Amazon.com
Published under the pennants of the American Sailing Association and theUnited States Coast Guard Auxiliary, Sailing Fundamentals is an excellentguide for novice sailors ready to get their feet wet. This comprehensive manualhelps beginners learn basic sailing and coastal cruising with step-by-stepinstructions for everything from hoisting the sail to docking. Written withclear prose by GaryJobson--tactician aboard the 1977 America's Cup-winningCourageous--Sailing Fundamentals is specially designed to helpsailors qualify for ASA certification--essential if you wish to charter aboat.

Necessary reading for novice sailors--and an excellent reference forintermediate to advanced sailors. --M. SteinBook Description
Written by America's foremost instructional authority, the new edition of Sailing Fundamentals combines the training programs of the American Sailing Association and the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary. The official learn-to-sail manual of the American Sailing Association, it is also used in the programs of many yacht clubs, colleges, and sailing groups. Unlike most introductory sailing books, which reflect the biases and idiosyncrasies of their authors, Sailing Fundamentals has been extensively pretested by ASA professional instructors to ensure that it offers the fastest, easiest, most systematic way to learn basic sailing and basic coastal cruising. This book covers every aspect of beginning sailing -- from hoisting sail to docking and anchoring -- and specifically prepares the learner to qualify for sailing certification according to international standards. Widely acclaimed author Gary Jobson has won several major races, including the 1977 America's Cup victory as tactician aboard Courageous. He was head sailing coach at the U.S. Naval Academy, and has conducted sailing clinics across the country. Illustrated step-by-step in two colors with over 150 line drawings and photographs.

... Read more

Customer Reviews (32)

Alright for beginners
The book is pretty BASIC, and for beginners it's a least the minimum that you need to know before hop on !!!! Tells you a little bit of everything, but if you looking something more especific or deep in details, definally IS NOT the right one !!!!
Really good to know boats part and names though !!!!

Not a very good guide...
I took the ASA 101 course and a lot of the material that was asked on the test was not emphasized in the book. I found it very dry, somewhat scattered and generally not enjoyable from which to learn.

I've only skimmed through New Complete Sailing Manual by Steve Sleight and that book looks like it might be a lot easier to understand.

Complete, but with poor illustrations
I have both Sailing Fundamentals and the US Sailing Basic Keelboat text.Overall, I find the Sailing Fundamentals to the more complete text of the two.However, the editing is sloppy in places and the illustrations are lacking compared to the US Sailing text.For those of you who are very visually oriented, I would suggest getting both texts.The US Sailing illustrations are very good.

ASA Manual
This manual is used by the American Sailing Association (ASA) for their sailing fundamentals class. Everything is useful and well explained, no fluff. Great for beginners and sailors that want to do the basics right.

Learning how to sail
This book provides the fundamental theory for getting started sailing. As with any activity that is learned with practice, readers should not expect to learn how to sail by reading the book. Reading it alone is really boring, but once you start sailing, many of the concepts explained in the book strat to make sense and it is a really useful reference. ... Read more

Amazon.com
Attention landlubbers: If you don't know your port from your starboard, tacking from jibing, then you need to experience clear sailing with the Dummies. With the usual cargo of good humor and demystifying tone, this mast in the Dummies armada lifts the fog on confusing nautical language, teaches the basics about maneuvering a sailboat from dock to open ocean, floats important safety information, and offers advice and info on a variety of related issues (knots, racing, sailboards, how to buy a sailboat). Whether you want to learn to sail or just talk like a sailor, Sailing for Dummies is your anchor to life on the water.Book Description
Interested in learning to sail but feel like you’re navigating in murky waters? Sailing for Dummies, Second Edition introduces the basics of sailing, looks at the different types of sailboats and their basic parts, and teaches you everything you need to know before you leave the dock.

In Sailing for Dummies, Second Edition, two U.S. sailing champions show you how to:

• Find and choose a sailing school
• Use life jackets correctly
• Tie ten nautical knots
• Handle sailing emergencies (such as capsizing and rescuing a man overboard)
• Launch your boat from a trailer, ramp, or beach
• Get your boat from point A to point B (and back again)
• Predict and respond to water and wind conditions
• Read charts, plot your course, use a compass, and find your position at sea

Sailing for Dummies shows you that getting out on the water is easier than you think. The authors keep the sailor-speak to a minimum where possible, but give you a grasp of the terminology you need to safely and effectively communicate with your crew. A textbook, user’s manual, and reference all in one, this book takes the intimidation out of sailing and gives you the skills and confidence you need to get your feet wet and become the sailing pro you’ve always wanted to be. Anchors away! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (23)

Well done !!!
This book is well written.I continue to buy this book for friends who want to learn more about sailing.As a result, I get better and better crew members on my Catalina 36.

First half of it very good
While not as good as Gary Jobson's Sailing Fundamentals, this is a good beginning book for sailors.

Sailing For Dummies
This is an excellent resource guide for those who are beginning sailing. The only thing it lacks is an adequate number of photos illustrating processes & procedures on the water.


If I would have had such a book, back in 1990 when I purchased my own Cruising Sloop keelboat, it would have helped to make my learning curve a lot easier.

A Sailing Handbook
The basics of sailing are told with personal experiences which make this handbook fun and entertaining.You'll learn things about sailing you didn't know you would need to know.

