Review by Booklist Review
In a candid narrative, Callahan relives his incredible 76-day ordeal adrift alone on an inflatable rubber raft in the Atlantic. (Ja 1 86)
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Library Journal Review
Callahan, a marine architect, lost his boat in a storm off the Canary Islands while engaged in a singlehanded race across the Atlantic in 1981. Luckily, he carried far more than the basic emergency equipment required, e.g., a six-person raft. Before sinking he was able to recover his emergency equipment bag and his life raft. Callahan admits to having read the survival accounts of Maurice and Maralyn Bailey ( Staying Alive , 1974) and Dougal Robertson ( Survive the Savage Sea , 1973) and even had the latter's manual Sea Survival (1975) with him in the raft. What makes his story different was his lack of a companion. Through his own ingenuity he learned how to spear fish, fix his solar still, and even repair his holed raft. This is a real human drama that delves deeply into a man's survival instincts. It should be read by anyone venturing offshore in a small boat. John Kenny, San Francisco P.L. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by School Library Journal Review
YA Sailing Napoleon Solo in a single-handed Mini-Transat race from Spain to Antigua, Callahan was west of the Canary Islands when he realized that his sailboat was sinking. He managed to grab the life raft, a knife, his emergency duffel bag, a piece of mains'l, and a sleeping bag. These items became his home and sole possessions for 76 days. Loneliness, hunger, thirst, pain, and weakness dogged Callahan, yet his ingenuity and knowledge of the sea enabled him to survive. The illustrations and diagrams of life aboard Rubber Ducky III enable readers to visualize the hardshipsthe cramped living space of the raft, the hundreds of salt water sores that covered his body, the foreboding appearance of an approaching storm, or the primitive method used to collect fresh water. Harassed by sharks and dorados; at the mercy of storms; sore, cold, and miserable, Callahan shows fortitude and perseverance. An excellent book for all YAs, whether sailors or landlubbers. Pam Spencer, Mount Vernon High School Library, Fairfax, Va. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A riveting tale of survival by a young man who drifted on the South Atlantic for two and one-half months in a tiny inflatable raft after his sailboat was destroyed by a whale. First of all, it should be said that for aficionados of sailing literature, Callahan's story is to William F. Buckley's Atlantic High as the Great Chicago Fire is to cuddling up in front of a cozy hearth. The reader can almost feel the constant poking of dorados against Callahan's rump and head, break out in goosebumps each time Callahan spies a shark's fin nearing, or almost retch at the taste of dorados' eyeballs and innards, practically his only source of nourishment during the ordeal. What makes the story so effective is that Callahan is, besides being an adept sailor, a fine writer, who can find universals in his situation where others might be paralyzed with fear. He is able to explain the intricacies of seamanship and survival with such confidence that the reader feels as if he could perform in the same brave way. Callahan's story takes the form of a diary narrative, beginning with the wreck of his vessel some 450 miles north of the Cape Verde Islands and ending 1800 miles later, when some fishermen found him just off the Guadeloupe coast. In all this time and mileage, he spotted only seven ships off in the distance and saw very few planes. Men have survived longer at sea in inflatable rafts--the Bailey family spent 119 days on the Pacific. But no one man has ever survived more than one month alone in similar conditions before Callahan. The author is repetitive about some of his experiences (the descriptions of his clubbing dorados and carving them up seem to be interminable). Also, one doesn't quite get the fearful ambiance of the endless ocean, say, by night. But this tale still grips the reader, capturing the intensity and terrifying awesomeness of the situation. There have been many tales of survival, but Adrift is twenty thousand leagues over the rest. Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
