| At the Mercy of the Sea | 
 enlarge | Author: John Kretschmer
Publisher: International Marine/Ragged Mountain Press
Category: Book
List Price: $14.95
Buy New: $8.01
You Save: $6.94 (46%)
Buy New/Used from $5.96
Avg. Customer Rating:   (10 reviews)
Sales Rank: 49943
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Unknown), English (Published)
Media: Paperback
Edition: 1
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 240
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 8.6 x 5.5 x 0.9
ISBN: 0071498877
Dewey Decimal Number: 797
EAN: 9780071498876
ASIN: 0071498877
Publication Date: August 2, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
?The tale of Carl Wake and the hurricane that was waiting for him goes straight to the heart of the greatest sea stories: they are not about man against the sea, but man against himself. John Kretschmer?s book is as perfectly shaped and flawlessly written as such a story can be. In addition to being the best depiction I have ever read of what it is like to be inside a hurricane at sea, At the Mercy of the Sea is as moving a story of a man?s failure and redemption as can be found anywhere in the literature of the sea. This book is surely destined to become a classic.??Peter Nichols, author of Sea Change and A Voyage for Madmen ?John Kretschmer has transformed this story of three men on a collision course with a hurricane into a modern seafaring classic.??Peter Nielsen, editor of SAIL magazine ?With expert analysis and taut writing, he draws readers into that mad storm. You can?t turn away. You keep reading until it breaks your heart.??Fred Grimm, columnist for the Miami Herald ?Once begun, his vivid and powerful narrative is impossible to put down.??Derek Lundy, author of Godforsaken Sea and The Way of a Ship ?I felt I knew Carl Wake, because John Kretschmer found in him an archetype?an aging sailor with an age-old dream.??Jim Carrier, transatlantic sailor and author of The Ship and the Storm: Hurricane Mitch and the Loss of the Fantome ?A remarkable book, impossible to put down.??Herb McCormick, sailing journalist
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| Customer Reviews: Read 5 more reviews...
A must read for sailors and arm chair sailors December 24, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
John Kretschmer captures the psyche of singlehanding sailors and those who want to make the transition from weekend sailors to blue water sailors. The fast moving action follows three boats and their crews, two of which are singlehanding, as they move towards their inevitable encounter with Hurricane Lenny.
 Eulogy for a friend October 28, 2007
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
This is an interesting sea story that will certainly entertain sailing enthusiasts for a long time. The story focused too heavily on the rather idealized but troubled life of a friend of the author, and at times suffers from too much speculation as to the mindset of the sailors eventually lost at sea. These literary shortcomings, however, are a reasonable trade off for the authors vast experience and knowledge of sailing. Overall, I enjoyed the book and would recommend it to anyone with an interest in sailing.
Great Writer/Great Book October 24, 2007
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I picked up this book at the independent booksellers' convention in Atlanta after hearing John Kretschmer speak. His talk was so enthralling, I couldn't resist his book. It is riveting and well written. A must for anyone who seeks well-presented thought-provoking entertainment.
an amazing book! September 23, 2007
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I just finished reading this book. It sat on my book shelf for a good while. I had forgotten about it. I picked it up today and never put it down.
I live on the island of St. Maarten. One of the sailors in this book was a resident here. I am familiar with the waters around here and I lived through Hurricane Lenny, so I was particularly interested in this book.
I was not prepared however for the intensity. I feel like I lived this tragedy with these sailors. This is a well written, well researched book and one highly personal for the author, who was a good friend of one of the sailors.
I highly recommend this book. It is well worth the read and if nothing else, it will make you appreciate the raw power of hurricanes and the sea.
My sympathies go out to all the families who lost their loved ones in this hurricane.
A Gripping Read January 9, 2007
5 out of 6 found this review helpful
This is a well written and gripping tale of three sailboats caught in a Caribbean Hurricane. As their paths and stories converge, the tension gets tighter. We know how it ends, but finding out how it gets to that point keeps the reader from putting it down.
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