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Hell Around the Horn
Hell Around the Horn is a nautical thriller set in the last days of the great age of sail. In 1905, a young ship’s captain and his family set sail on the windjammer, Lady Rebecca, from Cardiff, Wales with a cargo of coal bound for Chile, by way of Cape Horn. Before they reach the Southern Ocean, the cargo catches fire, the mate threatens mutiny and one of the crew may be going mad, yet the greatest challenge will prove to be surviving the vicious westerly winds and mountainous seas of the worst Cape Horn winter in memory. Based on an actual voyage, Hell Around the Horn is a story of survival and the human spirit against overwhelming odds.
262 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 21, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
August 24, 2012
A Ripping Good Yarn from the Waning Days of Sail!
First a disclaimer. I’ve spent my life around the sea and ships, but I’m not a big fan of “sailing fiction.” A lot of it, in my opinion, spends too much time trying to teach the reader about square-rigged sailing and not enough time on the story or character development. There are only so many times you can reef the sails without it getting a little old.
Spilman avoids that trap, and does it skillfully. He gives us technical detail enough to satisfy the most ardent sailor, but weaves it naturally through the narrative, setting the stage but never stealing the show. And a very believable and well-drawn cast is very much the show, as the characters struggle against a merciless sea (and each other) in an attempt to survive a transit ‘round the Horn’ during one of the worst seasons on record.
The author’s storytelling ability is eclipsed only by his obvious grasp of the subject matter, and the result is a damn good sea story. Highly recommended.
First a disclaimer. I’ve spent my life around the sea and ships, but I’m not a big fan of “sailing fiction.” A lot of it, in my opinion, spends too much time trying to teach the reader about square-rigged sailing and not enough time on the story or character development. There are only so many times you can reef the sails without it getting a little old.
Spilman avoids that trap, and does it skillfully. He gives us technical detail enough to satisfy the most ardent sailor, but weaves it naturally through the narrative, setting the stage but never stealing the show. And a very believable and well-drawn cast is very much the show, as the characters struggle against a merciless sea (and each other) in an attempt to survive a transit ‘round the Horn’ during one of the worst seasons on record.
The author’s storytelling ability is eclipsed only by his obvious grasp of the subject matter, and the result is a damn good sea story. Highly recommended.
August 27, 2012
Richard Spilman's Hell Around the Horn is set at the turn of the twentieth century in one of the last windjammers to make the perilous passage about Cape Horn. It follows the progress of the Lady Rebecca as she takes on cargo and crew at Tiger Bay, before setting out for her eventual destination in far away Chile. The subsequent story is one of peril and hardship, brought about by the atrocious weather conditions and a fair degree of human mischief, and is told through the eyes of all on board, be they fresh or seasoned hands, young "brassbounders," senior officers, or even the captain's family. It is a gritty tale: no blue wave lapped sandy beaches here, just an excellent recreation of what is takes to round the Horn under sail, along with a better understanding of those who chose to do so. This is true historical fiction: a genuine "feel" for the time is portrayed, with interesting nuggets of information about the social conditions and descriptions of the contemporary sailing methods and gear.
In fact that is where the magic lies; Spilman's love and knowledge of the subject is obvious, with facts and technical detail blending well into the story. In much historical fiction the "tell all you know" trap is common and snares many writers, allowing good storylines to be buried beneath a mass of intricate and unnecessary detail. In Hell Around the Horn this is not the case: at no time is the reader bombarded with ostentatious data or obscure jargon. Instead they are sensibly informed, and gently led through a complex world by a competent and knowledgeable hand. Being entertained, rather than involuntarily educated is a far more pleasant experience, and the whole process is rather akin to sailing with a trusted sea daddy.
Hell Around the Horn is also different from a lot of historical nautical fiction in that is has no need to rely on vicious sea battles and heroic boarding actions for excitement; more than enough is provided by the character interaction: and what characters they are! The inevitable good, bad and doubtful types are well represented with some of the more prominent players being fascinatingly complex, while the ever-present and commonly hostile sea provides a further enemy just as bewitching as any human villain.