Excellently written book
Lusting to sail the Bahamas, this is the first sailing book I have read, and it was just what I needed. It is nicely written, so that I could read it like a novel. They have a good sense of humor and they cover a lot of what you need to know. ... Read more

Amazon.com
First launched in 1983, Annapolis remains the sailor's bible, a comprehensive chapter and verse guide to all aspects of seamanship from the simplest ABC's to the most advanced skills and latest electronics. And while much of the original edition has been left in dry dock to make way for the many changes on the water since 1983--like multihull vessels, satellite tracking, and the reality that while all ships remain "she," there is no longer the assumption that it's a "he" at the helm--Rousmaniere still emphasizes what he's stressed from the first tack: the importance of mastering sailing's fundamentals. This means knowing every inch of your boat and how to handle her, understanding the importance of safety on the seas and preparing for all emergencies, reading the weather, learning to navigate, knowing essential boat maintenance, and being aware of the traditions every sailor steps into whenever he or she sticks feet in a pair of topsiders. Clearly organized and presented, cleanly and smoothly written (given how much technical information he presents, Rousmaniere's prose is blessedly jargon-free), and thoroughly illustrated with photos and drawings, Annapolis is as essential as a good wind, perhaps the one volume no sailor should leave port without. --Jeff SilvermanBook Description
Since the publication of the widely hailed first edition in 1983, The Annapolis Book of Seamanship has set the standard by which other books on sailing are measured. Used throughout America as a textbook in sailing schools and Power Squadrons, The Annapolis Book of Seamanship thoroughly and clearly covers the fundamental and advanced skills of modern sailing. This edition of Annapolis is a major overhaul. Over half the book has been revised; old topics and features have been updated, and many new ones have been introduced. The design has been modernized, and many color illustrations have been added.

As big and detailed as Annapolis is, the wealth of technical information (including dozens of step-by-step instructions) is presented here in a way that is uniquely readable; it's both useful and easy to use. This is because John Rousmaniere and artist Mark Smith bring to Annapolis decades of experience both as sailors and as professional communicators.

Annapolis emphasizes the standard skills and proven methods that eliminate error and confusion, ensure security in emergencies, and allow every sailor more time for enjoyment on the water. Much has changed on the water since 1983 when this book was originally published. Black buoys are now green, the Global Positioning Satellite navigation system (GPS) is almost universally used, new types of anchors and sails have appeared, safety skills and gear are vastly improved, many more women are commanding boats, and catamarans and trimarans are common where only monohulls used to sail.

But for all these modern developments, the basic skills and spirit of sailing have not changed at all. Sail trimming, keeping up steerageway, maintaining the dead reckoning plot, heaving-to -- these fundamentals are as important now as ever and receive much attention here. Among the innovations in this edition are:

* Basic skills in early chapters: Fundamental sailing and boat-handling skills and gear, which are introduced in chapters 1, 2, and 3.

* "Hands On" segments: Three dozen special sections, each devoted to a particular seamanship problem and an expert solution.

* More how-to tips: Additional rules of thumb that guide a crew quickly and successfully through seamanship problems.

* New coverage of multihulls: Advice on evaluating, anchoring, and handling catamarans and trimarans under sail (including in storms).

* More on emergencies: New material on emergencies, safety, and heavy-weather sailing, including a section on preparing a docked boat for a hurricane.

* Equipment updates: Expanded coverage of the use and care of modern gear and hardware, including radar, GPS, rescue devices, and asymmetrical spinnakers.

* Terminology: Full definition and illustration of major terms when they're first introduced, with alternative language provided in parentheses.

* Gender: The use of feminine personal pronouns, which reflect the fact that more women are captaining and sailing boats than ever before.

From navigation and seamanship to boat and gear maintenance, from pleasure cruising to heavy-weather sailing, here is the definitive, state-of-the-art guide that provides systematic step-by-step techniques to see you through every situation on deck and in the cockpit. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (22)

The Annapolis Book of Seamanship
Reading this book will shorten any sailor's learning curve. It covers all aspects of the sport. John Rousmanierehas compiled an amazing reference/textbook that is interesting, informative and invaluable. I highly recommend this book to sailors at all levels of proficiency. Thank you Mr. Rousmaniere for this wonderful resource.

Covers all basic and intermediate seamanship knowledge
Great book for acquiring basic and intermediate seamanship knowledge. Also very useful as reference for refreshing your knowledge.

One Hand For Yourself, One Hand For The Ship
THE ANNAPOLIS BOOK OF SEAMANSHIP by John Rousmaniere is the ur-text on sailing used by virtually every sailing school as its primary educational source. Now in its third edition, this eminently readable and well illustrated book is encyclopedic in its scope, crammed full of practical information about sailing vessels, the mechanics of sailing them, and the traditions of sailing. It's a measure of the excellence of THE ANNAPOLIS BOOK OF SEAMANSHIP how familiarly Rousmaniere presents this largely alien topic with its many very specialized terms of art.

Rousmaniere wisely eschews most of the romance of sailing in favor of much more important considerations, such as boat care, boat handling, and especially safety at sea. Sailing may be enjoyable and it may be challenging, but it is also a dangerous avocation by its very nature, and the author never lets "salty talk" befog that issue. This is NOT a quick reference book for those who want to hoist the jolly roger and give no quarter while tied to the dock; this is a bible for serious SAILORS, whether on the local lake, Puget Sound or the South China Sea

While it can't give you the hands-on experience that being before the mast confers, THE ANNAPOLIS BOOK OF SEAMANSHIP will give you the theory and information you need to make the most of that experience.

Has good info...
This book has some pretty good info and is quite comprehensive and well laid out.If you're going to buy 1 book, let it be this one.That's if you ever get around to reading it (it being so comprehensive and all) it's almost easier to go out sailing than trawl through it's many pages!But a worthwhile reference.

Smooth sailing
Unlike some reference books that I have seen, the Annapolis Book of Seamanship is clearly written and understandable for this novice. ... Read more

Book Description
In a book that is sure to become a classic, internationally respected boatbuilder, yacht manager, and delivery skipper Bill Seifert shares his hard-won solutions to a host of boat design, construction, and equipment issues and seamanship dilemmas. Unlike other books on the subject, Offshore Sailing doesn’t just tell readers what to do for safe and comfortable passage making; it shows them how to do it with clear, step-by-step instructions and nearly 200 detailed drawings and photographs. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

Don't leave harbour without it!
So many ideas, most will save you time, some safety tips could save your life.

Offshore Sailing: 200 Essential tips
I recommend this book to all novices and many experienced offshore sailors to prepare for the unexpected problems that you need to address or avoid especially when you are so exposed to the extremes of nature, and completely disconnected from any immediate help. Lots of good lessons learned and references.
Chris C.

Required reading for ASA108 certification
This book looks disappointing at first because it is a thin expensive hardcover, but it is worth the money. There is very little fluff and the content is well structured and to the point. It covers most things necessary to prepare your boat for offshore sailing including tool lists, weight distribution, polars and VMG, secants and many other useful tips. Lots of pictures, tables and diagrams.

