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Escaping from Reality Without Really Trying: 40 Years of High Seas Travels and Lowbrow Tales
by
Robert Jacoby (Goodreads Author)
Read more and listen to an excerpt from the interviews at www.escaping-from-reality.com
Based on nearly 40 hours of interviews, Escaping from Reality Without Really Trying is the memoir of a 61-year-old, life-long merchant seaman re-counting his fantastic, hilarious, and politically incorrect exploits. He's a sailor-scholar and an individualist anarchist; he's read Voltaire...more
Based on nearly 40 hours of interviews, Escaping from Reality Without Really Trying is the memoir of a 61-year-old, life-long merchant seaman re-counting his fantastic, hilarious, and politically incorrect exploits. He's a sailor-scholar and an individualist anarchist; he's read Voltaire...more
Paperback, 534 pages
Published
September 22nd 2011
by Cloud Books
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As an ex-Navy man, when Robert Jacoby queried POD People about his book, Escaping Reality Without Really Trying, subtitled “40 Years of High Seas Travels and Lowbrow Tales,” I had to request it for review. The book proved to be an interesting read.
The book is the story of “Ronnie,” a 40-year veteran of the US Merchant Marine. It’s written in an extremely conversational tone, as if Ronnie is sitting across the bar from you (if you know Ronnie, this would have to be at a bar, bordello or at least...more
The book is the story of “Ronnie,” a 40-year veteran of the US Merchant Marine. It’s written in an extremely conversational tone, as if Ronnie is sitting across the bar from you (if you know Ronnie, this would have to be at a bar, bordello or at least...more
While nonfiction is a recent fascination of mine, I have to say this book is unlike any other I have read. When I received the book in a Goodreads giveaway, the author told me it would be a bumpy ride. I would like to describe it as a rollercoaster. The storyline has its ups and downs. While many sections had me not wanting to put the book down, other sections were harder for me to get into and really read. My husband is a big history buff and will get a kick out of this book. He started reading...more
What I liked the most about this book, beyond the 40 years of travels, was Ron’s disposition toward the establishment or “ism” as he aptly called it.
So many things in this book rang true to me, not just because I always felt a real aggravation for people telling me what to do (luckily, I usually had my way), but because once I came to this country I was confronted face-to-face with all the things Ron complains about.
I was born in Panama, which since the discovery of America has been a crossroads...more
So many things in this book rang true to me, not just because I always felt a real aggravation for people telling me what to do (luckily, I usually had my way), but because once I came to this country I was confronted face-to-face with all the things Ron complains about.
I was born in Panama, which since the discovery of America has been a crossroads...more
(Reprinted from the Chicago Center for Literature and Photography [cclapcenter.com]. I am the original author of this essay, as well as the owner of CCLaP; it is not being reprinted illegally.)
This clever book is a good example of what I perhaps like best about what comes from the world of basement presses; for while it's ostensibly the memoirs of a forty-year career sailor, with just as many salty, amazing stories as you would imagine someone in his position would have, it's actually written as...more
This clever book is a good example of what I perhaps like best about what comes from the world of basement presses; for while it's ostensibly the memoirs of a forty-year career sailor, with just as many salty, amazing stories as you would imagine someone in his position would have, it's actually written as...more
Having multiple speech tags in the same sentence is annoying. He says, he says, he says. Yeah, I get it; the same guy is talking the entire time. The book is repetitive and far too long. It pretty much can be summarized in a few words: The guy goes to work sailing, the guy goes to shore and gets drunk, the guy finds a hooker and has sex with her (or some other sexual act). It's the same chapter after chapter. Is it a great read? No. Are there some pretty hilarious parts within it? Yes. Yet, ther...more
The author shares his lifelong adventures at sea in this ambitious novel. It has a little of everything-humor, self-discovery, relationships and loving life.
