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The Journeying Moon
A NOVEL - A SEA STORY.
- GenresNonfictionTravel
224 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1958
About the author
Ernle Bradford
107 books90 followersErnle Dusgate Selby Bradford was a noted British historian specializing in the Mediterranean world and naval topics. Bradford was an enthusiastic sailor himself and spent almost thirty years sailing the Mediterranean, where many of his books are set. He served in the Royal Navy during World War II, finishing as the first Lieutenant of a destroyer. He did occasional broadcast work for the BBC, was a magazine editor, and wrote many books.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
September 13, 2024
This is the sixth book I've read by Ernle Bradford and by far the most personal. It's a memoir of his sailing experiences in the late 1940s and early 1950s. During this time, he owned several sailboats (in succession), lived aboard them and travelled (free as a bird and poor as a church mouse) throughout the Mediterranean. He also crossed the Atlantic several times and sailed among the islands of the eastern Caribbean. The book clearly shows his love of sailing and his camaraderie with those with whom he sailed or befriended in the ports he frequented. Writing, at this stage in his life and career, was more or less a means to finance his sailing lifestyle. At one point he comments on the difficulties he had in publishing this book. Publishers found his initial draft lacking in adventure and local color. The first half of the book is chronological and describes Bradford's first two years of sailing and living aboard, together with his wife. In the second half, Bradford is on his own. The writing style is slightly changed - it's not chronological, more geographically varied and has more human interest and local color. I enjoyed the book and learned a bit about Bradford's world view.
July 6, 2018
Wonderfully atmospheric
I really enjoyed this book and will surely re-read it many times. I takes you through the thrills, dangers and high adrenaline rush of sailing in fierce weather with the contrasting peace and beauty of sliding through the sea in good weather where away from 'civilization ' the mind can reflect on life and our world in a much more balanced way. The book combines this with warmth, simplicity and kindness of simple people living in the small fishing communities around the shores of the Mediterranean and with a spell in the West Indies. A great and enjoyable read that makes you look at life afresh.
I really enjoyed this book and will surely re-read it many times. I takes you through the thrills, dangers and high adrenaline rush of sailing in fierce weather with the contrasting peace and beauty of sliding through the sea in good weather where away from 'civilization ' the mind can reflect on life and our world in a much more balanced way. The book combines this with warmth, simplicity and kindness of simple people living in the small fishing communities around the shores of the Mediterranean and with a spell in the West Indies. A great and enjoyable read that makes you look at life afresh.
May 9, 2021
This one touched my soul.
I don’t remember the last time a book reconnected me to an important part of my life, and my being. This story is told so descriptively (without being flowery,) that it took me back to my time sailing and living aboard. The feel of the wind, the sound of the sea against the hull as you fall asleep, all that you see, feel, smell, and notice, upon entering a new anchorage, or visiting a new island… All of it- all the details- are here.
This is a tale of beautifully written experiences that makes you feel like you are along for the journey!
I am grateful to this author!
I don’t remember the last time a book reconnected me to an important part of my life, and my being. This story is told so descriptively (without being flowery,) that it took me back to my time sailing and living aboard. The feel of the wind, the sound of the sea against the hull as you fall asleep, all that you see, feel, smell, and notice, upon entering a new anchorage, or visiting a new island… All of it- all the details- are here.
This is a tale of beautifully written experiences that makes you feel like you are along for the journey!
I am grateful to this author!
June 14, 2021
Charming autobiographical tale of the irresistible call of the sea
A most enjoyable read. Captures the enchantment of a life spent balancing work with a more real existence, in an age of sail and adventure now sadly gone. Beautiful and inspiring observation of what the sea can still offer the adventurous soul.
A most enjoyable read. Captures the enchantment of a life spent balancing work with a more real existence, in an age of sail and adventure now sadly gone. Beautiful and inspiring observation of what the sea can still offer the adventurous soul.
October 30, 2020
So Enjoyable
As an avid reader who enjoys this genre of story already, I must say that this is one of the best books I have read in a long time .
Well written, historical, and philosophical a real page turner .
As an avid reader who enjoys this genre of story already, I must say that this is one of the best books I have read in a long time .
Well written, historical, and philosophical a real page turner .
March 1, 2021
This is a very good book about one man's sailing adventures. It is not exciting, but it is excellent writing. I liked it best when he was sailing alone with one partner.
December 14, 2023
A philosophic reflection on a dream fulfilled. This memoir is a success story of life as an adventurer and sailor in the Mediterranean by a noted naval historian.
Recommended reading for those who dare to venture to live life to the fullest.
EXCERPTS:
We both know that running back before the gale means throwing away hard-won miles. It means retracing our steps and adding more days to the voyage. ‘Ah, well, what do the books say? “Patience is a virtue learned at sea.” All hands!’
