Two Years Before the Mast (1840)

An amazing glimpse into 1800s, this is the autobiographical account of two years in the life of Richard Henry Dana from 1834 to 1836.

Leaving America he sails on the Pilgrim and its voyage heads from Boston to South America and around Cape Horn to California where he spends a season in San Diego preparing hides. He then boards the Alert for the return journey as the Pilgrim was not due to return for another 12 months.

The book is written in the language of the day at at times can be quite formal compared to the writing of today, that being said, it isn't at all a difficult book to read.

The descriptions of life at sea, corporal punishment, 1830s California, people and circumstances are all an interesting window into the past making it worth reading even if one is not particularly interested in sailing itself.

An enjoyable non fiction read. ( )

This is the true story of R.H. Dana's two years as a common sailor. The "before the mast" refers to the sailor's quarters in the forecastle. The book is based on the diary he kept during the voyage.

R.H. Dana was from a good family, and was an undergraduate at Harvard when he had an attack of measles which affected his eyesight. He was unable to read, and decided to enlist as a merchant seaman to rest his eyes and give himself something to do.

The book recounts the voyage from Boston to California, the time in California going from port to port and loading cow hides, and the voyage back to Boston. The sea voyages are by far the most interesting parts of the book, especially the return voyage around cape horn, which is vividly portrayed. By contrast, the time in California gets a bit monotonous, and I think should have been summarised. ( )

This is an abridgment adapted for children's reading, with enlarged print and realistically drawn illustrations. The adaptor does not hold back on the scenes of cruelty--for example in the whipping and subordinate abuse performed by the psychopathic Captain of the good ship Pilgrim.

A harrowing tale of the life of a common sailor in 1840. The author, an undergraduate at Harvard, took to the sea because he thought it might improve his eyesight (after a bout with measles). The work is backbreaking; his witness to a flogging and the merciless discipline of the sea unforgettable. He returns two years later and, as he says, just in time before the brutality of the life of a common sailor would have consumed and overtaken him permanently. A moving plea for more compassionate treatment of common workers. ( )

Richard Henry Dana's book "Two Years Before the Mast" actually did remind me of the ocean -- my interest level in the book ebbed and flowed like the tides. I found much of his tale of sailing to be somewhat mundane, but every once in a while, he'll get into a story about a crew member that is utterly fascinating. I particularly enjoyed reading about his experiences in wild California... which was the very highlight of the book for me. Overall, this book would be best for someone with a particular interest in sailing (as opposed to a general interest in exploration.) ( )