Somewheres East of Suez

by Tristan Jones

With characteristic eloquence and a healthy dose of humor, Tristan Jones tells a gripping story of sailing 8000 miles from Istanbul to Thailand.

Genres: Travel

Paperback

First published January 1, 1988

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Arthur Jones, pen name Tristan Jones was a prolific English author and mariner. His stories, mostly about sailing, are a combination of both fact and fiction, and it is rather difficult to tell these apart.
He was an illegitimate child, and was raised mainly in orphanages. He joined the Royal Navy in 1946, and served for 14 years. After ending his career in the Navy, he bought a sailboat, became a whiskey smuggler, and scraped a living sailing the Mediterranean Sea.
After his left leg was amputated in 1982 (a result of health problems and accidents), he resumed sailing and sailed the trimaran Outward Leg from San Diego to London, then across central Europe by river and canal to the Black Sea, and then around south Asia to Thailand.
After the amputation of his right leg in 1991 he only returned briefly to sea, and he lived in Phuket, Thailand, he converted to Islam and took on the name 'Ali'.

Reviews

[Nancy Noble · Rating 3 out of 5]

We love Tristan Jones - always up for a good yarn, and well written. Sometimes a little long in certain descriptions, but with a good sense of humor and adventure.

[Coalbanks · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoy Tristan Jones recollections of his life at sea. Some may find him somewhat less than enlightened in ths politically correct era but he is what he is - a man of his times & place. Raised to & by hard work on sailing craft in English waters & the Royal Navy he used his tales of travel in small (very small) sail boats to finance new voyages which was the only life he cared for until he realized he had more to contribute & experience & eventually became a sailing/life coach to children with disabilities in Thailand.

[Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not particularly profound, but Jones is a great storyteller and his experiences are great stories.

[David]

Tristan Jones will always be on my Mount Rushmore of authors!