You are swept along with the author as he reounts his many adventures. The descriptions of his travels to diffent places is insightful. Some people stayed in his life, others did not. But he lived his life the way he wanted with no apologies. It is a great read.
I received this book for free from Goodreads First Reads.
You are swept along with the author as he reounts his many adventures. The descriptions of his travels to diffent places is insightful. Some people stayed in his life, others did not. But he lived his life the way he wanted with no apologies. It is a great read.
I received this book for free from Goodreads First Reads.
May 14, 2012
Rev. Mysterium
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Shelves:
addiction-issues,
adult-humour,
adult-themed,
against-the-grain,
adventure,
autobiography-biography,
autographed,
brutally-honest,
counter-culture,
deep-blue-sea,
explorers,
great-title,
its-only-kinky-the-first-time,
live-and-learn,
memoir,
non-fiction,
personable-author,
perspectives,
sea-commerce,
the-high-seas,
think-outside-the-box,
travel,
vietnam-era,
history-lived,
provided-by-author
Relaxed and very conversational book about the high seas adventures of a modern day adventurer. As I now live on the shores on the Graveyard of the Pacific, this was the perfect book to sit and watch the ships head in and out being welcomed into the bosom of the sea some days and tossed to the watery depths of hell on others.
Brutally honest and highly descriptive, you will feel as if you are sharing a pint or two or twelve with the seasoned author. This will put salt in your blood or have you ge...more
Brutally honest and highly descriptive, you will feel as if you are sharing a pint or two or twelve with the seasoned author. This will put salt in your blood or have you ge...more
I was given this book through Goodreads for review.I took my time with this book. That's something I don't normally do, but I saved a little bit for each night. My Grand Pa was a old career navy chief and this book in many ways took me back to the stories he used to tell me about his overseas shore leaves when my parents weren't around. Crusty as hell and not for the faint of heart but I enjoyed this book all the way through.
You may love or hate the rough staccato rhythm that starts off the first few chapters. Whether things smooth out on their own or your brain starts to accept the vaguely English like language after being beaten to a pulp I cannot say without another read through. There seems to be many paths to Ron's observations about life and the world. I'm glad someone made the journey told and extremely happy it was not me. Much like Ron I prefer to get there my own way, albeit a bit more quiet and sober.
My c...more
My c...more
A bit edgy but truthful and written like a storyteller! Enjoyed it and passing it along.
I loved the conversational tone of this book; truly like sitting down with this old adventurer and hearing all of his best stories. The pace was a bit back and forth, but overall I couldn't believe how fascinating some of his anecdotes turned out to be!
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| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indie Book Collec...: Reviewers wanted for travel-adventure memoir | 1 | 4 | Jan 04, 2012 05:52pm |
Thanks for stopping by my Goodreads page. I'm glad you're here. Poke around; read my blog; read reviews of my books; visit my other sites around the Web. I hope you find something you like. Friend or Fan me if you like.
Now this is where I tell you about myself:
I'm a poet, novelist, memoirist, and diarist. My poetry has appeared in more than a dozen literary magazines, most recently The 2River Vie...more
More about Robert Jacoby...
Now this is where I tell you about myself:
I'm a poet, novelist, memoirist, and diarist. My poetry has appeared in more than a dozen literary magazines, most recently The 2River Vie...more
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“An interesting captain on there, McNamara. Th e United States Lines had three captains. Every company had their captains that were notorious, and U.S. Lines had McNamara. Later on, McNamara, he dies, and the Wilmington Union Hall for Masters, Mates and Pilots—cuz he was captain, he would come out of that hall—they had a party
when he died. Baked a cake.
It wasn’t every day you got to lose one like him.
Some people took this more seriously than others is the only way I can phrase this.”
—
1 person liked it
when he died. Baked a cake.
It wasn’t every day you got to lose one like him.
Some people took this more seriously than others is the only way I can phrase this.”
“The human race puzzles me, with striving for freedom, and then basically just giving it away.”
—
1 person liked it
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