whilst black” , maybe there should be a trigger warning for bigoted people, fortunately this type of ignorance is rare in the sailing community.

Solo sailing stories, great read while solo!

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Great summaries intertwined with his own story. It is a clever idea and well executed. I particularly enjoyed Anne Davison and Ellen MacArthur

Amazing research to provide all the accounts

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