Offshoore Sailing: 2000 passagemaking tips
This is a very comprehensive book explaining what you need to know about offshore sailing.

Take the hint(s).
It would be foolish to think about seriously sailing or cruising without taking Bill Seifert's learned counsel!! ... Read more

Book Description
Landlubbers joke that sailors are always wanting to head off to the ends of the earth, but Chris Santella takes that life-changing desire very seriously. In this, the third installment in his immensely successful “Fifty Places” series, Santella assembles a crew of the world’s greatest championship racers and professional adventurers and persuades them to disclose their favorite destinations around the globe.

Interviewees include some of the best-known men and women in the sport: Tom Whidden and Gary Jobson (members of the winning 1987 America’s Cup crew), Jeff Johnstone (of J-Boats), award-winning sailing writer Lin Pardy, and many others. The amazingly diverse places they’ve selected range from clubby East Coast ports (Marblehead, Annapolis), to idyllic tropical refuges (Ilha Grande, Brazil; the Polynesian atoll of Mopelia), to some of the most hair-raisingly treacherous waters on earth (Cape Horn).

Coastlines around the world—even Antarctica and the Arctic—are represented, and the chosen spots include some spectacular inland waters, such as the Bras d’Or Lakes and the North Channel of Lake Huron. For each of the 50 places, the sailor recommending the venue spins an entertaining yarn about his or her experience there, and each description is accompanied by a "make you want to go there now" photograph. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

very pleased
what a wonderful book to get started!!!my husband has read it front to cover and has learned many important points.

Disappointing
Obviously, Chris is not a sailor and was not intending for this book to purchased by sailors. There is not much information that sailors would find of importance such as the coordinates, good anchoring spots or even the nearest harbor.I received this as a gift, I never would have purchased it for myself. Photos are great, but lacking good information.

Great Idea; Mediocre Execution
Chris Santella`s "Fifty Places to Sail Before You Die" is an interesting but ultimately disappointing book.Although the idea of a collection of unforgettable places to sail is an excellent idea, this book is one of unrealized potential.

The author contacted and interviewed famous sailors from around the world - racers, charterers, instructors, photographers, etc. - for their favorite places to sail.For each great sailing area, he wrote a 3-4 page blurb about the area, and included a small bio of the expert along with some basic information about how to travel to the area, when the best sailing season is, and information about local accommodations and charters.

Unfortunately, Santella does not sell these sailing locales.I expected a book on great sailing areas to include numerous dazzling photographs of each area, but most of the sections include only one picture from the area (some none).Too many of the write-ups focus on the history of sailing an area or other trivia instead of the reasons to sail that area now, and there are no maps to give one a flavor of the area - another must, to me, in a book about sailing locations.

Despite these drawbacks, there is still some interesting information in this book and the sailing locales are a nice sampling of different types of sailing locales.Ultimately, although this book did not give me a burning desire to travel to many of these places, this book is still a worthwhile purchase for anyone with a love of sailing.

This doesn't make the list of 50 books to read before you die.
This has snipets by some of the greatest living sailors, but has some glaring omissions. Also, the editing seems to have take the life out of many of these characters. The book is arranged in alphabetic sequence. It would have been more useful to have it in sequence by continent. This would have been more interesting with stories about things that happened in these beautiful places. As it is, it's just a - here's a nice place, here's another nice place, and on and on. A cruising guide to the various regions would be a more entertaining read. ... Read more

Book Description
Aimed at sailboat owners of all kinds, this reference book contains 200 entries packed with solid practical advice and valuable tips. The alphabetical reference format offers the reader opportunities to open the book at any page and browse endlessly. Cartoons by Sail Magazine cartoonist Tom Payne enliven the text. A comprehensive appendix covers over 50 technical topics. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Good primer, but not for a complete novice...
This book would've been indispensable had it contained simple sketches and photos to illustrate author's point. It would've been nice for a novice to actually see an illustration of different keel designs or pictures of commonly used knots or sail types. As for tips and advice, they are indeed common sense. Will look forward for an updated / revised addition.

Recommended reading
This is a fun book. The cover does it justice. If you've ever had the misfortune to get wrapped up in the expensive world of boating, this will bring both knowedge and laughter. John Vigor does an excellent job of conveying both his love of this pasttime, and the lessons he's learned over the years.

A great book of sailors' "lessons learned," well worth the price!
This is a great, easy-to-read book of sailors' "lessons learned," written by a man with much more experience at sea than most of us will ever have. It is not a book intended to teach you how to sail, but one with the intent of telling you how to avoid problems, both on and off the water. It is organized alphabetically, by subject, and the end of the book includes many useful tables, formulas, etc., that you might not easily find anywhere else. It covers various preventive techniques, ways to correct problems if they do occur, and things that merchants and repairmen might never tell you unless you know to ask. I also like that this book includes a fair amount of humor, and that the subjects covered are not all purely technical. Vigor goes so far as to address the phenomenon of "hearing voices" at sea, various superstitions, and even how to rename a boat in a way that doesn't cause it to become unlucky. This is a great little book and is well worth the price

Now they tell me!
This book is such a complete hoot; also it's full of helpful insights into all the things I wanted to know but was too stupid to ask! It's such a fun to read book that I even read the sections about the stuff I (thought) I already knew - and I'll do it again too. Mr Vigor's writing style is just so friendly and understandable, that it's a pleasure to read and learn from.

In short, you won't regret having purchased this book - it's affordable and fun.

