Strange Tales of the Sea (Jack's Strange Tales)

The ocean is its own universe. The minute a ship leaves port it enters a world like no other. With the sky above and the sea below, a ship and its crew exist in an environment that has its own rules, rewards and retributions. It’s a grueling existence, this seafaring life, especially in centuries past where there are no hygienic conditions let alone luxuries. But there are stories and superstitions, legends, anecdotes, history and factoids, all with their own mysterious appeal. It’s a life where imagination takes hold, where myth becomes reality, where ghosts become traveling companions, and fellow sailors become a family, many times a dysfunctional one.In “Strange Tales of the Sea,” Jack Strange demonstrates in intimate detail his exacting knowledge of the subject. Not a storybook in the traditional sense but a book that brims with exciting and fascinating details that only an impassioned historian can construct. With 17 chapters and enticing titles such as Ships with Ghosts and Ships with Luck, Ships that Disappeared, Creatures of the Deep, Eating the Ship’s Boy, Religion at Sea, etc., you know this is not going to be a dry and dull thesis. If you are a history or mythology buff, looking to research material for your own treatise on the sea, or are just fascinated by the subject, Jack’s book is a must have.

This was a grand book. I really would have loved to have read more on the ghost ships, but maybe they are just that...ghosts! At any rate, I learned a lot of things about the ships of old and how horrific sea travel was before there were any guidelines and certainly before Survey was reckonized and what to do about preventing it. Those big sea creatures, I have always suspected were left over from the early earth development.Lots of good info here.

An informative book...read very much like Wikipedia. Stories of sea monsters, ghost ships, mermaids and sailors' superstitions filled the book. Most of the stories are pre 1900-2000 before satellites and radar. Decent read...if given opportunity I could read more from Mr Strange.

If you ever wondered why some sailors were called limeys this book explains that and so much more. The tales about the cutty Sark and the Madagascar will shock, surprise, and amaze you. I could go on and on. This book is very well written and researched. I absolutely loved it. Whether it be fair winds or foul, sailors soul had to have written such a wonderful book.

Strange Tales of the Sea is the 2nd book of strange tales I have read by this author. A lot of work and research goes into the compilation of these books They are true, for the most post, even when they are hearsay and handed down through families and generations.Stories in this volume include lives of the old-time sea men and how they worked and sailed, and how they managed their personal lives. Some of the tales could simply be exaggeration, but all let us tune in to a life and time we would probably never know without reading. Way back when most of these tales were said to be happening, it was a huge difference in generations since. Who knows which story is real and which is fiction.Jack Strange’s Strange Tales books give us a glimpse into lives and times past, and they were not always happy and smooth. In fact, in this volume, life was rough and difficult, as were the personalities of the seamen who lived back in that day. This book is a glimpse into the distant past, no matter it be fiction or nonfiction. Even myths start with a seed of reality.

Don't get me wrong. The content that is in the book is good. However there could be more work of the tales themselves. Each individual chapter could be a section introducing the history and theory of the strange tales while including a couple full stories related to each subject. The way it is, the book seems a little more disjointed with the general theory and history while referencing multiple stories.

Strange is as Strange does, apparently. But who doesn't like a good seafaring tale? And this slim volume has many. Some are stranger than others, some are more interesting than others, but all quite entertaining. The book might have done with some minor editing and maybe some photos, but the author's enthusiasm sort of makes up for that and for a Kindle freebie this was lovely. Perfectly diverting way to spend an evening, particularly for armchair adventurers. Recommended.

Not much "sTRANGE" here... I can't really make comments because the author and content may be a play on words. The content is without depth and the entire thing needs a good editor. Content is choppy, some chapters/"stories" are 2-3 pages, and without depth. Missing people from boats is not all that stranger and rehashes of landlubbers creating wrecks is not all that "Strange". Might be useful to first-time maritime readers, but pretty spase if you have any knowlege of the history of the sea and seafaring.

I don’t agree with the previous reviews - this book is not good. It is poorly written, but even worst, it is full of mistakes. In the first five chapters there were at least two (I didn’t bother to check all the stories). In chapter 4 the author wrote about a church bell on Gugh, Isles of Scilly, but there has never been a church on this island. In chapter 5 he wrote about the WWI U-65 submarine, stating it was built in Bruges, Belgium. Simple wikipedia research says it was build in Kiel, Germany. This book is a compilation, but the writer didn’t provide the sources. A pity, as it would be so much more interesting and useful. Don’t buy it, look for something different. And to Jack Strange: check out how Bill Bryson researched and documented his research in ‘A short history of nearly everything’ and learn.

What a great read! If you, like me, have an interest in all things nautical, you are sure to enjoy this gem of a book. With everything from disappearing ships, to reports of sea monsters and the impact of lighthouses on safety at sea, there is something for everyone here. I particularly enjoyed the chapter on the impact of women at sea, much of it new to me. The sea can be a hard taskmaster and an unforgiving mistress, both aspects of life under sail perfectly illustrated here by Jack Strange in a well-researched and entertaining volume, well worth a 5 star rating.

Disappearing lighthouse keepers, sightings of mermaids, mutiny on board ships & a cure for scurvy are just some of the fascinating topics explained in this wonderful book. The author writes with clarity & has an upbeat style that compels you to read & read. I can’t get enough of Jack Strange’s work & sincerely hope that he ventures off overseas to continue this fabulous series.

Great read

Liked this book very much. Plenty of weird and spooky tales.

The sea is very mysterious you need to respect it one day it could eventually get you, excellent book

Nice short stories

I like all sea tales and this surely has them.