5.0 out of 5 stars

A new and engaging version of a timeless classic., March 6, 2011

By Richard E. Spilman "Rick Spilman" (Jersey City, NJ)

I recently read The eNotated Sailing Alone Around the World by Joshua Slocum. Enotation is electronic annotation, where instead of footnotes or endnotes, there are embedded links in the text of an e-book. A book like Slocum's which contains a fair amount of sailing jargon and many geographical references is a perfect candidate for eNotation.

Before discussing this edition, however, a few words on Sailing Alone Around the World are in order. In 1895, Joshua Slocum was as ship's captain at loose ends in the last days of sail. He rebuilt a 37' gaff rigged oyster sloop named Spray, and proceeded to sail it around the world alone, the first person ever to do so. His book about the voyage, Sailing Alone Around the World, is a nautical classic. I would argue that it is a literary classic, period. Slocum's direct, deceptively simple yet vivid language reminds me of Mark Twain. If you haven't read Slocum, you should. Soon. This edition might not be bad place to start.

The eNotation was done by Chris Thomerson, who grew up sailing the North Sea. The challenge for an annotater, or in this case an eNotator, is selecting the right words and phrases to annotate. Beyond that, it is important to keep the annotations as concise possible so as not to distract too much from book itself. Overall, Thomerson does a very good job.

The eNotatations range from short definitions to slightly longer summaries. For example - in chapter 3, after eight days at sea Slocum sights a sail. "The sail was a barkantine, three points on the weather bow, hull down." By clicking on the underlined phrase " three points on the weather bow" the enotation opens as follows: "32 points for one full turn or 360 degrees. One point is 11.5 degrees, three points is 34.5 degrees back from the bow on the side the wind is coming from." By clicking again, you are returned to where you were in the text, to continue reading.

If you are familiar with the nautical jargon, you can just keep reading. If you are less so, reading the enotation is quick and easy and doesn't distract from the reading itself. There are also numerous notations tied to geography, idiomatic phrases and bits of history. Often the enotations are just fun in their own right. When Slocum writes: For sufficient reasons, I left that timepiece at home, where the Dutchman left his anchor." The notation explains the legend of the Flying Dutchman, cursed to sail forever. Sailing without stop forever doesn't require an anchor, which the Dutchman, therefore, left at home.

The annotations can also add context. Slocum spent $553.62 on the Spray. The annotation estimates the 'current cost of $30,000 to $50,000, still a relative bargain, but not the trifling sum that it might first appear.

Two other features are included in this edition. The original illustrations are included, which can be blown up to full screen size with a click, a feature not usually available on a Kindle book. Also each paragraph is numbered making it easier to keep track of if reading as part of a book club or study group.

Joshua Slocum's Sailing Alone Around the World by eNotated by Chris Thomerson, is a new and engaging version of a timeless classic. Highly recommended.