Things I Wish I'd Known Before I Started Sailing
This book contained lots of helpful hints for the new sailor in a humorous way.Easy and fun to read! ... Read more

Book Description
The Complete Sailor takes the reader from the first sail to a mastery of small-boat handling. Weaving his writing around 600 drawings by noted marine illustrator Kelly Mulford, David Seidman has created a book in which each double-page spread invites the eye and communicates volumes of information. The Complete Sailor goes beyond other learn-to-sail books to cover navigation, boat design, and seamanship. Encyclopedic in scope yet warm in style, it conveys the magic as well as the techniques of sailing. Among the other topics covered: anchoring, ropework, rigging, weather, fog, squalls, currents and tides, rules of the road, trailering, and working the winds. The book is a gentle introduction for those just starting out, and a guide to new horizons for those who already sail. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (30)

For beginners - A MUST
New at sailing?Don't go further without buying this book.Delightful, informative, artistic, succinct.I bought 5 books on sailing after falling inlove with it and this is the best one.
Buy two and give one to a friend.

good beginners reference
lots of black and white drawings make the info clear..very basic..great starter, add to your library

Sailing for the VERY first time
For the skilled sailer the book will be a dissapointment.
That said, the book will be an important source of all kinds of maritim knowledge for the beginner.

just my style
After sailing by bits and pieces since I was a child, I had no formal instruction of any kind. when I finally succumed to yacht ownership, where mistakes can be costly, I looked arund to find a single, straightforward book what would confirm what I had been doing right, let me know what I was doing wrong, and show me volumes of stuff I never would have figured out. ...and the illustrations are cool!

For the Intermediate Sailor
If you've been sailing for a little while and are looking to expand your knowledge, this book will give you many great tips. ... Read more

Book Description
In Sailing the Wine-Dark Sea, his fourth volume to explore “the hinges of history,” Thomas Cahill escorts the reader on another entertaining—and historically unassailable—journey through the landmarks of art and bloodshed that defined Greek culture nearly three millennia ago.

In the city-states of Athens and Sparta and throughout the Greek islands, honors could be won in making love and war, and lives were rife with contradictions. By developing the alphabet, the Greeks empowered the reader, demystified experience, and opened the way for civil discussion and experimentation—yet they kept slaves. The glorious verses of the Iliad recount a conflict in which rage and outrage spur men to action and suggest that their “bellicose society of gleaming metals and rattling weapons” is not so very distant from more recent campaigns of “shock and awe.” And, centuries before Zorba, Greece was a land where music, dance, and freely flowing wine were essential to the high life. Granting equal time to the sacred and the profane, Cahill rivets our attention to the legacies of an ancient and enduring worldview. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (61)

A bit disappointing
Despite the subtitle of the book, Cahill has very little to say about why the Greeks matter.The book is rather short on analysis in general, and consists largely of lengthy quotations from Greek works (Homeric epics, dramas, Plato's Socratic dialogues, Thucydides, and descriptions of greek visual arts, etc.) with which the reader who was interested enough to pick up this book is probably already familiar, followed by sparse commentary by Cahill which takes for granted some prior knowledge but doesn't add much to it.

Also, some of the choices he makes about what material to treat at length and what material to omit are quite strange.To give just one example, in the chapter on Greek philosophy, Cahill devotes pages to the Pythagoreans, whom he himself admits were considered bizarre by most Greeks.This might be justifiable given their influence on Plato, who was slightly more mainstream and of course has had tremendous historical influence.But then, turning to Aristotle, he spends a paragraph giving a brief list of a few of Aristotle's tremendous achievements (such as inventing formal logic and the science of biology), but then dismisses the subject by saying that Aristotle is "boring."I'm not kidding.He also says that Aristotle didn't have the philosophical scope, depth or insight of his master Plato, but this is certainly debatable to say the least, and in a book about why the Greeks matter to Western civilization, this treatment of Aristotle (the rediscovery of whose works in the Middle Ages led to the Renaissance) is really inexplicable, and unforgivable.

If you are interested in the Greeks but have only sketchy knowledge about them, this might be an okay introduction.Otherwise, skip it.

Excellent Historian
Thomas Cahill is arguably one of the best historians writing today.
The Hinges of History series is phenomenal.

Aegean Genesis
All of the books in Thomas Cahill's Hinges of History popular history series are engaging and occasionally irreverent.Sometimes, however, a book's title premise does end up seeming just a bit smaller than the number of pages allotted to it.In "Sailing the Wine-Dark Sea, Why the Greeks Matter," the reverse is true.The book's covers struggle to contain the ideas within.To paraphrase Peter Benchley: You're going to need a bigger book.Cahill doesn't though.Somehow he manages to fit much of the genesis of the long journey to who we are today within the book's 304 pages of text and appendices.The reader will find philosophy, theatre, history, sculpture and rhetoric, and many other Greek roots of Western civilization, all bubbling up in Mr. Cahill's happy cauldron.

After reading Edith Hamilton's classic popular history "The Greek Way," a person could legitimately feel that he or she has learned much through Ms. Hamilton's literate and well-reasoned presentation of ancient Greek thought and deed.On the other hand, when a reader finishes "Why the Greeks Matter," he or she may feel the need to rush out and devour Homer, Aeschylus, Pindar, Sappho and Plato.That same reader may also feel a compulsion to book a flight to Greece in order to be able to look up from a guide book and see the Parthenon atop the Acropolis or to sail the wine-dark sea in a ship of any hue.

The Greeks do matter, and Mr. Cahill makes a reader want to realize that truth.