Spilman's style is light and readable; the story has an excellent pace that will appeal to a wide variety of readers, and should certainly not be pigeon-holed as mere sailing fiction. In brief; a much neglected period of sailing history is brought to life by Spilman's fast-moving narrative and apt use of fact and detail. One for general reading, and a wide market, I feel. Highly recommended.
In fact that is where the magic lies; Spilman's love and knowledge of the subject is obvious, with facts and technical detail blending well into the story. In much historical fiction the "tell all you know" trap is common and snares many writers, allowing good storylines to be buried beneath a mass of intricate and unnecessary detail. In Hell Around the Horn this is not the case: at no time is the reader bombarded with ostentatious data or obscure jargon. Instead they are sensibly informed, and gently led through a complex world by a competent and knowledgeable hand. Being entertained, rather than involuntarily educated is a far more pleasant experience, and the whole process is rather akin to sailing with a trusted sea daddy.
Hell Around the Horn is also different from a lot of historical nautical fiction in that is has no need to rely on vicious sea battles and heroic boarding actions for excitement; more than enough is provided by the character interaction: and what characters they are! The inevitable good, bad and doubtful types are well represented with some of the more prominent players being fascinatingly complex, while the ever-present and commonly hostile sea provides a further enemy just as bewitching as any human villain.
Spilman's style is light and readable; the story has an excellent pace that will appeal to a wide variety of readers, and should certainly not be pigeon-holed as mere sailing fiction. In brief; a much neglected period of sailing history is brought to life by Spilman's fast-moving narrative and apt use of fact and detail. One for general reading, and a wide market, I feel. Highly recommended.
December 4, 2012
Ringing with authenticity, this nail-biter is a tale of battling wind and weather to sail from the Atlantic to the Pacific via the most dreaded landmark in the sailor's lexicon, Cape Horn.
Stories of ships in the Age of Sail are usually told from the quarterdeck, and the fight is against other ships. Rick Spilman's novel, by contrast, revisits the windjammer era when men fought the elements with just rope and canvas, using muscle and willpower to get a freight to a destination. In the tradition of old salts who once wrote hugely popular stories of life under sail -- men like "Shalimar" (F. C. Hendry), Captain F. Coffin, Jan de Hartog and Alexander Bone -- "Hell Around the Horn" tells it like it was for the ordinary people who lived unthinkably dangerous lives at sea, from the point of view of the foc'sle and the half-deck, as well as the cabin.
Based on real events, this is the story of one captain's struggle to get his ship to port, with just his seafaring knowledge and his increasingly weary crew to help, and with the added problem of a bloodyminded mate. A detail I particularly liked was that he had his wife and family with him. Spilman reveals her experiences through her letters, which are as convincingly written as the rest of the book.
Thoroughly recommended to all salt water souls, armchair sailors in particular
Stories of ships in the Age of Sail are usually told from the quarterdeck, and the fight is against other ships. Rick Spilman's novel, by contrast, revisits the windjammer era when men fought the elements with just rope and canvas, using muscle and willpower to get a freight to a destination. In the tradition of old salts who once wrote hugely popular stories of life under sail -- men like "Shalimar" (F. C. Hendry), Captain F. Coffin, Jan de Hartog and Alexander Bone -- "Hell Around the Horn" tells it like it was for the ordinary people who lived unthinkably dangerous lives at sea, from the point of view of the foc'sle and the half-deck, as well as the cabin.
Based on real events, this is the story of one captain's struggle to get his ship to port, with just his seafaring knowledge and his increasingly weary crew to help, and with the added problem of a bloodyminded mate. A detail I particularly liked was that he had his wife and family with him. Spilman reveals her experiences through her letters, which are as convincingly written as the rest of the book.
Thoroughly recommended to all salt water souls, armchair sailors in particular
December 31, 2012
This turned out to be an excellent read for me, which was somewhat a surprise. I have not visited this genre for many years, but now I'm looking forward to reading more like this. The story is based in fact, both of the characters and the ships. Mr. Spilman has done a wonderful job of taking the reader to the early twentieth century, and into the culture of the sailors of that long ago time.
