Books with author Richard Henry Dana Jr.

A true story of the battered life of a foremast crewman, Two Years Before the Mast is Richard Henry Dana’s classic travel narrative, which inspired canonical works such as Moby Dick and Sailing Alone Around the World. As Rod Scher follows Dana (the Harvard dropout-turned-sailor) on his voyages around North America, he annotates Dana’s tale with critiques, compliments, tie-ins to today, and little-known facts about both the book and the milieu of Dana’s time.

How is this book unique? 15 Illustrations are included Short Biography is also includedOriginal & Unabridged EditionTablet and e-reader formattedBest fiction books of all timeOne of the best books to readClassic historical fiction booksBestselling FictionTwo Years Before the Mast is a memoir by the American author Richard Henry Dana, Jr., published in 1840, having been written after a two-year sea voyage From Boston to California on a merchant ship starting in 1834. A film adaptation under the same name was released in 1946.While an undergraduate at Harvard College, Dana had an attack of the measles which affected his vision. Thinking it might help his sight, Dana left Harvard to enlist as a common sailor on a voyage around Cape Horn on the brig Pilgrim. He returned to Massachusetts two years later aboard the Alert (which left California sooner than the Pilgrim). He kept a diary throughout the voyage, and, after returning, he wrote a recognized American classic, Two Years Before the Mast, published in 1840.

Two Years Before the Mast is a memoir by the American author Richard Henry Dana Jr., published in 1840, having been written after a two-year sea voyage from Boston to California on a merchant ship starting in 1834.In the book, which takes place between 1834 and 1836, Dana gives a vivid account of "the life of a common sailor at sea as it really is". He sails from Boston to South America and around Cape Horn to California. Dana's ship was on a voyage to trade goods from the United States for the Mexican colonial Californian California missions' and ranchos' cow hides. They traded at the ports in San Diego Bay, San Pedro Bay, Santa Barbara Channel, Monterey Bay, and San Francisco Bay.A film adaptation under the same name was released in 1946.Richard Henry Dana, Jr. (1815-1882) was an American lawyer and politician who gained renown as the author of the American classic Two Years Before the Mast, a memoir of his time spent at sea as a merchant seaman.

First published in 1840, “Two Years Before the Mast” is the true story of Richard Henry Dana’s voyage aboard the merchant vessel the “Pilgrim” on a trip around Cape Horn during the years 1834 to 1836. Dana was a student at Harvard when a case of the measles affected his vision. He left school and enlisted as a sailor on a merchant vessel, believing that the experience might help his eyesight. Dana kept a diary during his adventures and he intended his account to be “the life of a common sailor at sea as it really is”. He details the trip from Boston, around South Africa and to San Francisco to trade goods from the United States for cow hides from Mexican colonial missions and ranchos. “Two Years Before the Mast” depicts maritime life in the 19th century as it truly was; brutal, harsh, dangerous, and sometimes incredibly beautiful. Dana’s account also includes a fascinating description of California before the Gold Rush. Included in this edition is the appendix, “Twenty-Four Years After”, added by the author in 1869, which depicts his return trip to California in 1859 and the immense changes he witnessed to the area from statehood, the Gold Rush, and growing prosperity. Also included in this edition is an afterword by his son entitled “Seventy-Six Years After”. This edition is printed on premium acid-free paper.

A true story of the battered life of a foremast crewman, Two Years Before the Mast is Richard Henry Dana’s classic travel narrative, which inspired canonical works such as Moby Dick and Sailing Alone Around the World. As Rod Scher follows Dana (the Harvard dropout-turned-sailor) on his voyages around North America, he annotates Dana’s tale with critiques, compliments, tie-ins to today, and little-known facts about both the book and the milieu of Dana’s time.

Born into a comfortable and affluent New England family, Richard Henry Dana (who once studied under the great Ralph Waldo Emerson) disconcertingly took to the high seas in 1834 as a common sailor, an experience that would color his classic memoir Two Years Before the Mast. Despite his failing vision thanks to a childhood illness, Dana served onboard a merchant vessel, traveling from Massachusetts southward, with stops along South America and in California. A fascinating read for maritime enthusiasts or lovers of history, Dana’s Before the Mast is a vigorous account of a life at sea in the 19th century.

"Two Years Before the Mast" is the story of Richard Henry Dana Jr., a young Harvard student, who leaves school to go on a sea voyage to improve his health. Dana shipped out of Boston on the brig Pilgrim bound for California to bring back cow hides, presumably for the leather industry around Boston. "Two Years Before the Mast" is a graphic, sometimes chilling, picture of what life was like for seamen on a merchant ship in the 1800s. They were no better than slaves, with life and death being subject to the whims of the captain. Their pay was small and sometimes they were forced to spend it in what amounted to a company store. It was possible to go on a two year voyage and wind up owing the shipping company money. The condition under which this labor was performed stretches the imagination. "Two Years Before the Mast also provides fascinating information on pre-gold rush California history and Mexican Alta California, as well as the Sandwich Islanders (Hawaiians). All in all, "Two Years Before the Mast" is one of the most vivid accounts of the relationship between man and sea-and still rings true as a portrayal of man's endurance.

This is a pre-1923 historical reproduction that was curated for quality. Quality assurance was conducted on each of these books in an attempt to remove books with imperfections introduced by the digitization process. Though we have made best efforts - the books may have occasional errors that do not impede the reading experience. We believe this work is culturally important and have elected to bring the book back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide.

Two Years Before the Mast, by Richard Henry Dana (1840) Scion of a prominent Boston family, Dana dropped out of Harvard and, hoping to recover the strength of his eyes, weakened by measles, signed on with a merchant ship as a common sailor. His book about his time at sea is an American classic, vivid in its description of the sailor's life and all its dangers and delights