Description
Doubleday, Page & Co., 1921. Hardcover, lx, 189, [1] pp. First American Edition.
Rare, out-of-print & unusual books · Since 1997
115
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Catalog notes
Condition & notes
In good condition/ NO dust jacket. Blue cloth covered boards with printed paper spine label illustrated with a tall ship. Moderate aging to label with a small chip to the top corner. Light to moderate overall scuffing, fading and aging to covers. Binding tight. Previous owner's name on front paste-down and gift inscription with "xmas 1921" on front free end paper. Pages lightly aged but otherwise unmarked. Not Ex-library. Originally published in London in 1908 under the title "Letters from an Ocean Tramp." In this first American edition, McFee added a substantial new preface. Framed as a series of letters from aboard the S.S. Benvenuto, a tramp steamer traveling from London to global ports, the essays explore life at sea and in the soul of the seaman. McFee, himself a marine engineer, offers rich observations on seafaring, literature, personal failure, and artistic integrity. His personal philosophy is succinctly stated: "The secret of a joyful life is to live dangerously." Though touched by youthful cynicism and emotional disappointment, the book is ultimately a joyous and courageous testament to the life of thought and action. A foundational work in McFee's literary career and a notable contribution to 20th-century maritime writing.