Listen free for 30 days

Listen with offer

  • Two Years Before the Mast: A Personal Narrative of Life at Sea

  • By: Richard H. Dana Jr.
  • Narrated by: Hal Saunders
  • Length: 15 hrs and 5 mins
  • 4.3 out of 5 stars (4 ratings)
Get this deal Try for £0.00
Offer ends May 1st, 2024 11:59PM GMT. Terms and conditions apply.
£7.99/month after 3 months. Renews automatically.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Two Years Before the Mast: A Personal Narrative of Life at Sea cover art

Two Years Before the Mast: A Personal Narrative of Life at Sea

By: Richard H. Dana Jr.
Narrated by: Hal Saunders
Get this deal Try for £0.00

Pay £99p/month. After 3 months pay £7.99/month. Renews automatically. See terms for eligibility.

£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £17.99

Buy Now for £17.99

Pay using card ending in
Switch payment method
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.

Listeners also enjoyed...

 Mutiny on the Bounty cover art
Voyage of the Liberdade cover art
Jack Tar cover art
Amazing Sailing Stories cover art
Omoo cover art
Wreck of the Whale Ship Essex cover art
Across Islands and Oceans cover art
Ocean Life in the Old Sailing Ship Days cover art
Endurance cover art
Sailing, Yachts and Yarns cover art
RYA International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea cover art
The Adventures of James Capen Adams, Mountaineer and Grizzly Bear Hunter of California cover art
An Unsung Hero cover art
I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue: A Second Treasury cover art
A Race Too Far cover art
The Next Distant Sea cover art

Summary

Two Years Before the Mast is an 1840 memoir by the author Richard Henry Dana. A Harvard graduate, he spent the years 1834 to 1836 as a sailor on a merchant ship on a voyage from Boston to California. The journey took them past Cape Horn on the Tierra del Fuego archipelago where the Pacific and Atlantic oceans meet.

Dana provides detailed descriptions of ship life and the technical aspects of sailing. A chapter on California and its inhabitants offers valuable historical insights on the state which was then a foreign land.
Public Domain (P)2019 Museum Audiobooks
Collections Biographies & Memoirs State & Local Expeditions & Discoveries Sailing Travel Writing & Commentary
Show More Show Less

What listeners say about Two Years Before the Mast: A Personal Narrative of Life at Sea

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    2
  • 4 Stars
    1
  • 3 Stars
    1
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Performance
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    1
  • 4 Stars
    1
  • 3 Stars
    2
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    3
  • 4 Stars
    0
  • 3 Stars
    1
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Audible.co.uk reviews

Amazon reviews
Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for David Newsham

Excellent Story poor Narration

I have read this book and love it. I was, however disappointed with the narration to start with.

Report this

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Captain T. Storeboe

Great depiction of a forgotten time

This story is captivating and very fascinating. It shares the thought of a common sailor as the author mentions, rarely described. It goes into great details of hardship and life aboard the old square riggers in their last few years of competitive service. The timescale in the book is very clear and it is humbling to read as the years go by the people vanish along with the trade. Only one critique is the narrator does not know how to pronounce "mizen".

Report this

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!