The Annotated Sailing Alone Around the World
By Captain Joshua Slocum
Annotated by Rod Scher
2009
Sheridan House,
Dobbs Ferry, NY
224 pages
Joshua Slocum’s epic solo circumnavigation aboard his 37-foot sloop, Spray, in 1895 stands as one of the most important voyages of all time. His first-person account of the voyage, Sailing Alone Around the World has become a classic in maritime literature. But for many readers, sailor and land lubber alike, there was much to be read between the lines when it came to understanding Slocum, a quirky, somewhat eccentric adventurer.
Rod Scher’s new annotated version of Slocum’s work is an engaging commentary on the book and this remarkable man. His well-researched sidebars shed new light on Slocum’s classic work along with insights into the man. The book demystifies much of the maritime jargon of the time. For the first-time reader or veteran salt whose dog-eared copy of Sailing Alone holds its place in the ship library, Scher’s annotated version is a joy to read. I came away with empathy for the lost sailor who for better or for worse fought his demons on the wind.
