Richard Henry Dana 
Two Years Before the Mast 

Most people go to an optician if their vision is bad. However, when Richard Henry Dana’s sight was affected by measles while he was at Harvard College, he decided a sea voyage round Cape Horn was the best solution. He joined the crew of a merchant ship at Boston, kept a daily diary of his adventures, then produced this American classic. ’Two Years Before the Mast’ is a vivid account of the true life of a common sailor at sea. Throughout his journey, Dana encounters indigenous people, describes being lowered down a cliff to retrieve cow hides, learns Spanish, acts as interpreter, and witnesses floggings. The return journey is hellish, and Dana’s description of battling storms around the Cape moved ’Moby Dick’ author, Herman Melville, to say it "must have been written with an icicle". A rollicking memoir that is better than fiction, Two Years Before the Mast is perfect for fans of the ’Bounty Trilogy’ by Charles Nordhoff and James Norman Hall.