Sailing

Knight, E. F. (Edward Frederick), 1852-1925Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.3

Word count: 259K words
Chapters: 26

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today. Sailing by E. F. Knight. Author: Knight, E. F. (Edward Frederick), 1852-1925. Language: English. Class: GV: Geography, Anthropology, Recreation: Recreation, Leisure. Release Date: Jan 18, 2018

Editor's review

Sailing is a collection of essays on seafaring by the English writer E. F. Knight (1852–1925), released as a free eBook by Project Gutenberg and written in English. Knight drew on his own extensive experience of travel and sailing, and his writing tends to combine reportage with literary appeal; the book will suit readers interested in sailboats, life at sea, and accounts of seafaring in the late nineteenth century. Its value lies in presenting nautical detail and maritime life from a first-hand perspective rather than as a systematic technical manual; reading it is more like setting out to sea with a seasoned sailor and writer who muses as he goes, and one can feel the rhythm and atmosphere of seafaring in an older age. As a public-domain eBook it is easy to obtain, making it a light choice for reading in the original English and a useful supplementary text for reading on maritime literature and sailing culture. Overall, it is not a textbook for professional nautical training but a sailing book weighted toward culture and narrative.

Who it's for

A good fit for

General readers interested in sailboats and life at sea
Readers who want to learn about seafaring in an earlier age through the original English
Readers who collect maritime literature and travel essays
Readers who need a light public-domain English text for reading practice

Not a good fit for

Readers hoping to study navigation systematically or prepare for certification
Readers who need a Chinese translation for quick access to the information

Reading tips

Begin with the table of contents and opening chapters to grasp the overall narrative before deciding which parts to read closely.
Keep a short glossary of nautical terms at hand and look up rigging and seamanship vocabulary as you go.
Read alongside other seafaring essays of the same period to compare how different authors observe things.
Readers with basic English should read a short section each day and keep a steady pace rather than rushing.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book a technical manual on sailing?

No. It is a collection of essays and observations on seafaring, focused on narrating experiences at sea and observing maritime life, and it does not systematically explain sail handling, weather, or navigation. If you want to learn sailing technique, choose a specialized textbook instead; this book is better read as an extension of maritime culture and literature.

How difficult is the English, and what level is it suited to?

The book was written in the late nineteenth to early twentieth century, and its English carries the style of the period, with many long sentences and nautical terms. It is best suited to readers with a college-level foundation in English who can read with a dictionary; beginners can start with shorter chapters and work through them gradually with notes on terminology.

Where can I get the electronic edition?

The book is released by Project Gutenberg as a public-domain eBook and can be found and downloaded on the Project Gutenberg website by title or author; common formats include plain text and EPUB. Check the website page for the formats currently available, and try the opening chapters before downloading.

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About the author

Knight, E. F. (Edward Frederick), 1852-1925 Author

E. F. Knight (Edward Frederick Knight, 1852–1925) was a British writer known for his works on sailing, travel and military observation. Seven of his books are held in the collection, ranging from accounts of his own voyages to travel narratives and wartime reportage. The Cruise of the “Alerte” records a long voyage under sail, while Sailing deals with the craft of seamanship, showing his close familiarity with life on the water. A Desperate Voyage and The Threatening Eye lean toward adventure and suspense. Albania: A Narrative of Recent Travel and Turkey: The Awakening of Turkey, the Turkish Revolution of 1908 reflect his attention to the Balkans and the Ottoman Empire, and The Harwich Naval Forces: Their Part in the Great War turns to naval activity in the First World War. His writing rests on firsthand experience and is concrete and readable. Public information about his life is limited.