Bird of Dawning

by John Masefield

Originally written in 1933, this classic sea adventure tells of the Blackgauntlet and her homeward-bound race from China to London. Disaster strikes when the ship is struck at night by a passing steamer—only half of the crew manages to escape to the lifeboat while the others perish. Cruiser, the 22-year-old second mate who has always longed to be captain, takes command of the survivors as they plan to sail 700 miles to the island of Fayal. Cruiser and his crew battle all odds, including sharks, potential mutiny, a leaky boat, too few provisions, and the sea herself, in this taut and haunting narrative.

Genres: Fiction

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1933

About the author

Masefield was born in Ledbury, a rural area in England to George Masefield, a solicitor and Caroline. His mother died giving birth to his sister when Masefield was only 6 and he went to live with his aunt. His father died soon after. After an unhappy education at the King's School in Warwick (now known as Warwick School), where he was a boarder between 1888 and 1891, he left to board the HMS Conway, both to train for a life at sea, and to break his addiction to reading, of which his Aunt thought little. He spent several years aboard this ship and found that he could spend much of his time reading and writing. It was aboard the Conway that Masefield’s love for story-telling grew.

In 1894, Masefield boarded the Gilcruix, destined for Chile. He recorded his experiences while sailing through the extreme weather. Upon reaching Chile, Masefield suffered from sunstroke and was hospitalized. He eventually returned home to England as a passenger aboard a steam ship.

In 1895, Masefield returned to sea on a windjammer destined for New York City. However, the urge to become a writer and the hopelessness of life as a sailor overtook him, and in New York, he deserted ship. He lived as a vagrant for several months, before returning to New York City, where he was able to find work as an assistant to a bar keeper.

For the next two years, Masefield was employed in a carpet factory, where long hours were expected and conditions were far from ideal. He purchased up to 20 books a week, and devoured both modern and classical literature. His interests at this time were diverse and his reading included works by Trilby, Dumas, Thomas Browne, Hazlitt, Dickens, Kipling, and R. L. Stevenson. Chaucer also became very important to him during this time, as well as poetry by Keats and Shelley.

When Masefield was 23, he met his future wife, Constance Crommelin, who was 35. Educated in classics and English Literature, and a mathematics teacher, Constance was a perfect match for Masefield despite the difference in age. The couple had two children (Judith, born in 1904, and Lewis, in 1910).

In 1930, due to the death of Robert Bridges, a new Poet Laureate was needed. King George V appointed Masefield, who remained in office until his death in 1967. Masefield took his appointment seriously and produced a large quantity of verse. Poems composed in his official capacity were sent to The Times. Masefield’s humility was shown by his inclusion of a stamped envelope with each submission so that his composition could be returned if it were found unacceptable for publication.

On 12 May 1967, John Masefield died, after having suffered through a spread of gangrene up his leg. According to his wishes, he was cremated and his ashes placed in Poets’ Corner in Westminster Abbey. Later, the following verse was discovered, written by Masefield, addressed to his ‘Heirs, Administrators, and Assigns’:

Let no religious rite be done or read
In any place for me when I am dead,
But burn my body into ash, and scatter
The ash in secret into running water,
Or on the windy down, and let none see;
And then thank God that there’s an end of me.

Reviews

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

For some reason, I enjoy books that have pirates and ships in them. I even used to keep a list of ship terms, so I could refer to it when reading. My dad had this book by John Masefield with a ship on its cover, and it was called Victorious Troy, or, the Hurrying Angel. He let me have it, and I found it surprisingly good. I wasn't sure how I'd feel about an entire book about a ship, but I enjoyed it and liked Masefield's writing and characterization. When I saw that my dad had this book, The Bird of Dawning, I knew I'd have to read it. My interest in books with/about ships has waned since I was younger, so I've put off reading this book, worried that I wouldn't enjoy it. I was definitely worried for nothing.
This book starts off with a basic characterization of its protagonist. "This is Cruiser. He's 5'8, and he has dark hair and pale skin. He's a good guy and wants to be an artist." Something along those lines. But once Masefield gets past the introductions, the story takes off, and it grabbed my interest.
The main plot of The Bird of Dawning is that a steamship sinks The Blackgauntlet, a ship in the China Fleet, heading home from England and hoping to win the prize as the first ship to dock in London from the fleet. She is also the ship on which Cruiser is a second mate. There are two boats that will carry the crew away from the sinking ship to relative safety, but only one of them makes it. There are sixteen men living in an eighteen-foot boat on the open seas with little provisions and no drinking water. If you're wondering where The Bird of Dawning comes in, I was wondering too through almost half the book, but it does make sense as the title, and it works really well (of course, the alternate title, The Fortunes of the Sea, makes more sense but is perhaps slightly less poetic).
There are shipping terms a-plenty, and Masefield describes the crew's actions as well as the ships in detail, but I never felt bogged down by jargon. I could picture much of what he described, and when I couldn't, it didn't matter for the story. Also, there is a handy list of terms built in to the back of the book that a general readership may need. The characters are well-drawn. Cruiser is a "good guy," but he has his moments of arrogance or anger that make him human. Captain Dunstibourne and Captain Miserden are especially interesting characters, psychologically, for how they treat their crews and the decisions they make about their ships. The conflicts between man and nature and between the men on the ships and the boat are realistic. I definitely had strong feelings about the characters and who was right and who needed to adjust their perspectives and attitudes. And the subplot about Captain Miserden, the captain of the Bird of Dawning, and his belief in the Prophet Habakkuk, the Fire, the F.P. (Follower of the Prophet) was brilliant. I wish there were more of that. The underlying themes and messages of this book are also very interesting. There is the whole religious fanatic thing mentioned just above, but there are also the (literal) crash between the new (at the time the story takes place) steamers and the old clippers, the symbolism of the boat on the open sea and man's interaction with nature, the race home of the China Fleet, and other aspects of the book that can be analyzed and carry/take on deeper meaning. Oh, and it's funny! You have a bunch of grown men on a ship or a boat together--there are foul language, rude comments, double entendre, etc. I chuckled a few times reading this, especially when the shot was fired at someone who really deserved it.
Overall, this book surprised me. It's now my third Masefield (I've also read his play The Tragedy of Pompey the Great), and I would definitely read more by him. My dad doesn't really buy and sell used books anymore, but if I happen upon a Masefield, I would definitely snatch it up. I recommend this book if you're a fan of Masefield, if you also like books about ships, or if you enjoy adventure stories with strong characters, vivid descriptions, and suspense.

[David Hill · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was quite the page-turner. I seldom knock off 300-page books in two days.

This one is as full of sailing jargon as any of the Aubrey and Maturin books. I don't sail, and the jargon is just jargon to me, but it doesn't detract from the action. And there's quite a bit of action, with some tension and mystery thrown in for seasoning.

One can read an article on Wikipedia about the races the clipper ships ran to be the first each season to arrive in London carrying China tea. That will give you the background. This book deals with the action.

Good stuff.

[Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

An enthralling and suspense filled sea story that had me glued to the book until it was finished. The Bird of Dawning' is full of the technical detail of life on tea clipper which is woven very well into the plot of the book. Its authenticity and technical detail makes this a must read for any keen mariner. Masefield has written with real quality, maintaining its tension until the last page.

[Nick Carrington · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favourite books of all time. The picture of life at sea, on big ships and in small boats, is told with Masefield's poetic touch, and the ending is a fairytale, hard to put down once the last phase starts. One to read over and over.

[Fern Adams · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fairly old fashioned adventure story. It is not the sort of genre I usually read and I didn't really know what to expect. I enjoyed it (though did get a bit lost in the sailing terminology) though it didn't particularly stand out as a work of fiction and it's not something I would necessarily reread.

[PiaLep · Rating 3 out of 5]

Luin suomeksi, mutta suomennettu teos puuttuu täältä ja sen lisääminen on tehty mahdottomaksi.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

An awesome story about a 2nd Mate aboard a clipper in a race from China to London when the ship goes down. If you love the sea then this is a must read, especially for any sailor! In a world of film I can't believe this one hasn't made it to the big screen.

[LAURA J HELFEN · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite books of all time! I re-read it every couple of years.

[Martin Bull · Rating 5 out of 5]

A classic sea story, difficult to put down, can be read almost in a sitting (helped along by the absence of chapters!). As good on the second read as the first.