The Sailor's Bookshelf
Fifty Books to Know the Sea
by Adm. James G. Stavridis, USN (Ret.)
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Pub Date Dec 15 2021 | Archive Date Feb 28 2022
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Description
Admiral Stavridis, a leader in military, international affairs, and national security circles, shares his love of the sea and some of the sources of that affection. The Sailor's Bookshelf offers synopses of fifty books that illustrate the history, importance, lore, and lifestyle of the oceans and of those who “go down to the sea in ships.” Stavridis colors those descriptions with glimpses of his own service—“sea stories” in popular parlance—that not only clarify his choices but show why he is held in such high esteem among his fellow sailors.
Divided into four main categories—The Oceans, Explorers, Sailors in Fiction, and Sailors in Non-Fiction—Admiral Stavridis’ choices will appeal to “old salts” and to those who have never known the sights of the ever-changing seascape nor breathed the tonic of an ocean breeze. The result is a navigational aid that guides readers through the realm of sea literature, covering a spectrum of topics that range from science to aesthetics, from history to modernity, from solo sailing to great battles.
Among these eclectic choices are guides to shiphandling and navigation, classic fiction that pits man against the sea, ecological and strategic challenges, celebrations of great achievements and the lessons that come with failure, economic competition and its stepbrother combat, explorations of the deep, and poetry that beats with the pulse of the wave. Some of the included titles are familiar to many, while others, are likely less well-known but are welcome additions to this encompassing collection. Admiral Stavridis has chosen some books that are relatively recent, and he recommends other works which have been around much longer and deserve recognition.
Advance Praise
“This book should be on every sailor's shelf. Admiral Stavridis's love of the sea and love of reading come through on every page.” —Tom Ricks, author and Pulitzer Prize winning reporter
“A fundamental task of developing a Sailor is learning how to pack a seabag. The shape of the bag has changed over centuries, but the size has remained small, restricting what we can take to sea. Our choices, what we put in the bag, can make all the difference in the voyage. Admiral Stavridis’ remarkable list of books and his insights offers wisdom to novice mariners and old salts alike. Everyone should find room in their seabags for this content!” —Adm. Michelle Howard, USN (Ret.), former commander United States Naval Forces Europe
“No one knows the literature of the sea better [than Admiral Stavridis]. The selections on this 'sailor's bookshelf' will be a terrific resource for both old salts and newcomers to the world's oceans. It's an instant classic!” —Adm. Harry Harris, USN (Ret.), former Commander, U.S. Pacific Command
“Admiral James Stavridis knows the sea first hand, has mastered maritime history, and always conveys its importance in a most compelling way. This collection charts a wonderful course for all who already share his passion for the sea and those ashore who wish to embrace the majesty of the oceans. Get underway and enjoy! You’ll be glad you did.” —Adm. Jay L. Johnson, USN (Ret.), former Chief of Naval Operations
“I've known Admiral James Stavridis for decades, and he deeply appreciates the sea as both a mariner and a naval officer. His keen intellect, warrior spirit and diplomatic prowess clearly qualify him as an expert judge of sea service prose by any measure. The fifty summaries of these classics are concise but very enlightening, and the individual choices of books are spot on. This sailor's bookshelf will reward any reader, whether an 'old salt' or a new Sailor straight out of boot camp.” —Master Chief Petty Officer Jim Herdt, USN (Ret.), former Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy
Available Editions
| EDITION | Hardcover |
| ISBN | 9781682476987 |
| PRICE | $24.95 (USD) |
Available on NetGalley
Featured Reviews
Renee E, Reviewer
"I have always felt that looking at the horizon from the bridge of a ship at sea, we are looking not at simple meteorological phenomena but rather are peering at eternity itself." -from The Sailor's Bookshelf
3.5 stars
This author loves two things: books and the sea. Here, he combines these two, by highlighting 50 of his favorite books. For each book, he has a quote, a summary, and some sort of connection; either meeting the author, why he thinks the book is important, or a story of his own from his adventures on the sea. By far, the last is the most compelling parts of the book. Paragraphs are enormous, and coupled with the formating errors of the book (and a fair amount of editing ones as well), it gets hard to read sometimes. Summaries are often repetitive, starting each sentence with "the author states", again and again. Does the average person need summaries of books about how to captain a ship or navigate? Probably not. If I were to have to sail or navigate a ship, I think I would make sure to read the whole book. The heart of the novel are his personal stories. I would have loved more of those- especially the ones of him at sea, including how he combated crimes he witnessed on the water, and more of the changes he has observed due to climate change, with a more emotional attachment to them- not just "I've seen this". I also would have loved to hear him expand upon the allowance of women to be midshipmen on the warship he was captain of.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and author for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Rod M, Reviewer
I have a son currently in the navy as a submariner. With the amount of time he spends under the ocean we were looking for things to read together to stay close.
Thank you Admiral James, this is the perfect book list for us to fall in love with the sea
The synopsis is perfect and I'm glad someone created a book like this
Elmira P, Bookseller
My thanks to the publisher and Net Galley for allowing me to review a copy of this book prior to release in exchange for an honest review.
I absolutely loved this book, which becomes available December 15, 2021. While it was very kind of the publisher to choose to let me review it for free, it turns out it was also a good business decision because I am buying several copies of this to give away as Christmas gifts! I absolutely loved learning from Admiral Stavridis' point of view, what it is about each of these books that hooked him, or that he thought was important, or that fired his imagination. The two to five page discussions about each of the books were the perfect length to whet my appetite for each of the books!
I highly recommend this for anyone this for anyone with a dual interest in books and oceans!
Markey O, Educator
If you have an interest in the navy, the oceans or seas, or even just good literature in general, and are looking to expand your knowledge of good resources, this is the book for you. With extensive experience and insight into both the life and knowledge need to sail and command at seas and the joys of reading, and a good sense of humor and laid-back writing style that make his descriptions of the book engaging and easy to read, Stavridis is the place to start.
Colin C, Reviewer
This is a quirky little read that I didn't fully know what to expect. Essentially written as a "Best Of" list on literature of the sea, written by a retired Navy Admiral who also has a fondness for reading. I imagine this book would serve as the perfect response to the question "what is there to know about the ocean?" As broad as that question is, there is likely a response from one of the books in this list.
I'd read a couple of the recommendations addresses in this book - from Simon Winchester and Dave Sobel - and completely agree that they are excellent books.
I had trouble assigning a rating given it's unconventional objective. Did I learn something? Yes! Was I thoroughly entertained? Not exactly. Was the writing above par? The author provides interesting context and some reflections from his life, but perhaps not enough of his voice came through to provide a true assessment. I landed on 4/5. It achieves its purpose.
Alexander M, Librarian
I enjoyed this for both Adm. Stavridis' personal reasons for picking each book as well as the variety he chose to present us with. I will have to grab a few of the books which sparked my interest.
Saadia S, Reviewer
What a beautiful book! Just like the author, I LOVE books and I LOVE the ocean. The perspective that he comes from is of course different from mine. Though as a US Navy civilian worker, I found this book to be such a breath of fresh air and really lent a different point of view to my work life.
I was not expecting that outcome!
I really enjoyed reading this memoir. I learned so much about the sea! I LOVED it! Memoirs don't always rank high on my reading this, but this one is one I really enjoyed and would recommend, but only to those with an interest in ocean/sea and books. If you don't care about at least one of those two, it may be hard for you to get through it.
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