Another excellent entry in the Hinges of History series by Cahill
Thomas Cahill is doing a great service in making the basic tenets of Western European history available, readable and enjoyable. After a few decades of trying so hard to right the wrongs of centuries and thereby turning the pendulum so far back, the study of history would seem to start and end with ANYTHING BUT "dead white males" which does a disservice to everybody. Cahill would remind us of the highlights of the sharedcultural history for all of us who live in the Western world, no matter where our ancestors came from.
Picking apart, as some reviewers have done, that he doesn't delve into this or that major battle or expound on the importance of the trireme...that is exactly the type of dry academic history that drives off the reader who is wants a book to be interesting and to learn something new, not to pass a test.At this Cahill is excellent. I could quibble too, having my favorite time periods or persons skimmed over, but the idea is for these 5 books, the "Hinges of History" series (How the Irish Saved Civilization, The Gifts of the Jews, The Desire of the Everlasting Hills, the Mysteries of the Middle Ages) to be light and quickly read. This book on the Greeks gives us a quick look at their civilization, its arts, plays, (Homer rates a chapter untohimself as it should be, and in fact made me want to go read the translation by Fogle he quotes from extensively)...their warfare, recreation, philosophy, finally, how they "ended", when their they were conquered first by Alexander the Great and then by Rome, and then even further culturally extinguished by their absorption into Christianity which changed the uniqueness ofwhat they were forever, for better or worse.
The Greeks invented democracy, not so little a thing when you think about it, and utilized it, really actually utilized it, for a long time. Eventually their political sytemtoo devolved into tyranny, and then they were conquered by outsiders, but for a brief time in all of the long history of the past in all of the planet,there was a small city-state which came up with this unbelievable idea, and put it into action. That, alone, would make them, asa people, memorable. Yes, they had slaves, and treated women badly (no worse than most ancient cultures and many modern ones however.)
Their democracy--actually, speaking only of Athen's and it's colonies for about 200 years: "Athens the world's firsts attempt at a democracy---a Greek word meaning "rule by the people"---still stands out as the most wildly participatory government in history. Never again would such a broadly based...model be attempted. And...it worked."
(Sparta, on the other hand,was "ruled by...a council of old men, was an airless, artless,nightmare of xenophobic military preparedness, the North Korea of its day.")
The Athenians idealized beauty, invented philosophical discussion, took mathematics and medicine from the ancient Egyptians and in the case of mathematics, kept on and on with it, tying it to philosophy and turning it something no longer earthbound, no longer just for the building of monuments for dead kings.
A worthwhile book, one that would hopefully introduce some people to the Greeks, reintroduce others, and perhaps help rehabilitate them again into our cultural legacy where they belong. Without them, none of us would be as we are, and probably be the worse for it.

Greek History "Lite"
Actually I was enjoying the book most of the way through. Cahill writes well, without every drab detail that most history textbooks include. My disappointment started around chapter 7 "Greco-Roman Meets Judeo-Christian" where Cahill applauds separation of church and state. Worse, he takes it a step further and jumps on the Bush-bashing bandwagon, even specifically calling out Don Rumsfeld as an imperialist and criticizing the current administration for a "dismissive" approach to the UN. Perhaps the author hadn't noticed the UN is filled with dictators and deep corruption. Sorry Mr. Cahill, you just alienated half of your fan base. ... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (6)

Greatest Sailing Stories Ever Told
This collection is hard to beat--it represents a broad cross-section of authors and provides enough sailing yarns to relate around the barbie for months to come!

Enjoyable assortment of stories
As a one-time sailor, I was taken back to the "old days" by many of these stories.Some are humourous, some awe inspiring, but I think most would be enjoyed by mariner and landlubber alike.

A mish mash of good and not so good stories
Seems like the selection proccess of stopries was more what the publisher could get (probably cheap) than a good selection of really good stories.Sure there are some good ones (Like en excerpt from Pete Goss's book) but the continuity in the book totally lacks - and I haven't even finished the book yet after 4 months - and I love sailing books - normally cannot put them down if they are well written.

A good addition.
A broad selection of sea stories -- you have probably already read some of them -- combined as a collection of short stories.An enjoyable addition to an onboard library.

enjoyable short stories
a nice intro to many different authors.Very enjoyable.The greatest? ... Read more

Book Description
Boats are affected by wind, tide, current, gravity and many other natural phenomena, and exist in a world of dynamic and constant change. The author looks at the sailboat through the eyes of a popular scientist and explains the scientific reasons why the boat behaves as it does. This book will help all sailors be more in tune with their boats and the water around them. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

The Why I Like this Book - Review
This is a good book that explains how sailboats work and why. This is a good book for someone who's been sailing for a long time and wants a deeper understanding without invoking calculus. This is also a good book for someone just starting in sailing that needs to learn the why of how things work on a sailboat.
This book is written at a junior college level, so it's not too deep, but it does explore the topic. I found myself wishing it was longer because the subjects are covered so clearly.

Both science and nautical libraries will find this appealing and easy to digest.
THE WHY BOOK OF SAILING: THE CURIOUS SAILOR'S GUIDE TO THE SCIENCE OF SAILING AND SEAMANSHIP blends sailing with science and surveys a range of topics using an easy question-and-answer format linking common sailing issues and questions with nautical science. Back and white photos pepper an account considering changes in navigation and piloting strategy based on science discoveries, how boats can dock more effectively, and much more. Both science and nautical libraries will find this appealing and easy to digest.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

Very useful reading
This little book is an easy read and contains a wealth of useful information for the weekend sailor.It is very well written by an author who is both physics teacher and sailor.Highly recommend it!

Good topic, poor formatting
I generally agree with the other reviewers about the author's ability to make sailing understandable within a framework of Physics and scientific explanations. However, the lack of proper editing of the book proved a severe annoyance. The figures and graphs are not numbered, and the illustrations are not properly referenced in the body of the text. Thus, if there are two graphs in close proximity, the reader has to guess which graph the author is referring to when attempting to clarify a particular point. Many of the sentences are painfully convoluted.
This otherwise useful volume needed a good copy editor.

A great read, even for the non-sailor!
Sure there's plenty of halyards, blocks, sloops, booms, furls, rhumb lines, doubloons and the like, but there also a genuine sense of wonder about the world in which we live that sailor and land-lover can share.The author demonstrates an uncanny ability to distill long and deep thought into clear, concise, and best of all interesting writing.A recommended read for anyone who simply enjoys the pleasure of finding things out! ... Read more

Product Description
Sailing Grace is the author's account of drowning in heart disease, fighting back to the surface, and sailing on.It begins with him flat on his back in a local health club and ends 31 months and 4000 miles later when he and his family maneuver their sailboat Grace to Schull Harbor, Ireland. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Compelling Journey on So Many Levels
Several months ago, I attended a lecture and book signing by John Otterbacher in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
I was expecting some exciting, but predictable swashbuckling tales of adventure on the high seas but instead, I ran into a very compelling story of a person, and family, overcoming a difficult medical challenge to pursue a dream. The sailing voyage in itself is very compelling, but the blending of personal struggle, blue water adventure, and poetry of writing style made the book a real joy to read. I have purchased several additional copies for friends.

Raw Courage and Spiritual Acceptance
"Sailing Grace" is a gripping and beautifully written saga of courage, determination, fear and exileration.

