A World of My Own: The First Ever Non-Stop Solo Round the World Voyage

by Robin Knox-Johnston

Book Overview

On Friday 14 June 1968 Suhaili, a tiny ketch, slipped almost unnoticed out of Falmouth harbour steered by the solitary figure at her helm, Robin Knox-Johnston. Ten and a half months later Suhaili, paintwork peeling and rust streaked, her once white sails weathered and brown, her self-steering gone, her tiller arm jury rigged to the rudder
head, came romping joyously back to Falmouth to a fantastic reception for Robin, who had become...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1472974409
• ISBN13: 9781472974402
• Release Date: March 2020
• Publisher: Adlard Coles Nautical Press
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 0.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.4" x 8.4"

Customer Reviews

Rough Sailing

Unlike bernard moitessier, Knox-Johnston had all the problems and misfortunes a sailor could have had. Compared to bernard moitessier, it is the exact oposite, poor Robin, what else could go wrong with his ship?. but the story shows the invisible spirit of a man who just wanted to be the first solo round the world and so he did. bernard moitessier was the romantic sailor Johnston was the rough-neck sailor. I think bernard moitessier could have catch him at the end, but bernard moitessier was not interested in world titles and Prices, his prices were spiritual not material, he could not care less for fortune or fame he was in for the romance I think bernard moitessier went in the race much better prepared than Knox, and this shows up in their quite different stories, while bernard moitessier was playing with the dolphins, knox was fixing his sail or batteries or motor.

Entertaining account of an important voyage

I enjoyed the very British humor of this author in describing his historic singlehanded around-the-world sail. A nice balance of description, technical information, and personal revelation.

Juxtaposition at Sea

A good and easy read by Robin Knox-Johnson who now helps manage the Golden Globe race of today. (2003; see Brad VanLiew's brilliant success in the Class 2 fleet in the news)Readers should also include Bernard Moitessier's `The Long Way' book of the same 1968 race. It is intensely interesting that where one flourished, the appointed `winner' suffered a long and arduous ordeal. Knox-Johnson describes his exhausted stop in Australia and time at anchor in this book, yet accepted the trophy. Moitessier was far ahead off the South American coast when he took a right and continued on half way around the globe again to rest free of the commercialization the media had put upon the event. Bernard had reached the highest levels of thought and global mindedness, while Robin had been reduced to survival mode and raw instinct. Can you call the "Winner" of this non-stop circumnavigation? These two accounts of the same race cover the range of human limits and ethics and should be bundled together as a set.

The young man and the sea

The reader enters the inner workings of the mind of a great sailor and one of the most self sufficient individuals you will ever read about. The book is as enjoyable as "The Old Man and the Sea" and should be kept aboard every small yacht that sails the seas. The true adventure of R. Knox-Johnston's self sail around the world. The first man to do so non-stop and unassisted. It is a great reading and learning experience. A great place to start if you want to learn about sailing, the sea,nature, courage and fortitude.

A good read for fans of the 1968 Golden Globe Race

For aficionados of the 1968 Golden Globe sailing race, this book, from the official winner, Robin Knox-Johnson, is an authentic account of a Herculean task - to sail non-stop around the world. The book is a metaphor for the race itself - at times exhilarating and often monotonous. Although ÒThe Longest RaceÓ by Hal Roth is still the most entertaining book on the subject (it covered all nine race entrants), Knox-JohnsonÕs book is a quick read. Be prepared, however, for a healthy dose of British colloquialisms. Sadly, the end of the book is rather anti-climactic - it ends when the race ends. There was no mention of the events following his return to Falmouth (acclimatization to civilization, fanfare, news of the other contestants, etc.). My sense is that when writing the book, just as in sailing the race, he had just had enough of it.