Chuck Holst recently recommended Bill Taylor's book Commitment and Open Crossings. While the actual trip that Bill and his two companions undertook was very impressive, I actually found this book to be one of the most tedious 'got up - had breakfast - heroically paddled - ate dinner - slept - got up - had breakfast - heroically paddled etc etc etc' monologues that I have had the misfortune to read. After the incredibly depressing ending where Bill rues the fact that the paddling community didn't dish out the quantity of praise that he felt he deserved, I got the impression that the participants were in it for the glory and not the paddling, and had had about as much pleasure out of the fantastic coastline they paddled as I did reading their story - ie not a lot. As the nights are drawing in, (unfortunately its dark here before 4pm and will get darker), I'd be interested in anyone's recommendations for paddling literature. I finished reading Brian Wilson's 'Blazing Paddles' a few weeks ago and highly recommend it - a truly entertaining account of his 1984 solo paddle around Scotland, which he was clearly doing because he enjoyed it. This book has everything: humour, epic paddling, and informative travelogue, and would be just as enjoyable if you had never wielded a paddle in anger. Blazing paddles may be a bit tricky to get hold of, but it has just been reprinted. If anyone is interested I'll dig out my copy and get the publishing details. I'm also half way through Brian Wilson's second book 'Dances with Waves' which was published in September by O'Brien Press ISBN: 0862785510. This is the story of Brian's solo circumnavigation of Ireland, and if you ingore the cheesy title, it is so far equally as good as 'Blazing Paddles. So any recommendations for paddling/nautical books ... what's everyone reading ? Cheers Colin Calder 57º19'N 2º10'W *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
This book has everything: humour, epic paddling, and informative travelogue, and would be just as enjoyable if you had never wielded a paddle in anger. Blazing paddles may be a bit tricky to get hold of, but it has just been >When looking for an older book, http://www.abebooks.com/ is an inventory database of a large number of used book dealers and is always worth a shot. It didn't have Blazing Paddles (I did find out Brian Wilson was also a BeachBoy) but I did find and order Kabloona, A Journey Through The Northwest Passage by Victoria Jason for $10US the other day from a shop in Manitoba. I think that's somewhere in the middle of Canada :-). North of where I live, anyway. *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
At 02:38 PM 11/19/98 +0000, Colin Calder wrote: > >As the nights are drawing in, (unfortunately its dark here before 4pm and >will get darker), I'd be interested in anyone's recommendations for paddling >literature. Try Victoria Jason's "Kabloona in the Yellow Kayak". It was discussed here and on Wavelength a while back and that discussion convinced me to read it. It was well worth my time. Bill Ridlon Southern Maine Sea Kayaking Network *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
I would recommend a book called "Dove" by Robin Lee Graham. It is a little older and it is about solo circumnavigation in a sail boat (not kayaking) but it is a very inspirational read. robin. *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
I have a question for this group. Maybe somebody out there knows the answer. Regarding "Paddle to the Arctic", by Don Starkle. The author is paddling north along the western shore of Hudson Bay and meets a local Indian. All goes well until the local realizes that Don is writing a book. The local then clams up. Apparently, sometime in the past, the local had met Farley Mowat in this area and for some reason, they disliked Farley Mowat because of his writings. I have read most of Farleys books regarding this area, (i.e. "People of the Deer" & his arctic trilogy, etc.). I have always found Farley to be very compassionate of these people. Is there something that I don't know about this story? Is there a book that I missed? Maybe some worldly person out there will broaden my horizons. Ken Mannshardt San Francisco Bay Area BASK *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
Hi Ken, I grew up loving Farley's books, and I still enjoy many of them. However, recently "Saturday Night", a Canadian magazine, published an article on Farley suggesting he is pretty liberal with the truth. The cover featured Farley's photo, digitally altered to have Pinochio's nose. Farely himself has acknowledged that he sometimes plays a character and suggests that he tells greater truths than the facts themselves would allow. As a writer myself, I have a lot of sympathy for wanting to tell an entertaining tale. I don't mind at all the idea that books like "The Boat That Wouldn't Float" or "The Dog Who Wouldn't Be" may not be word-for-word true. I approach them as I would sitting round the fire shooting the bull with friends; the facts should not get in the way of a good story. The situation is far more problematic with books that are supposed to be historically true. It really bothers me to be uncertain of how much I can rely on in books like "People of the Deer" or "Westviking". An acquaintance of mine in academic circles told me years ago that Farley Mowat is known as "Hardly Know-it" to many professionals in anthropology and history. To translate this into American cultural terms, you might compare it to the debate about how reliable Margaret Mead's