Amidst a terrifying awakening to his mortality John Otterbacher pushes forward into life, facing the challenge of a trans-oceanic cruise.But this is not a man-victorious-over-nature story.Ultimately it is a story about acceptance of life (and death) on its own terms.Without so much as a syllable of preachiness or corniness the author tells a story of transformation not triumph.There is an honestness and authenticity about this author that you can't help but love and admire.

Yes, the adventure of sailing is in the book, but it is really about the adventure of life.Read this book.

If you need inspiration ...
John Otterbacher proves that simply making the decision to LIVE makes it a possibility in the face of all odds.

More than a simple recounting of his heart problems and his adventures at sea, Sailing Grace is a love story about a man and his family. A tale of obstacles overcome and the determination to live life on his own terms, you will sail through this book.

I could not put this book down
I began to read Sailing Grace on a flight from Chicago to San Diego.Over the next 4 hours I was transported into a world of sailing, high adventure, courage and living life to the fullest while staring into the eyes of death. I was disappointed when the plane landed and drove home, poured myself some lemonade and finished the book on my back deck before I could go to bed.If you like true stories that make you feel like you're there, read this book!- Terry Hunefeld, San Diego ... Read more

Book Description
A gripping intellectual adventure story, Sailing from Byzantium sweeps you from the deserts of Arabia to the dark forests of northern Russia, from the colorful towns of Renaissance Italy to the final moments of a millennial city under siege….

Byzantium: the successor of Greece and Rome, this magnificent empire bridged the ancient and modern worlds for more than a thousand years. Without Byzantium, the works of Homer and Herodotus, Plato and Aristotle, Sophocles and Aeschylus, would never have survived. Yet very few of us have any idea of the enormous debt we owe them.

The story of Byzantium is a real-life adventure of electrifying ideas, high drama, colorful characters, and inspiring feats of daring. In Sailing from Byzantium, Colin Wells tells of the missionaries, mystics, philosophers, and artists who against great odds and often at peril of their own lives spread Greek ideas to the Italians, the Arabs, and the Slavs.

Their heroic efforts inspired the Renaissance, the golden age of Islamic learning, and Russian Orthodox Christianity, which came complete with a new alphabet, architecture, and one of the world’s greatest artistic traditions.

The story’s central reference point is an arcane squabble called the Hesychast controversy that pitted humanist scholars led by the brilliant, acerbic intellectual Barlaam against the powerful monks of Mount Athos led by the stern Gregory Palamas, who denounced “pagan” rationalism in favor of Christian mysticism.

Within a few decades, the light of Byzantium would be extinguished forever by the invading Turks, but not before the humanists found a safe haven for Greek literature. The controversy of rationalism versus faith would continue to be argued by some of history’s greatest minds.

Fast-paced, compulsively readable, and filled with fascinating insights, Sailing from Byzantium is one of the great historical dramas–the gripping story of how the flame of civilization was saved and passed on.


From the Hardcover edition. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (21)

The Legacy of Byzantium
The Byzantine Empire left an enormous influence on the world that continued to ripple far after Constantinople collapsed in 1453. Colin Wells approaches the subject of the Byzantine legacy by discussing the effect of the empire's interactions with three important geo-political spheres: The Western, Islamic and Slavic worlds.

The works of ancient Greece that are crucial to secular education in the West were passed on to the budding European intelligentsia by Byzantine humanists whose knowledge of Greek was indispensable. The early Islamic world received and expanded on Byzantium's "Outside Wisdom" from centuries of warfare and diplomatic or cultural exchanges. The Muslim world came to emulate one of its most bitter enemies before its Ottoman Turkish incarnation absorbed and became Byzantium's successor state. The most noticeable effect of Constantinople on the Slavic world of early Eastern Europe and Eurasia was in eventually passing the leadership reins of Orthodox Christianity to Moscow, which was named the Third Rome by its tsars.

"Sailing from Byzantium" covers a heavy subject but the author firmly brings a fascinating world back to the forefront of discussion with this readily accessible read. Colin Wells' treatment of the Byzantine Empire's legacy revisits a world that is as complex as ours and just as interconnected.

not "lost" anymore!
This outstanding book ought to be in the personal library of everyone with interest in the historical evolution of the western world.

There so many reasons for this:

(a) the book is good history first of all (it requires some elementary
understanding of medieval European history). It is a cultural history that
indicates the central role of byzantium in the shaping of three important
sub-worlds within the western world: the latin-germanic world of western
Europe, the medieval cyrilic-slav world of Eastern Europe, and the muslim-arab world of the near/middle East.

(b) It shows in political and cultural terms how these three worlds grew
in the shadow of the great empire, growing in strength and borrowing in culture untill they took over and they start fighting (untill our days) with each other.

(c) Each topic is efficiently treated. The intricacies of these worlds are nicely demonstrated by pointing out with which Byzantine parts they have associated. The first part is amazing in showing how the rational
Greek tradition found (towards the Byzantine end) itself more welcome among the Italians and their emerging city-societies rather then the (majority of the) Greeks themselves and their glorious but decaying imperial regime. How the Byzantine-Greek Scholars following this tradition had eventually (driven also by the Ottoman destruction of the
Byzantine state) to emigrate and work in Italy fueling the blessing of "rennaisance". A thinking person could find some material pertinent to the understanding of this phenomenological paradox. The cultural choices of states determine very much their future, and it is so illuminating to see these clearly in this beautiful work. Comparisons with modern situations appear naturally.

(c) The book shows that the middle east is definitely a part of the western world and indeed it initiates thinking about the assumed "inevitability" of the current animosity.

(d) The most important contribution of the book is its demostration that culture is the ultimate human enterprise. People borrow things from each other and transform them into something else. One can not help but think why cultures differentiate the way they do, i.e. what are the political and economic reasons behind these differentiations.

The study of the "lost" empire certainly gives us hope for a more peaceful future once its lessons have been assimilated.

Influences
Colin Wells book is an interesting book, discussing as it does how Byzantium, an empire which lasted well through the Middle Ages managed to influence Christian Europe, the Islamic empires and even the emerging states of Russia.

