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Title: The Voyage of the Catalpa: A Perilous Journey and Six Irish Rebels' Escape to Freedom by Peter F. Stevens ISBN: 0-7867-0974-X Publisher: Carroll & Graf Pub. Date: 12 March, 2002 Format: Hardcover Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $26.00

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Average Customer Rating: 2 (1 review)

Rating: 2
Summary: Keelhaul the nautical proof reader!!!!!
Comment: I have read this book with a mixture of interest and annoyance. I was interested in a part of Irish history that I had not read about previously. The author has managed to compile a quantity of factual documentation on this subject.

My annoyance arises from two main areas;

1. His 'factional' way of writing. Interspersing historical documents with the attributed thoughts and actions of his subjects. While I agree that it is the authors choice how he tells the story, his stereotypical approach of 'Cruel Britannia' versus the 'Noble Irish' gets a little tiresome after a while. Irish history (like most history) varies considerably depending on who does the telling. The 'Irish Question' is seldom black or white, a fact that has been discovered by several generations of US presidents. (I say this as an Irishman and a Nationalist).

2. An area where I am more qualified to comment is in his writing about the seagoing element of the story. If Mr. Stevens has a nautical proof reader he/she should be keelhauled. Some of the howlers are as follows;

Sailors raced up the ratlines to sheaf the ship's sails (p. 52) 'Sailors reef sails.

From the quarterdeck, a sailor called out 'twelve bells' (p.71). ' No, NO, NOOO, bells are rung (on a bell ' duh), and the highest number is EIGHT. 12 midnight is 8 BELLS.

' asked if he might see the ship's chronometer and learn how one used its winding key to arrive at the ships position. (p. 199)

AND

, took out his new chronometer, wound the key, and read --- ninety miles away (p. 232). ' 'Mother of the Devine!!!!!!!!!'' Mr. Stevens is mixing a Sextant with a Chronometer ' A chronometer is a CLOCK. A sextant is used to measure angles ' e.g. stars, sun, mountains etc. By combining an accurate CLOCK and a sextant angle of a heavenly body, using tables you can plot a ships position.

The first cry of 'Ah!Blows!' rang out (p.220) ' If a whaler cried out this he would be harpooned. The cry is 'Thar she blows'

"greasy luck" was the standard whalers cry, not 'greasy voyage'

This is only a small sample of the errors in the nautical side of this book. I can only assume similar carelessness in other areas. As a result Mr. Stevens gets a 2 star rating.

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