Essential reading for kneelos

tomway · Post by **tomway** » Sun Dec 20, 2009 7:03 pm

Can anyone recommend any books, particularly surf related, they've come across that they feel are worth reading?

I've just finished a novel called 'Breath' by a guy called Tim Winton which is probably the best bit of surf fiction I've come across... in fact the only bit of surf fiction i've read that wasn't total dross. Enjoyed it a lot. I gave up years ago on surf lit because it was generally so bad, but maybe that's changing now?

Non-fiction, I like a lot of Andrew Kidman's journalism and surf essays, though he gets a bit preachy at times. Also DC Green often writes laugh out loud stuff in a gonzo journalism style. Very hard to get magazines here though.

Anyone suggest a book or two I should order for the New Year?

MALLEE BULL · Post by **MALLEE BULL** » Sun Dec 20, 2009 7:22 pm

Try Brett D"Arcy
The Mindless Ferocity Of Sharks.
Not a bad read

KenM · Post by **KenM** » Sun Dec 20, 2009 7:32 pm

Tom, one book I enjoyed very much was "Bunker Spreckels Surfing's Divine Prince of Decadence". A bit more than half consists of photos by Art Brewer, the rest is transcriptions of conversations between Bunker and Craig Stecyk. Another, though not surfing specific is called "The Devil's Teeth" about the Farallon Islands off of San Francisco, vacation spot for some pretty big sharks and home to a bunch of very nervous seals.

alfredo zavala · Post by **alfredo zavala** » Sun Dec 20, 2009 8:31 pm

Two books I can recommend: 1) " All For A Few Perfect Waves" The audacious life & legend of rebel surfer Miki Dora. By David Rensin.
Almost read that book in one sitting. Couldn't put it down. Non Fiction.
2) "Caught Inside" By Dan Duane. One guys life of a year of surfing in Northern California. Non Fiction as well.
Happy reading and Happy Christmas!!

ross · Post by **ross** » Sun Dec 20, 2009 10:10 pm

I agree with Alfredo Tom, "All For a Few Perfect Waves" was a great read, I to could not put it down. I don't subscribe to alot of what Dora did, but it makes for one hell of a story.

I just recently finished a couple of other Tim Winton novels , Cloud Street and Dirt Water. The former of those two was my favourite, it to has a coastal leaning to it without the surfing. He did do a good job with Breath hey?

For a more surf style of writing I'd be checking "In Search of Captain Zero" or "Cosmic Banditos" by Alan Weisbecker. Zero is an epic story.

Personally, I can't go past some of the classics with sea-going themes. I've chewed through Moby Dick or Lord Jim (by Joseph Conrad) Treasure Island (Robert Loius Stevenson) many times over. In fact those are the novels that my dad read to me as a kid( with characterised voices), so they are special books to me.

Mike Fernandez · Post by **Mike Fernandez** » Mon Dec 21, 2009 7:46 am

I agree with Alfredo and "Caught Inside", by Dan Duane, and Ross' "Captain Zero" great reads, and the guy who wrote Zero, also screen wrote the old TV Miami Vice episodes, and Dan has also written other surf books I heard.
Another good read is "On a Wave" by Thad Ziolkowski.

randiego · Post by **randiego** » Mon Dec 21, 2009 10:17 am

"Two Years Before the Mast", Richard Henry Dana, I read it every few years.

Not surfing, but excellent descriptions of places and times of early California, (with an extensive section on San Diego) when it was just Missions and Californios. The descriptions of life at sea aboard a mid-19th century sailing vessel, weather, etc are not to be missed.

K-man · Post by **K-man** » Mon Dec 21, 2009 10:23 am

Non surfing...Ocean oriented....Like folks on this site....

Joshua Slocum's (1899) Sailing around the world alone.

cheers

Mike Fernandez · Post by **Mike Fernandez** » Mon Dec 21, 2009 10:26 am

Another good sailing/water topic is Dana Seybold's "Longitude" written very well about the great race to measure longitude. Ocean navigating without it was tough, it has intrigue, politics, and science. Tells the genius of Harrison, and his making of a timepiece without a pendulum, which the normal clocks of the time had, and was worthless at sea. His timepieces are on display to this day in Greenwich, England.

K-man · Post by **K-man** » Mon Dec 21, 2009 10:40 am

That was a special on pbs last year.Well done documentary.Man was a genius,and Wading through the politics and personal shite was horrific.I'm Gonna have to read the book. Good call...

randiego · Post by **randiego** » Mon Dec 21, 2009 12:05 pm

Mike Fernandez wrote:Another good sailing/water topic is Dana Seybold's "Longitude" written very well about the great race to measure longitude.

Very good choice Mike, couldn't put that one down.

Two easy reads for weather-related stuff is "Isaac's Storm" about the 1903 Galveston hurricane that killed like 10,000; also "The Perfect Storm" - lots of drama about the swordfish boat, but excellent weather analysis and descriptions too.

KneeBumps · Post by **KneeBumps** » Mon Dec 21, 2009 2:12 pm

Great thread, keep em coming! Mike, Longitude was a good one.

If you have yet to read any of Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey-Maturin series, take the leap. Great characters (especially Stephen Maturin), epic sea battles, plus a huge amount of technical detail on sailing and commanding a ship.

Master and Commander was a good one but by no means the best.

Dunc · Post by **Dunc** » Mon Dec 21, 2009 2:28 pm

Kem Nunn's books are all good surf fiction -
Tapping the Source
The Dogs of Winter
Tiuana Straits

All good

K-man · Post by **K-man** » Mon Dec 21, 2009 4:26 pm

Tomway..you have a bit of reading to do!On a more earthy plane;don't fotget the kama sutra.........

ross · Post by **ross** » Mon Dec 21, 2009 9:11 pm

K-man, I just like the pictures in the Karma-sutra

Another Tom,Demon of the waters by Gregory Gibson. Tells the tale of the charming Charles Wilkes and the mutiny of The Globe. Guys who have spent time in Fiji, will have surfed Wilkes Passage, read this book and you'll find out why it was named after him

and yes a fantastic thread!

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Essential reading for kneelos

Essential reading for kneelos

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