[close] When 65-year-old Francis Chichester set sail on his solitary, eastward journey around the world in 1966, many believed he wouldn't return alive. But when the old man returned in his 53-foot ketch Gypsy Moth IV nine months later, he had made history's fastest circumnavigation. Gipsy Moth Circles the World was an international best-seller when it appeared in 1967. It inspired the first solo around-the-world race and remains a timeless testament to the spirit of adventure. The Sailor's Classics presents the best writing about the sea as observed from the perspective of a small boat under sail. The stories range from pensive cruises in sheltered waters to tales of endurance and high adventure and each one features an introduction from Jonathan Raban, whom The Guardian has called the finest writer afloat since Conrad. [close]