Sailing Alone

A Surprising History of Isolation and Survival at Sea

By: Richard J. King

Narrated by: William Hope

“A masterfully curated collection...You don’t have to be a sailor to be blown away by this fascinating, bighearted book.”—Nathaniel Philbrick, author of In the Heart of the Sea, Travels with George, and Second Wind

A story as vast and exhilarating as the open ocean itself, SAILING ALONE chronicles the daring, disastrous, and often absurd history of those who chose to sail across the ocean, in very small boats, alone.

Sailing by yourself, out of sight of land, can be invigorating and terrifying, compelling and tedious—and sometimes all of the above in one morning. But it is also a wide expanse of time in which to think. Sailing Alone tells the story of some of the remarkable people who, over the last four centuries, have spent weeks and months, moving slowly over the world's largest laboratory: a capricious and startling place in which to observe oneself, the weather, the stars, and countless sea creatures, from the tiniest to the most massive and threatening.

Richard J. King profiles characters famous, diverse, international, and obscure, from Joshua Slocum of 1898 to modern teenagers daring to take the challenge. They see strange hallucinations, lie to us (and themselves) on their travel logs, encounter sharks, befriend birds, and experience ESP, all part of the unnerving reality of extended isolation. And some disappear altogether. Sailing Alone also recounts the author's own nearly catastrophic solo crossing of the Atlantic, and the mystery of his inexplicable survival one sunny afternoon.

An enormously engaging new book for skippers and armchair voyagers alike.

©2024 Richard J. King (P)2024 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

“Sailing Alone is a beacon, a lighthouse of luminance for the experienced and inexperienced alike. Richard King’s insightful reflections on the stories of lone voyagers make this required reading for all who dream fervently of such voyages. A nuanced study in aspiration, endurance, terror, and triumph, it’s a treasure.”—Jon Wilson, Founder, WoodenBoat

"Richard King is a superb and gifted writer, and Sailing Alone is an exceptional book. Into his account of his own singlehanded ocean crossing, he has woven a rare and compelling history of the real explorers, the extraordinary ‘ordinary’ people—men, women, and even children—who took off alone, in tiny, often crude boats, and found what we are all searching for. Here is the real story of what it’s like to be alone at sea. A real achievement that will provide inexhaustible re-reading, Sailing Alone belongs on the very small shelf of the true classics of the sea."—Peter Nichols, author of Sea Change and A Voyage for Madmen

“What makes Richard King’s Sailing Alone work so wonderfully well is how deftly he has interwoven his own transatlantic voyage into a masterfully curated collection of other singlehanded adventures—all told with great brio, wit, and charm. I couldn’t put this book down. Not only did I want to know what was going to happen to the author aboard his 28-foot cockleshell Fox, I wanted to know what fellow voyager was going to join him next on his perilous passage across the storm-tossed sea. You don’t have to be a sailor to be blown away by this fascinating, bighearted book.”—Nathaniel Philbrick, author of In the Heart of the Sea, Travels with George, and Second Wind

Excellent book and narration

I'm a big fan a solo sailing stories and this is a wonderful book. It has introduced me to many obscure but fascinating adventures. Well done.

A synopsis of several better books perhaps.

Ok but no page turner. Maybe it recommends some interesting books. A few more words to meet review criteria.

Enjoyable and informative

I enjoyed this book very much. It is well organized, informative, and engaging. I highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in sailing.