It is an interesting book, although much of the influence cited by the author seems to be in the rediscovery of classical Greek works and theology, both through ancient philosophers who had become obscured in Europe and through the continuing development in Byzantium itself.

The book is interesting, but to really appreciate it you may want to already have an understanding of Byzantium's history. I think the influence of Byzantium needs to be made in the context of the east-west rift.

Still, a good read. The author tries to make the characters real to the reader and does a good job of it.

Superb: Highly Readable and Enlightening
'Sailing from Byzantium' is everything an historical introduction to a subject should be: scholarly, readable, and instructive. It lives up to its subtitle ('How a Lost Empire Shaped the World') without over-promising ('Shaped' as opposed to, for example, 'Saved').

The author's credentials appear to be quite solid but, as is the mark of true scholarship, really don't need to be mentioned. Reading 'Sailing from Byzantium' you realize this is an historian in command of his subject. And on top of that he can write. Well. And for a popular audience. Without sacrificing quality. This in and of itself is a real feat, and is reason alone to read this book. Consider the following example, describing Manuel Chrysoloras' departure from Florence:

"Of all the places for Chrysoloras to move on to, he chose the absolute last one you would expect: Milan. In March 1400, he went from Florence straight into the arms of the city's deadly enemy...Moreover, there isn't the slightest hint from any of the Florentines that they ever held this against Chrysoloras in even the mildest way. Years later they were still praising him to the skies." (p.83, hardcover)

In addition to being well-written, the book is well organized. It breaks the influence of Byzantium down geographically (proceeding thence chronologically) into three parts:

I. Byzantium and the West
II. Byzantium and the Islamic World
III. Byzantium and the Slavic World

Clear, helpful maps, a list of 'who's who', and a timeline fill the first few pages, whilea substantial bibliography brings up the rear. The bibliography indicates particularly helpful sources (primary and secondary) for the general reader, not just the expert.

'Sailing from Byzantium' is a fine example of the way good history can be written.

Byzantine (sung to the tune of'Danke Schoen')
Byzantine, Darlin' Byzantine
Constantine's great Christian regime
I recall, Eastern Rome's great fall
You lost to the Turks, they were jerks, after-all

... Read more

Book Description
Newly updated and now in paperback, this backlist classic contains 2,000 diagrams and photos enabling you to visualize every sailing procedure and maneuver; reflects the latest word on procedures, techniques, and equipment. 48 pages of full-color photos. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

Extremely helpful
I took up sailing this summer, and found that, while no book can replace the physical experience on the boat, one needs an instruction manual to keep up with all the maneuvers and terminology that are thrown at you.The Handbook Of Sailing provides concise and very well organized information, with ample illustrations.It’s the perfect accompanying textbook for someone who’s still trying to learn the lefts and rights of boating.

2 great books squeezed together into 1 great book...
This book is really 2 separate books cobbled together from material the author used in some of his earlier work.The first half of the book is a treatise on dinghy ("one-design") sailing and the last half is a manual for cruisers;both books cover their material superbly, going in depth on many matters that don't get adequate coverage elsewhere, but it's truly unfortunate that the author and his editors tried to fit the 2 specialist books together under one cover.Keelboat cruisers cannot learn to handle their boats from a technical dinghy sailing treatise and dinghy sailors cannot benefit from discussions of cruising problems outside the scope of their equipment.It was especially unfortunate that the author didn't point out in his introduction that the cruising material starts in the second half of the book, which could have saved me many evenings of puzzling through centerboards, trapezing, and capsize drills!In spite of its awkward concept the book is profoundly detailed, profusely illustrated, and a must for whichever type of sailor you are...

awsome book
if you are a novice or experianced sailor this book willhelp you.It was a great read and help for my sailing skills.If you want to learn easy tips for sailing you will find them hear.Also if you are intrested in some just facts of sailing buy this book.

You must buy this book!
Great book, covers all aspects of basic and advanced sailing on all types of boats. I was very impressed with its comprehensive coverage of the subject. I keep it as a reference book. No other book will cover nearly as much about sailing. If you want to buy only one book, then this must be the one.

Good overview book
Sort of a shorter, and lighter to carry, Chapman's, this is a comprehensive review of topics relevant to most sailing situations. A good book to start with and a helpful reference to have. Lots of good illustrations and pictures. Also, the construction/binding of the book is high quality, so it will survive being bounced around. ... Read more

Book Description
The first of US SAILING's popular Keelboat Series, Basic Keelboat covers the skills and terminology required to responsibly skipper a small daysailing keelboat. Basic Keelboat breaks down maneuvers like tacking, jibing, docking and overboard recovery in a simple, understandable manner. Used by sailing schools around the country, Basic Keelboat is the definitive learn-to-sail text, published by the national authority for sailing in the U.S. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Nice primer
This is a compact book with lots of diagrams.Makes for a nice complement to a beginner's keelboat sailing course. More detailed information can be found in the Colgates' "Fast Track to Cruising."

Great Illustrations, but feels incomplete
The illustrations in this book really are outstanding; especially compared to the ASA Sailing Fundamentals book.However, the Sailing Fundamentals book is more complete when it comes to regulations and safety.I recommend using both books.

Nice intro to sailing
Geared toward adult new sailors. Not a bad book at all...

Used by the St. Petersburg Yacht Club
This was a great book to learn from. It made the whole learning to sail process easy.

Community Sailing Center Supported
My name is Scott Livingston and I am the Assistant Director of Baltimore's Downtown Sailing Center.

We have been instructing adults to sail since 1993, and we currently put more than 300 students through our programs every year.

We have been using Basic Keelboat since day 1, and all of our students have given this book high ranks.

This book breaks down the fundamentals of sailing, into digestible bits and pieces, with fantastic illustrations which help people to learn.

There is no better way to learn then actually being on the water, but by thoroughly reading this book, you will gain the academics towards sailing, and this will help the on the water experience significantly.

This is also a good book to come back time and time again, and really solidify your sailing abilities.

