The Sailor’s Bookshelf: Fifty Books to Know the Sea. By Admiral James Stavridis USN (Ret.). Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, 2021.
Review by Tim Coyle
Admiral James Stavridis’ 35-year US Navy service culminated in the four years he spent as NATO Supreme Commander. His passion is his love of books on the sea which developed his philosophical outlook, both as a bibliophile and a naval officer. His maritime book collection numbers approximately 5000 titles. In ‘The Sailor’s Bookshelf’ he chooses 50 books which best represent his personal journey through variegated literary voyages.
We usually come to books from childhood experiences of reading mysteries and adventure stories which awaken our imaginations. The young Stavridis was stimulated by a 1962 voyage in a classic ocean liner to Greece where his US Marine Corps father was appointed to the US Embassy in Athens. The lack of television in Athens advantageously directed him to books from the embassy library. The Grecian coastline and its ancient maritime associations caught and developed his fascination.
Entering the US Naval Academy, Stavridis intended to follow his father into the Marine Corps. It was on his first midshipman’s cruise in 1972 when he experienced the beauty and enthrallment of the maritime elements causing him to choose a career in surface ships.
The Sailor’s Bookshelf is an eclectic mix divided into: The Oceans (13 titles), Explorers (8), Sailors in Fiction (14) and Sailors in Non-Fiction (15). Each book is expressed in an appreciative essay as how it contributes to the maritime literary genre and its influence on Stavridis’ personal journey.
It is an appealing work. The range of nautical themes extend from practical applications of the mariner’s art – navigation and ship handling – through philosophical meanderings, maritime adventure, war at sea and fiction. Readers will doubtless see some familiar titles and enjoy Stavridis’ essays. Other titles may not be so familiar; however, the engaging commentaries may spur an interest in seeking the lesser-known works.
The Sailor’s Bookshelf is a personal journey of a sailor’s life. Admiral Stavridis has given us a fine maritime anthology to be enjoyed by all who serve, have served or are moved by the awesomeness of the oceans and their impact on our lives, past, present and into the future. The Sailor’s Bookshelf is highly recommended.
