Steven Callahan

After the 21-foot sloop Napoleon Solo sank in the mid-Atlantic, its skipper, Steven Callahan, survived 76 days at sea in a small rubber raft because more than anything else he refused to be The Man Who Cried U.N.C.L.E.

If you recognize and are groaning at that allusion to Ilya Kuryakin’s partner, all I can say is it certainly fits the tale told in Adrift: Seventy-six Days Lost At Sea.

Callahan’s experiences in surviving the loss of his boat were brutal. By comparison, it’s almost as if show more Shackleton and his crew were quartered in the Antarctica Hyatt. In Adrift, Callahan suffers on a virtually daily basis physical torments and psychological stresses that are desperate. He tapped knowledge, ingenuity, tenacity, and a bit of luck to keep himself alive long enough to survive. I say, let us treat this man to the sweet ice cream, starchy baked bread, rich fruits and vegetables, sherried crab in flaky pie shells, chocolate pies, and cold beer that filled his fantasies as starvation ravaged his muscles but failed to vanquish his will.

While there may be better written survival stories out there, I’ve not seen any that excel his in its detailing of vivid privation and pushed-to-the-limit greatness. It’s also a book that explains how love of the sea put him out there in the first place and afterward returned him there again. It is filled with surprises. The way dorados punch the bottom of his rubber raft, targeting where he’s sitting. How piscine eyeballs compared to other items on his raft’s menu. I wonder if Steven Callahan orders them up these days when dining at seafood restaurants. I’m guessing probably not. show less

Nathaniel Philbrick, in writing the lost-at-sea saga of "In the Heart of the Sea", had a much easier task than the author of this book. In Philbrick's book, there were multiple characters who interacted, which led to dialogue, conflict, arguments, and ultimately cannibalism in order to survive. In "Adrift", it's a solo journey, and that type of action isn't possible, and isn't what this book is about. In order for the reader to associate with the tedium of being alone, lost at sea for two show more and one-half months, those days adrift need to be described in that way. So there were parts of the book which seemed slow and repetitive, but that's because each day adrift certainly was that way. Ultimately, rescue was affected, and you have to admire the toughness of the author in facing the hardships of this survival challenge. show less

If you like Jack London you will enjoy this book. The author doesn't waste a lot of ink on his life before and after the 76 days which is often a problem with these first-person accounts. Nor does he prevaricate on the cause of his accident in the first place. You might think that 76 days alone on a raft plus knowing the outcome (spoiler alert: the author survives!) would make for a dull read but I felt a growing sense of dread as Callahan's situation went from bad to worse. There are very show more few books I can't put down. This was one of them. show less

First of all, let me be clear. I would NEVER have survived 76 days at sea. I wouldn't have survived 76 hours. Possibly 76 minutes. Steven Callahan is super human, or blessed, or both. You know the saying, "God takes care of children and fools"? I believe this holds true here.

He sets sail alone. His boat capsizes and he somehow gets a lot of his emergency supplies (lucky!) and gets into his raft in one piece. And he survives by catching and eating fish, including the eyes. Blech. I would so show more not have lived. Pass. Steven, you are a strong, strong dude with an especially strong stomach.

Much like his journey, it gets a bit repetitive, and he gets rather maudlin about the fish by the end, but overall a good true survival story, which is my jam. Steven, glad you made it home. What a crazy story you have to tell! 3.5 stars. show less