Alone at Sea: The Adventures of Joshua Slocum

Ted Thring is a book reviewer for the Queen’s University radio
station.

Born in Nova Scotia in 1844, Joshua Slocum went to sea at an early age
and rose to become a sea captain and ship owner. In this capacity, he
made numerous voyages to many foreign ports. He also became an American
citizen. In 1890, he found himself on the beach in Fairhaven, Mass. The
age of sail was ending, and he had no hope of getting another command.
He was given a derelict oyster boat, which he repaired and provisioned
for a solo voyage. In 1895, he set off on a round-the-world voyage that
lasted more than three years. On his return, he was feted as a hero and
became a popular lecturer. Some 10 years later, the sea called him
again; he set out alone in 1908 and was never heard from again.

Alone at Sea covers the same ground as Walter Teller’s 1956 volume,
Joshua Slocum, and uses many of the same illustrations. Spencer, who
tends to emphasize the personal aspects of the tale over the historical
ones, has produced an account that is more readable than Teller’s.
However, devoting more attention to Slocum’s thoughts and feelings
also results in a rather disjointed narrative.

For libraries that do not hold the Teller book, Alone at Sea is a
worthwhile purchase.