David Spilman Fine Books

Sailing Alone Around The World; [llustrated by Thomas Fogarty and George Varian]

Slocum, Joshua Captain

New York: The Century Co. [The De Vine Press], 1900. Very Good. First Edition, 1st Printing. [8.5x6in] xvi, [1], 294 pp., frontispiece image of the "Spray" under sail, 54 illustrations (full page and in text), four pages of six charts, six plans (total of 67 image and illustrations), appendix; Dark blue cloth cover with silver lettering on front and spine, spine lettering between green rules, green ink borders on front with silver anchor entwined with green sea horse illustration on front, top edge gilt, other edges untrimmed; Some shelf wear to covers, edges and corners, corners and bottom edges bummped and frayed, rubbing to covers and joints, missing half of silvered letter on front, top and bottom of spine frayed, splits to to and bottom rear joint, uniform light age-toning to text with a few small spots in gutters, original owner W. J. Davidson dated Nov. 25, 1900 in ink on second front free end paper, ink rubber stamp signature, and continuted family ownership presentation note to Wm. Davidson Turnbull from Alice V. Davison, executor of Davidson estate, August 1937, in ink on front free end paper. Item #14460

Joshua Slocum (1844- ca 1909) was a maritime pioneer and the first person to sail solo around the world. Born in Nova Scotia in 1844, he spent his life on the ocean, rising from a cabin boy to a deep-sea captain. When the age of steamships left traditional sailing captains without work, Slocum rebuilt a discarded 37-foot oyster sloop named the Spray.

On April 24, 1895, at age 51, he set sail from Boston completely alone. He navigated without a chronometer, relying instead on dead reckoning and a cheap tin clock. His extraordinary 46,000-mile voyage lasted over three years and took him across the Atlantic, through the treacherous Strait of Magellan, across the Pacific, and around the Cape of Good Hope. He faced severe storms, coral reefs, and pirates, once defending his ship by scattering tacks on the deck to stop barefoot attackers.Slocum returned to Massachusetts on June 27, 1898.

He chronicled his historic achievement in this book, Sailing Alone Around the World, which became a classic of travel literature. In 1909, Slocum set sail on the Spray for the West Indies and vanished at sea, leaving behind an unmatched legacy of solo seamanship.

Price: $700.00