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Books Recommended by Our Good Jibes Guests
Shiver me timbers, winter is coming, and that means the holidays are here. For my family, it means visiting my parents to help them get the Christmas lights out of the garage and get them up on the fleet. Whether you’re hoisting multicolored LEDs, tinsel or your cups of grog in cheer, you need to think about your gift-giving to those far and near. But do not fret. You are in luck, because Latitude 38 has been asking our Good Jibes podcast guests for their favorite books. Take these recommendations from sailors like Chuck Hawley, Moe Roddy, Chip Merlin and our own John Arndt, and add some to your shopping cart.
We’ve got you covered, whether you need an idea for an unexpected guest with a gift in hand, a Secret Santa scramble, or a surprise for your old man. With these sailor-recommended books, you’re not just giving a great read, you’re giving skills, sailing insights and stories of adventures on the sea. Go buy them at your local bookstore or search for them online. Happy sailing to all, and to all we wish you a season of Good Jibes.
Book |
Good Jibes podcast guest |
| Sea-Steading by Jerome FitzGerald | Charlie Deist |
| Tinkerbelle by Robert Manry | Chuck Hawley |
| Gipsy Moth Circles the World by Sir Francis Chichester | Chuck Hawley |
| Trekka Round the World by John Guzzwell | Chuck Hawley |
| Physics of Sailing by John Kimball | Paul Dorsey |
| Fastnet Force 10 by John Rousmaniere | Brendan Huffman |
| Mutiny on the Bounty by William Bligh | Brendan Huffman |
| 10,000 Leagues Over the Sea by William Albert Robinson | Brendan Huffman |
| Dove by Robin Lee Graham | Katie Burgess |
| Moby Dick by Herman Melville | Lyall Burgess |
| At One with the Sea by Naomi James | Moe Roddy |
| Taking on the World by Ellen MacArthur | Moe Roddy |
| Adrift by Steven Callahan | Moe Roddy |
| Sailing Alone Around the World by Joshua Slocum | Jim Hancock |
| The Long Way by Bernard Moitessier | Jim Hancock |
| Mavericks & Merlins by Chip Merlin | Chip Merlin |
| How to Sail Around the World by Hal Roth | John Taussig |
| Marine Medicine by Eric A. Weiss & Michael Jacobs | John Taussig |
| Latitude 38 (technically a series of ‘mini books’ when you buy someone a year’s worth of issues delivered to their door!) | John Arndt |
If you have not yet tuned into our Good Jibes podcasts, visit www.latitude38.com/goodjibes to learn even more than book recommendations from West Coast sailors. Many in the list above are classics that have stirred sailors’ souls for decades and are worth a read or reread. Our book-review editor, John Riise (aka JR), regularly reviews new books each year. You can learn about some of this year’s new books in Sightings in the November and December issues of Latitude 38.
I am deeply disappointed that you did not recommend my book: “SURE–40 years of Sailing” which was sent to Lat. 38 in the Spring of this year. Many of the items contained in the book are direct quotes, and/or articles from your publication in the ’80s to 2000s. I specifically noted your great coverage of sailing events, and especially in the Bay Area that I was sailing in at that time. Did you ever read it?
Craig – the books listed in our ‘Lectronic Latitude article were the books recommended by the guests in our Good Jibes podcast. The November and December issues of Latitude 38 contain the books we reviewed which includes your book as the first one reviewed in our recently distributed December issue. You can see it online here: https://www.latitude38.com/issues/december-2021/#44
Dear John: Sorry, I have been traveling for medical reasons since the 1st of Dec. and had not picked up or reviewed the Dec. addition. I owe you a drink, if and when you get to St. Petersburg, FL where my boat still resides. Thanks for your comments. At the time, we did not know we were in a golden age, but it has proved to be true. However, I am still trying to keep an old dinosaur alive, and from sinking. They were great boats, and my book was a labor of love to celebrate some of those days.
well 2 series of “sailing adventures mysteries–there are others but these stand out
Bernard Cornwall: (yes THAT he of the english historical stuff)
Wildtrack, Sea Lord, Crackdown, Stormchild, Scoundrel
Sam Llewellyn
Blood Orange, Death Roll, Blood Knot, Clawhammer, Maelstrom, Dead Recokoning Deadeye, Rip Tide, Black Fish
PLUS
the “sequel” to Erskine Childers’ 1914 great “Riddle of The Sands
Shadow In The Sands also by LLewellyn
The greatest one of all is not here. It’s in my top five of any book- not just nautical: Dana’s “Two Years Before the Mast”.