Alan John Villiers (1903–1982)

Captain James Cook was published in 1967 by an author born in 1903. Alan Villiers might be called one of the last great sailing ship seamen. It is hard to separate the book from Villiers because while a biography of James Cook, it is also an in-depth experience of full-rigged sailing ships through the eyes of a great sailor. Villiers crewed on some of the last full-rigged working sailing ships in the 1920s (they lasted that long because they were cheaper than coal ships for some uses). He show more then bought his own and trained sailors. He went all over the world. He is a poetic writers who wrote for National Geographic among others. He was famous by the 1950s and wrote a couple dozen books. This biography of Cook may be his masterpiece, though I suspect there are some more hidden treasures to be uncovered.

His writing reminds me of Joseph Mitchell ("Up in the Old Hotel"). Energetic vocabulary and description that leaves one bewildered and in awe. The sort of thing you might read for a lifetime with profit, this is a book to learn from. And it transports back to another age. Villiers is from another age, he was in the 20th century but solidly in the stream of 18th century maritime life. Perhaps the perfect person to write about Cook, whom he unabashedly admires, understanding the challenges he faced and overcame. The book is not perfect, the first sections are not so good and it's probably not the best to get all the facts on Cook, though it is essential to experiencing life on the sea. Nevertheless the core of the book, the three journeys, are well worth a rediscovery. show less

A very enjoyable retrospective of a life touched by the sea: Villier's first ventures into sailing, his move to a shore life as sailing boats ceased to be a major means of transport, his return for voyages and eventually as a life. His individual voyages may be better – more fully – told elsewhere, but the early narrative is perhaps as good a tale of going to sea as Eric Newby's The Last Grain Race, and perhaps even better as Villiers struggles with working ships as a career just at the show more point when sailing is being abandoned. Overall, a good read. show less

This is such a cute story and the fact that is is based on true events makes it even more special. Joey is a little ginger kitten who went to sea aboard the Joseph Conrad with author Alan Villiers. According to Villiers, the events in the story are real. Joey caught flying fish, fought with a bird, and really did fall overboard!
The illustrations are wonderful, too.

Villiers gives the background of a number of ships that disappeared during the early 1950's. He tells the history of the ship, the preparations for the final voyage, the background of the captain & crew and any other details that may be a factor in the final voyage. Some of the cases he describes took place during the 1930's and 1940's. Most of the disappearances could be explained in part, but a few were of ships that were well maintained and well supplied and still disappeared without show more explanation. show less