Down to the Sea in Ships - Book Group Oct 2022 discussion thread
9 watchers
Nov 2022
9:37pm, 24 Nov 2022
37,266 posts
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LazyDaisy
I'm not a great non-fiction reader but this was a book I looked forward to picking up each night. I liked the snippets of information woven into the narrative - the fact that sailing ships were early victims of U-boat torpedoes in the First World War, for example. I agree with Columba that some of it was a bit over-written but not enough to annoy. I was another who would have liked to see some photos and maps to flesh out the prose. A good solid 9 from me, and thank you for choosing it Fetch!
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Dec 2022
9:18pm, 28 Dec 2022
13,275 posts
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Little Nemo
I found the style a bit difficult to start with. It seemed a bit flowery and I wasn't sure about the feelings he attributed to the other people on board. It read better after I got used to it and it was fascinating learning about the movement of goods. It was more chaotic than I thought it would be and it seemed crazy that the same stuff was being imported/exported rather than people buying local stuff. Also crazy that the companies are able to pay people depending on where they come from rather than fairer pay. Some of the historical snippets were fascinating but some were quite brutal and disturbing. I know we probably need to know this but it made some sections very bleak. I mostly enjoyed the first part but the second part was a bit repetitious. I feel I learned quite a lot so I'm glad I finished it. I gave this book a 6. |
Jan 2023
10:04am, 1 Jan 2023
28,577 posts
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fetcheveryone
I have finally finished this, after a reading hiatus of several months. I mostly liked it - fascinating info about the volume of goods that gets transported across the globe. A wee bit too long, with a feeling of repetition. I enjoyed some of the vocabulary describing the sea, although some felt a bit forced. 7/10 |
Mar 2023
3:45pm, 7 Mar 2023
28,006 posts
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Serendippily
This is going to be a hard one to score because bits of it i liked and some of it really dragged. I got a really good sense of the claustrophobia, the restriction, the petty irritations, the sizeable risks and being at the mercy of the weather. I enjoyed the kit lists and the interactions with the pilots. A lot of the financing and the link with various wrecks and disasters were well done and some will be memorable. Meanwhile the thrill of the manly man stuff had no appeal, and struck no chord, whereas the rape and murder of the two south african cadets upset me for days. Most of the character sketches blurred and felt like they were written in a small enclosed space with the subject looking over his shoulder. Some of it just seemed an excuse to string together quotes from his favourite sea books
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Mar 2023
3:52pm, 7 Mar 2023
28,007 posts
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Serendippily
Some books i feel a bit sorry for - this one I don’t. Enough of you enjoyed it for me to be glad i read it but gladder still ive finished it and be happy to give it away. It did suffer in being my companion to the atomic bomb, as that was better written and more informative - although this was both, the atomic bomb was more so. I think i would have finished it quicker and been stuck less in the doldrums if it was my only non fiction read. A solid 7 then
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Sep 2023
8:34am, 29 Sep 2023
148,098 posts
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GregP
SO... there was a bloke from Maersk gave a talk at Big Data LDN last week. He gave an idea of the logistical madness of the container business that I don't think I really got from the book. From my notes: One vessel (*not* ship - rookie error) can carry 18,000 containers. One container lorry can take one container. So to offload a large vessel by road needs 18,000 lorries... |
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Sep 2023
8:35am, 29 Sep 2023
148,099 posts
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GregP
This bloke in fact: theorg.com |
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Sep 2023
8:56am, 29 Sep 2023
29,160 posts
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Serendippily
Blimey that does explain delays at Dover
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Sep 2023
9:29am, 29 Sep 2023
81,700 posts
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Diogenes
I haven't read this one yet, but I think I will. I love that cover art.
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Sep 2023
1:31pm, 29 Sep 2023
2,445 posts
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SailorSteve
I’m glad that I saw this thread pop up because as a sucker for pretty much any seafaring book, I am sure I am going to enjoy this. Thanks for the suggestion m’Lord. ps. Charts Columba you’re absolutely right😁 |
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