writings on Samoa were. It's also comparable in that Farley's POV of native peoples tends towards the Rousseauean "noble savage". Hope this helps a bit. Cheers, Philip T. "The opinions expressed in this posting are not necessarily those of my employer, or indeed, of any sentient being." At 03:34 PM 11/26/98 EST, Ken wrote: > I have a question for this group. Maybe somebody out there knows the >answer. > > Regarding "Paddle to the Arctic", by Don Starkle. The author is paddling >north along the western shore of Hudson Bay and meets a local Indian. All goes >well until the local realizes that Don is writing a book. The local then clams >up. Apparently, sometime in the past, the local had met Farley Mowat in this >area and for some reason, they disliked Farley Mowat because of his writings. > I have read most of Farleys books regarding this area, (i.e. "People of the >Deer" & his arctic trilogy, etc.). I have always found Farley to be very >compassionate of these people. Is there something that I don't know about this >story? Is there a book that I missed? > Maybe some worldly person out there will broaden my horizons. > >Ken Mannshardt >San Francisco Bay Area >BASK >*************************************************************************** >PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List >Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net >Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net >Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ >*************************************************************************** > **************************************** Mountain Equipment Co-op 1655 West 3rd Avenue, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6J 1K1 Tel: 640-732-1989 Fax: 604-731-6483 email: pid_at_mec.ca Visit our website at: http://www.mec.ca ***************************************** *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
Mowat made the whole thing up. Richard Culpeper ---------- > From: KayakerKen_at_aol.com > To: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net > Subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Books for the Long Nights > Date: Thursday, November 26, 1998 3:34 PM > > I have a question for this group. Maybe somebody out there knows the > answer. > > Regarding "Paddle to the Arctic", by Don Starkle. The author is paddling > north along the western shore of Hudson Bay and meets a local Indian. All goes > well until the local realizes that Don is writing a book. The local then clams > up. Apparently, sometime in the past, the local had met Farley Mowat in this > area and for some reason, they disliked Farley Mowat because of his writings. > I have read most of Farleys books regarding this area, (i.e. "People of the > Deer" & his arctic trilogy, etc.). I have always found Farley to be very > compassionate of these people. Is there something that I don't know about this > story? Is there a book that I missed? > Maybe some worldly person out there will broaden my horizons. > > Ken Mannshardt > San Francisco Bay Area > BASK > *************************************************************************** > PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List > Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net > Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net > Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ > *************************************************************************** *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
>Mowat made the whole thing up. > If only Mowat had been as conscientious as Professor Inverbon. People like Farley give serious researchers a bad name. Cheers, John Winters Redwing Designs Specialists in Human Powered Watercraft http://home.ican.net/~735769/ *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
In a message dated 11/19/98 10:00:07 AM EST, c.j.calder_at_abdn.ac.uk writes: << humour, epic paddling, and informative travelogue, >> Colin, If you can get your hands on a copy, check out Raging Rivers, Stormy Seas, a compilation of white water and sea kayaking expedition adventures by Terry Storry, Marcus Bailie, and Nigel Foster. Has all of the above. :) Sandy *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
In a message dated 98-11-19 09:41:38 EST, c.j.calder_at_abdn.ac.uk writes: << So any recommendations for paddling/nautical books ... what's everyone reading ? >> Thanks to Colin for bringing up this thread again. It's always nice to receive recommendations on books. My suggestions: David James Duncan's <River Teeth> as a first choice: a wonderful collection of recollections and stories which endure where other thoughts fade away. His description of what "river teeth" actually are is something to be read first hand, not explained. Go to a bookstore --- the good kind, where they sell Starbucks for refreshing while browsing --- and read the introduction and a description of the "river teeth" in his life. Then read the Red Coat --- the first story --- and then buy the book. Some parts of the book directly look at the river on which he leads his life, but most is just really good reading. Another Duncan book: <The River Why> gets closer to the river in the Pacific Northwest where Duncan's roots are set. A very entertaining book about life and death on a river. No kayaks, but lots of canoes. Another good long winter's night book to get you away from wherever you are and don't want to be. Happy reading. Jack Martin *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
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