Recommended Reading

[sailingdog]

I'd second Beth Leonard's book, The Voyager's Handbook, it is one that I have on my bookshelf.

I'd also recommend Don Casey’s Complete Illustrated Sailboat Maintenance Manual. While not as in-depth as some other books, it does give a very good overview of the whole thing, as well as goes into each system to some degree.

[sneuman]

The Long Way: Moistessier
Godforsaken Sea: Derek Lundy
Gypsy Moth Circles the World: Sir Francis Chichester

[BADG]

The Handbook of Knots by Des Pawson

[Fstbttms]

As previously noted, the Aubrey/Maturin series by Patrick O'Brian are great, hands down the best historical fiction ever written, never mind what the subject matter is. Better than Conrad, better than Forrester, hell, better than Melville. I have read the entire series at least three times. It really has spoiled me for anything else. And while the movie tried hard, it can't hold a candle to the novels. And to top it off, O'Brian even has the crew scrubbing his ship's bottoms from time to time!

[sailorjim99]

I have a few books but two that I think are good are ..
"THE EVERYTHING SAILING BOOK" by michael and Nikki Smorenburg..
"VOYAGING THE PACIFIC" by Miles Horden.
Last one is a good read by an author who knows how to write. It also has a small history of exploration throughout and is really informative.
Big plus is he is a neighbour of mine from just across the ditch in Kiwiland..

[sailorjim99]

A couple more I liked were ....

ICE BIRD by David Lewis

ALL IN THE SAME BOAT by Tom Neale

SEA VAGABOND'S WORLD by Bernard Moitessier

[hellosailor]

John Rousmaniere's FASTNET FORCE 10

Donald Street's OFFSHORE SAILING YACHT both I and II.

C.A.Marchaj, SEAWORTHINESS, THE FORGOTTEN FACTOR

Adlard Coles, HEAVY WEATHER SAILING

All classics.

[mstern]

Many mentions of O'brian; some other Royal Navy series that I also liked:

Alan Lewrie series by Dewey Lambdin; a much spicier version of a royal navy officer. Fighting, sailing, sex, run-ins with historical characters, sex, incest, sex. Oh, and sex.

The Sea Officer William Bentley series, by Jan Needle, including A Fine Boy for Killing, and the Sea Nymph. Bentley starts off as a callow midshipman aboard his pyscho uncle's ship, and grows into an admirable fellow.

The Kidd series by Julian Stockwin, including Artemis, Seaflower, Mutiny and Quarterdeck. Different, in that the hero starts off as a common sailor, not an officer.

Anything by James Nelson, including his Revolution at Sea saga and his Bretheren of the Coast (pirates) series. He also has a Civil War series.

Don't forget Hornblower. Some people put down the series as paling in comparison to O'brian, but I think he's an interesting character and his sailing and battle scenes are second to none.

Modern sailing novels:

Tony Gibbs wrote a series of books about a charter yacht in the Caribbean: Running Fix and Landfall were two of them. Danger, murder, intrigue, politics, drinking, romance. Lots of fun.

Sam Llewlellyn: often called the "Dick Francis" of sailing, Sam wrote a number of fine murder mysteries centered on various yachts and sailboats. Also, check out his "sequel" to the Riddle of the Sands.

Non-fiction:

Flirting with Mermaids by John Kretschmer; tales from a delivery skipper

All this and Sailing Too; autobiography of Olin Stephens

Wanderer; autobiography of Sterling Hayden. The movie star was a bona fide sailor/adventurer before he turned to Hollywood. Fascinating.

A Fair Wind and Plenty of It; a tale of a circumnavigation aboard a replica tall ship.

[cerberus]

I'll toss in another vote for the O'Brian series. I'm only 4 books in, but I am thoroughly enjoying them.

On the non-fiction side, I am enjoying "Sensible Cruising: The Thoreau Approach" by Don Casey and Lew Hackler.

[PBzeer]

In the fiction line, don't forget Kent's Bolitho series.