- Published: 2 January 2014
- ISBN: 9781409027652
- Imprint: Vintage Digital
- Format: EBook
- Pages: 368
Down To The Sea In Ships
Of Ageless Oceans and Modern Men
- Published: 2 January 2014
- ISBN: 9781409027652
- Imprint: Vintage Digital
- Format: EBook
- Pages: 368
Stupendous and extraordinarily exciting... What Clare demonstrates, even beyond his undoubted gifts as writer, is his basic humanity. I read his wonderful book with gratitude for his insight – but also with increased admiration for the men to whom we owe almost everything in our comfortable and secure lives
Philip Hoare, Times Higher Education
Rich and dense, full of old sea-dog stories, with barely a word wasted, it’s a triumph of quiet artistry
Marcus Berkmann, Daily Mail
This is a warm and lyrical book about a tough trade in tough times
Sara Wheeler, Observer
Wonderful... Clare’s writing is fluid, light and eminently readable, but perhaps his greatest asset is his empathy
Philip Hoare, Sunday Telegraph
A lyrical, heartfelt but eye-opening chronicle... Both romantic and realistic, written from the heart but crafted with a seafarer’s "passionate precision", [Clare’s] book will steer you into the new year on a course that may deepen your grasp both of that world, and of ourselves
Boyd Tonkin, Independent
[A] beautifully written account of seafaring life
Ian Critchley, Sunday Times
Clare’s powers of plain description are tremendous
Libby Purves, The Times
A fabulous account... There is Conradian insight in Clare’s portrayal of the crews to which he is supernumerary, from the captain who hums as he negotiates narrow channels to the first mate constantly crunching carrots
Giles Foden, Condé Nast Traveller
There remains something majestic and timeless about the sailor’s life, captured here in moments of pure poetry
Alex Saril, UK Press Syndication
Remarkable... Clare has the two essential qualities of a good travel writer: a sharp observing eye and a generous spirit
Jane Shilling, Evening Standard
An epic and lyrical adventure in which Clare naturally recalls Melville, Conrad, Masefield and Coleridge to evoke a way of life that is so entwined with, yet alien to, our own
Carl Wilkinson, Financial Times
A lyrical but eye-opening chronicle
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Clare's reportage is exemplary... He offers a fascinating insight into the often uncomfortable realities of an industry that relies on the cheap labour of Filipinos
Andrzej Lukowski, Metro
Encounters with crew members are interspersed with allusions to seafarers literary and historical. Clare's prose is at its most lyrical, however, describing the endlessly changing seascapes all around him
Oliver Smith, Lonely Planet Traveller
A true account of a remarkable journey by the extremely talented Welsh writer
Western Mail
[Clare] is a wonderfully energetic travel writer, as buoyant as a cork in a high sea
Saga
As wonderful as it can be terrifying, this glimpse into a seldom seen world cannot be missed!
UK Press Syndication
Acutely observed and surprisingly moving... Clare’s writing everywhere is of the highest order, assured, probing and alert. But it is his ability to convey the strange effect on the human spirit of being at sea that raises the book above the ordinary
Philip Marsden, Spectator
A smooth, compelling narrative. Above all, [Clare is] good company: sharp-eyed, empathetic, amused and endearing
Maggie Fergusson, Intelligent Life
A fascinating study of big businesses afloat, this is a moving tribute to those who live and work on the great waters far from land
Western Morning News
Somehow, Clare manages to describe these clunking behemoths of the ocean in exquisite, often poetic language… Unexpectedly riveting
Nic Bottomley, Bath Life
With an obsessive attention to detail, Clare captures the tales, trials and musings of mariners that would otherwise be lost to the tides
Food and Travel
Reading the account of [Clare’s] travels I am transported back to the bridge, and the sea, and the salt spray of the ocean
Helen Sampson, Guardian
A fascinating study into the realities of big business afloat and of humanity in extreme conditions
Welsh Coastal Life
We highly recommend it
Shiptalk
Wonderful… Clare’s account of his journeys with the officers and crews of container ships is gripping and stomach-churning in equal measure
Daily Telegraph
If you can't run away to sea (though I recommend you do), Clare's book is a warm and captivating companion to it
Guardian
This is far more than a travelogue. Packed with acute observations and sprinkled with historical seafaring tales, it’s a wonderful, insightful read
Julia Richardson, Daily Mail
[Clare] brilliantly evokes a way of life that is unfamiliar to most people, but essential to all our daily lives
Good Book Guide