Away on the western horizon, lit from beneath by the dying sun, a huge cumulo-nimbus cloud towers into the sky. A fantastic structure, like a baroque cathedral, the cloud soars in thousand-foot pinnacles and then sags at its base as though it cannot support its weight. Below it, descending from some two hundred foot above the sea, three dark pillars hang down into the ocean. ‘Waterspouts!’
The past two years I’ve not been living as I wanted to —how few of us ever do—but living according to the designs of my country. One day, though, if I survive the war, I’ll have my own life to live. At twenty-one the gift of a life seems the promise of endless freedom.
At six o’clock I went to the bar at Mary’s House and waited around for my friends to join me. It was a good bar at Mary’s; the drink was reasonable, the measures just; the food eatable—and upstairs there were a few rather tired girls for those whose simple appetites were not revolted by a communal dish.
Our palates had been spoiled for the softer nuances of contentment. The after-lunch doze with the Sunday paper, the clatter of the lawn-mower, and the distant scrape and fiddle of B.B.C. tea-time music seemed insipid after fevered nights in leave-time ports. Of those who failed to make the adjustment, some emigrated, some took to drink, and some climbed mountains. Others—and I was among them—attempted the return to post-war living, found it unsatisfying, and then cut out new paths for ourselves. The Welfare State was designed for the generation that followed us. London was strange and uneasy in those immediate post-war years. It had something of the same smell about it that conquered Naples had at the time when Naples was the leave center for our Anzio troops: a little dust; much decay; and the smell of corruption.
Recommended reading for those who dare to venture to live life to the fullest.
EXCERPTS:
We both know that running back before the gale means throwing away hard-won miles. It means retracing our steps and adding more days to the voyage. ‘Ah, well, what do the books say? “Patience is a virtue learned at sea.” All hands!’
Away on the western horizon, lit from beneath by the dying sun, a huge cumulo-nimbus cloud towers into the sky. A fantastic structure, like a baroque cathedral, the cloud soars in thousand-foot pinnacles and then sags at its base as though it cannot support its weight. Below it, descending from some two hundred foot above the sea, three dark pillars hang down into the ocean. ‘Waterspouts!’
The past two years I’ve not been living as I wanted to —how few of us ever do—but living according to the designs of my country. One day, though, if I survive the war, I’ll have my own life to live. At twenty-one the gift of a life seems the promise of endless freedom.
At six o’clock I went to the bar at Mary’s House and waited around for my friends to join me. It was a good bar at Mary’s; the drink was reasonable, the measures just; the food eatable—and upstairs there were a few rather tired girls for those whose simple appetites were not revolted by a communal dish.
Our palates had been spoiled for the softer nuances of contentment. The after-lunch doze with the Sunday paper, the clatter of the lawn-mower, and the distant scrape and fiddle of B.B.C. tea-time music seemed insipid after fevered nights in leave-time ports. Of those who failed to make the adjustment, some emigrated, some took to drink, and some climbed mountains. Others—and I was among them—attempted the return to post-war living, found it unsatisfying, and then cut out new paths for ourselves. The Welfare State was designed for the generation that followed us. London was strange and uneasy in those immediate post-war years. It had something of the same smell about it that conquered Naples had at the time when Naples was the leave center for our Anzio troops: a little dust; much decay; and the smell of corruption.
April 18, 2015
What a wonderful sailing adventure by an actual sailor and his wife, a sailor as well. This is a snapshot of a life that is essentially no more in the modern world. People sign on to crew a boat, but owning your own boat and making a living while on the boat I would be willing to bet is hard to come by in this day and age. The author's technical acumen is unsurpassed as evidenced by every nautical term possible used in the descriptions of navigating the seas in the Mediterranean as well as the rivers and canals through France. This book would be even more appreciated by someone who sails, someone who actually knows what all these nautical terms mean. Nonetheless, for a non-seafarer, it is still a wonderful read quietly negotiating the waters through France to reach the Mediterranean, dropping anchor and visiting the town for a loaf of bread or fresh vegetables, and many times having the village folk row out to greet them and offer them a drink or some nuts or seeds. They visit Palermo and spend extended time on Malta, a form British colony, but which has gained independence since the book was written. You read about the humble, hard-working peasants they encounter and how they are willing to share what little they have. As they pass by the small sun-drenched harbors in Italy and Greece deciding where to drop anchor and where there next port will be, you become part of the rhythm of the boat and don't want it to end. I actually slowed my reading speed down in order to savor this way of life for a bit longer before I had to return back to today's reality. It was interesting to learn the author wrote many other books regarding naval battles and the men who orchestrated them. This is not a genre I have much interest in, but I would like to read one or two since this author's seafaring knowledge is the real deal. I would love to have this book in hard copy so I can pick it up every so often on a bookshelf to read again instead of being buried in my Nook. It's too enjoyable a book to be read only once.
February 25, 2016
The author tells of his sailing adventures from England to the Mediterranean Sea and beyon. His love of sailing is apparent in his various adventures over sereral years. He also tells of his land adventures and the peple he meets as he visit the many islands he visited.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews