In June 1898, Captain Joshua Slocum made landfall in New England and became the first person ever to sail alone around the world. The voyage capped a lifetime of adventure for the indomitable Slocum. Sailing Alone Around the World, Slocum's book about his circumnavigation, is a seafaring classic, unmatched for adventure and literary verve, and has never been out of print since its publication in 1900.
Yet Slocum the man has remained unknowable to his legions of admirers. The product of years of research, A Man for All Oceans is the most comprehensive biography of Slocum ever published, and the first to be written by a small—boat sailor. Author/historian Grayson uncovered previously unknown original source materials to shed new light on one of history's greatest sailors while answering questions that have been asked ever since the publication of Sailing Alone. Here is the real story of Slocum's Nova Scotia childhood, his seafaring career, and how he became an American citizen. Grayson gives ample evidence of Slocum's uncanny genius as a navigator while also bringing a sailor's perspective to Slocum's solo circumnavigation and mysterious disappearance at sea.
A fascinating appendix compares Sailing Alone Around the World with Thoreau's Walden. Previously unpublished photographs bring Slocum's world to life, and detailed maps trace the adventures of a sailor who knew the world like the back of his hand. This biography reads like an adventure narrative and will serve as the standard work on Joshua Slocum for years to come.