Book review: 'Alone at Sea' explores the literary allure of solo sailing

Richard J. King's new book, "Seul en mer. Une histoire de la navigation en solitaire" (Alone at Sea: A History of Solo Sailing), posits that navigating the sea alone is an act intrinsically linked to storytelling and literature. The author draws a parallel between the solitary sailor's experience and the impulse to recount it, citing Gabriel García Márquez's whimsical observation about Jonah and the whale as an illustration of this literary connection.

King, a seasoned sailor and a university researcher specializing in maritime history and literature, also brings his passion for marine fauna to the work. This follows his previous acclaimed book, "La Mer déchaînée d’Achab: une histoire naturelle de Moby Dick" (Achab's Unleashed Sea: A Natural History of Moby Dick). "Seul en mer" is presented as both a deeply personal account, informed by King's own solo Atlantic crossings, and an ambitious, well-researched essay.

The book delves into the experiences of numerous individuals, both famous and unknown, who have endured or reveled in the solitude of their sailboats while confronting storms. King meticulously documents these journeys, offering readers a comprehensive look at the history of solo seafaring. The work is further enhanced by extensive supplementary materials.

Appreciably, the volume includes chronological markers that trace the history of solo navigation from Pacific voyagers around 3000 BC to the results of the 2025 Vendée Globe race. Additionally, King provides detailed chapter-by-chapter sources, a bibliography, and an index, making it a valuable resource for anyone interested in maritime history and the human experience of solitary voyages.

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Fiction was invented the day Jonas came home and told his wife he was three days late because he had been swallowed by a whale.