SML ... Read more

Product Description
US SAILING developed this book in partnership with the American Red Cross to help you become a more confident and accomplished sailor. Start Sailing Right is a fantastic primer for anyone with an urge to get out on the water - and a reference guide for a lifetime. It offers one practical, usable tip after another and profuse use of large, clear diagrams, making sailing understandable and putting the new sailor at ease. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

start sailing right
start sailing right is a book that covers all the subjects pertaining to starting sail-loving adults and youngsters. Its educative as reading but lacks the video disks which would help a great deal in understanding more the mechanism of sailing.

The Beginner Sailor's Standard
I have been a sailor for 12 years, and I'm only 18 right now! This book is the standard for beginning sailors, endorsed and associated with the US Sailing Association. I started out with it when I was 6 yeasr old, and I still reference it today. One doesn't learn to sail per se, he becomes a sailor. The only way to do that is to have a sequential education and gain years of experience. Buy this book, find a competent instructor (who will probably insist you have this book) and give it a few years, and you WILL be a sailor.

Start Sailing Right!
If sailing is a new sport for you then this is a "must-have" book. I have reviewed several how-to-sail books/pamplets and this book is by far the best. The illustrations are excellent (the best I've seen) and plentiful. The book is also very comprehensive. If you are an experienced sailor and are looking for a book to improve your racing skills, then this is not the a book for you. The book also has videos that go along with the text.

This is THE new "learn to sail" textbook
The US Red Cross and The US Sailing Association use this book as the newly revised mainstay of their program which is probably the most advanced in the world. I want to link this book to my "Learn to Sail"website, because it's the main book we usetoo. So where's thepicture?

Peter Capotosto Commodore Taal Lake Yacht Club ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Great Read
Great read, Very well written, better than most of these types of book I have read. If there is one draw back the voyage took place in the late 80's so any information my not be current, but it is not really a crusing guide. I would recommend it for the sailor or dirt dweller alike.

Excellent Book For the Armchair Sailor
What a great book. I wish there were more sailing books out there where people go on a long sailing trip, have a good time, and return in one piece.

Reading the Dream
John - dentist, divorced, kids live with mother - managed to re-start his life and sail in a different direction. He met Davey and together they sailed towards new horizons. The book is inspiring in its simplicity. You have two new friends and you join them on a three-year trip from Seattle to Bora-Bora and back to Hawaii. Don'texpect deep philosophy or gripping excitement. The pageturner is the relationship you develop as you see yourself more and more sailing your own dream - and this may not include sailing a 30ft cutter-rigged doubleender across the Pacific.

The book is a lot what they do day to day, what they fish and eat and whom they meet. But that's what life is about - even on a boat in the South Pacific. A good read - and maybe one day you will set sail....

Sailing the Dream
Loved the book, very easy read.The way the book was written takes you on the boat with them, and you really feel the sensation of being there with them. Their descriptions of all the exotic locations made me feel I was right there with them. Made me begin to look at my current life in a different light.

Every mans dream
Having lived on the west coast for a few years and traveled to Victoria recently I can appreciate the beauty and soul searching that area evokes. I thought the book was very entertaining and enjoyed the frequent thoughtful quotes.Although I doubt any words can adequately describe the terror of a storm at sea or the joy and satisfaction of finally reaching an island dream, their story brings the armchair sailor as close as possible. ... Read more

Product Description
Anyone dreaming about owning an affordable sailboat will love this comprehensive introduction to trailer-sailing, which proves that cruising on a small boat one that can be kept at home and towed behind the family car is a satisfying and relatively inexpensive endeavor. Sailors and would-be boat buyers will learn to evaluate and equip boats in the 22- to 26-foot range with an emphasis on careful planning and getting maximum enjoyment out of minimum investment.

This new second edition has been updated to include several new models and a chapter on buying used boats. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

I wish...
I wish that they had written about more boats...
The categories discussed in the book are all fine, and if this is the only book you are buying it is very well written, but more discussion of actual boats that fit the bill would have been more instructive as to the pluses and minuses of each individual boat.
Otherwise, a nice update.

Small book with big ideas.
This is the third edition of this book the material seems up to date circa 2007. If you are looking at small boats and have not purchased yet this book will be very helpful. If you own a small boat this book will suggest many good ideas for upgrading your boat. I like the organization of this book excellent TOC page; good index. Chapters are well organized and clearly written with summaries at the end of each chapter. Length =240 pages. 9 Chapters. Covers used boat buying and trailers as well. If you are looking at the purchase of a trailer sailer this is a good guide. If you already have your boat there are still many good ideas to be found here.

Excellent Information!
When I ordered this I was expecting something completely different, on its arrival I put it on the night stand where eventually I picked it up again. Since then I have read through this now countless times looking at details that I missed the first time through! Well written for the novice to intermediate sailor looking for their first or second sailboat.

I would highly recommend this to anyone in the market for their first or second boat, excellent information..

A first-rate primer
Now in a new third edition revised and updated by yachting journalist Dieter Loibner, Sailing Big on a Small Sailboat is 20-year sailing veteran Jerry Cardwell's guide to owning and enjoying cruises on an affordable small sailboat according to the basic principle, "You can sail big on a small sailboat far more easily and for much less money than you can sail small on a big sailboat." Chapters offer a basic primer of all aspects of a modest sailboat; how to deal with sailing dangers from physical injury to heavy weather to crew overboard to broken rigging or rudder; what absolute necessities to bring such as distress signals, emergency lights, a global positioning system, and sail repair/rigging tape; how to properly assess the quality of a used boat before spending one's hard-earned money; and much more. Written in a straightforward tone for readers of all backgrounds, Sailing Big on a Small Sailboat is a first-rate primer for anyone interested in tasting the thrill of the waves on a modest budget.

The Case for the Trailerable Sailboat
I have a copy of the second edition published in 1997.This is book for people who are considering buying a trailerable boat in the 22' to 26' range that has some overnight sleeping accomodations."Sailing Big on a Small Sailboat" builds the case for a trailerable sailboat and reviews the features of four popular trailerable sailboats. I think the author has done a excellent job in his narrow focus.Some of the specs of the four boats he uses as examples have changed in recent years and could use a bit of updating.

I have a concern in that Cardwell only has four pages (pages 115 to 118) on the subject of "