Ned Myers ; or, A Life Before the Mast
by James Fenimore Cooper
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Quebec-born Ned Myers was a fascinating character who knew he was destined for a life on the sea from an early age. Orphaned as a young boy, Myers ran away to New York City at the tender age of 11 to fulfill his dream. On one of his voyages, Myers made the acquaintance of American author James Fenimore Cooper, who was so taken with this salty sea dog that he was compelled to write this full-length biography..
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"Ned Myers; of A Life Before The Mast" edited by James Fenimore Cooper
What a great book. Ned Myers ran away to sea at age 10 and he says of it ;
"Some idea may be formed of my recklessness, and ignorance of such matters, at this time, from the circumstance that I do not remember ever to have known the name of the vessel in which I left Nova Scotia. Change an adventure were my motives, and it never occurred to me to inquire into a fact that was so immaterial to one of my temperment. To this hour, I am ignorant on the subject"
His whole carreer seems to be like this. One of shifting sands and impulse.
Some of his stories seem to be a little far fechted, he seems to have mastered the art of the 'Sea Story' or 'Whopper' and could revial Mark show more Twains "Tall Tales"
He is full of regret for the lost opprtunities that he squandered, and the dangers of too much grog. He doesn't spend alot of time beating himself for this but does warns younger men not to waste them if they come their way. He uses witty sayings all though the book to great advantage;
"Sailors make their money like horses, and spend it like asses"
or "... it being the fate of seaman to encounter the greatest risks and hardships in company, and then to cut adrift from each other, with little ceremony, never to meet again".
Overall it was a great read. Not so much about the day to day living like Dana's Two years Before the Mast, Meleville's White Jacket, Bluejacket: An Autobiography by Fred J. Buenzle or "Man-Of-War Life: A Boy's Experience in the United States Navy, During a Voyage Around the World, in a Ship of the Line" by Charles Nordhoff , but like a fine painting the whole colorfull pallat of a mans life. show less
What a great book. Ned Myers ran away to sea at age 10 and he says of it ;
"Some idea may be formed of my recklessness, and ignorance of such matters, at this time, from the circumstance that I do not remember ever to have known the name of the vessel in which I left Nova Scotia. Change an adventure were my motives, and it never occurred to me to inquire into a fact that was so immaterial to one of my temperment. To this hour, I am ignorant on the subject"
His whole carreer seems to be like this. One of shifting sands and impulse.
Some of his stories seem to be a little far fechted, he seems to have mastered the art of the 'Sea Story' or 'Whopper' and could revial Mark show more Twains "Tall Tales"
He is full of regret for the lost opprtunities that he squandered, and the dangers of too much grog. He doesn't spend alot of time beating himself for this but does warns younger men not to waste them if they come their way. He uses witty sayings all though the book to great advantage;
"Sailors make their money like horses, and spend it like asses"
or "... it being the fate of seaman to encounter the greatest risks and hardships in company, and then to cut adrift from each other, with little ceremony, never to meet again".
Overall it was a great read. Not so much about the day to day living like Dana's Two years Before the Mast, Meleville's White Jacket, Bluejacket: An Autobiography by Fred J. Buenzle or "Man-Of-War Life: A Boy's Experience in the United States Navy, During a Voyage Around the World, in a Ship of the Line" by Charles Nordhoff , but like a fine painting the whole colorfull pallat of a mans life. show less
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506+ Works 30,729 Members
James Fenimore Cooper, acclaimed as one of the first American novelists, was born in Burlington, N.J., on September 15, 1789. When he was one year old, his family moved to Cooperstown, N.Y., which was founded by his father. Cooper attended various grammar schools in Burlington, Cooperstown, and Albany, and entered Yale University in 1803 at the show more age of 13. In 1806, Cooper was expelled from Yale for pushing a rag with gunpowder under a classmate's door, causing it to explode. He then spent some time as a merchant seaman and served as a midshipman in the U.S. Navy from 1808-1811. In 1811, Cooper married Susan De Lancey, and lived the life of a country gentleman until one day in 1820. Cooper and his wife were reading a book together. When Cooper told Susan that he could write a better book than the one they were reading, she challenged him to do so. Thus began his career as an author, with Precaution (first published anonymously). Cooper is known for writing more than 50 works under his own name, Jane Morgan, and Anonymous. His works included fiction, nonfiction, history, and travel sketches. He gained insight for his travel works while the Cooper family lived in Europe from 1826 to 1833. Cooper is best known for the novel The Last of The Mohicans, which has been made into several motion picture adaptations, the most recent starring Daniel Day-Lewis as Hawkeye. The Last of the Mohicans is part of The Leatherstocking Tales, which includes the other novels, The Pioneers, The Deerslayer, and The Pathfinder. Hawkeye, whose given name is Nathaniel Bumpo, is a recurring character in the series which accurately chronicles early American pioneering life and events during the French and Indian War. In 1851, Cooper developed a liver condition, dying on September 14th of that year, just one day before his 62nd birthday. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
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Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- Ned Myers ; or, A Life Before the Mast
- Original publication date
- 1843
- First words
- It is an old remark, that the life of any man, could the incidents be faithfully told, would possess interest and instruction to the general reader.
- Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)The future is with God, to whom belongeth power, and glory, for ever and ever.
Classifications
- Genres
- Nonfiction, Biography & Memoir, History, General Nonfiction, Travel
- DDC/MDS
- 910.4 — History & geography Geography & travel modified standard subdivisions of Geography and travel Pirates & Shipwrecks
- LCC
- G540 .M94 — Geography, Anthropology and Recreation Geography (General) Seafaring life, ocean travel, etc.
- BISAC
Statistics
- Members
- 42
- Popularity
- 690,291
- Reviews
- 1
- Rating
- (3.50)
- Languages
- English, German
- Media
- Paper, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 20
- ASINs
- 3