It's a good introduction for the novice reader in this genre, and a thoughtful story for the more experienced. The writing is done in the style and jargon of the period, and thankfully a glossary is provided for those, like me, that are not familiar with the terminology. The Author's Notes at the end of the book is also a must read, as it explains much of the history behind the ships and sailors.
My only negative comment is the book could have been twice as long, as there is more depth to the characters than is written of, and the story would have been all the better.
I give it five stars, and a must read, rating.
It's a good introduction for the novice reader in this genre, and a thoughtful story for the more experienced. The writing is done in the style and jargon of the period, and thankfully a glossary is provided for those, like me, that are not familiar with the terminology. The Author's Notes at the end of the book is also a must read, as it explains much of the history behind the ships and sailors.
My only negative comment is the book could have been twice as long, as there is more depth to the characters than is written of, and the story would have been all the better.
I give it five stars, and a must read, rating.
December 28, 2012
Actually I give it a half star more. I've always been attracted to the sea having grown up on Cape Cod and was, myself, a professional seaman for most of my working life. I was, therefore,looking forward to reading this book. I won't get into the story other than to say that it is based on an actual rounding of Cape Horn in 1905 that was well documented and you can read about the story here in other reviews.
The reason I only gave it 3-1/2 stars is that is simply doesn't hold up to such authors as Joseph Conrad who is, in my opinion, the greatest writer of the sea that ever lived. Nor does it compare with the non-fictional works of Allen Villiers. As I was reading about the struggle of rounding the horn I kept wondering when the cliche of someone falling off a yardarm in a storm would happen, and of course it did. That's not to say it didn't actually happen, but you know it's going to.
In spite of all that I'd still recommend the book to anyone who enjoys sea stories.
The reason I only gave it 3-1/2 stars is that is simply doesn't hold up to such authors as Joseph Conrad who is, in my opinion, the greatest writer of the sea that ever lived. Nor does it compare with the non-fictional works of Allen Villiers. As I was reading about the struggle of rounding the horn I kept wondering when the cliche of someone falling off a yardarm in a storm would happen, and of course it did. That's not to say it didn't actually happen, but you know it's going to.
In spite of all that I'd still recommend the book to anyone who enjoys sea stories.
January 23, 2013
4.5 stars, rounded up. great tale of a sea journey from cardiff to chile via cape horn in 1905. the daily life descriptions were interesting, shifting to astounding when dealing with the cold, wind, and waves of the actual point of rounding the cape (hint--it's not a fast trip). based on historical documents, which now i need to check out. useful bonuses are the glossary and diagram showing the layout of the ship's sails. well done! i picked up an extra copy and sent it to my dad, who enjoyed the patrick o'brian books. looking forward to his review.
May 26, 2013
I highly recommend this book. it gives a very accurate picture of what life was like on a windjammer. Even though it is historical fiction it is based around a real ships logs from that time period. Of the men who sailed those ships it is certainly true to say, 'they don't make them like that anymore'.
May 6, 2017
Spilman built a story from a collection of well researched authentic experiences. For the reader interested in what it must have been like to travel around Cape Horn in the days of sail, this is an informative read on parr with Richard Henry Dana and Two Years Before the Mast.
November 24, 2013
This review originally appeared on Joe Follansbee's blog.
In the midst of reading Rick Spilman’s fine first novel, Hell Around the Horn, I learned that the replica tall ship HMS Bounty was lost on October 29 in Hurricane Sandy, along with two of her crew. As I read the terror-filled scenes of the fictional ship Lady Rebecca struggling against the storms of Cape Horn, I considered whether the thoughts of Captain James Barker mirrored those of HMS Bounty’s master, Robin Walbridge. Barker lives the ideal of perseverance, that given enough luck, courage, and raw will, a person, or a ship, can survive anything. If Walbridge believed in the same things, something in the equation went terribly wrong for him and his ship.
Spilman, a naval architect by training and blogger by vocation, constructs his imaginary world out of a short period of maritime history lasting from the mid-19th century to the mid-20th century. At the peak of this period, around 1900, as many as 5,000 large sailing cargo ships, called “windjammers,” carried on the trans-ocean trade now dominated by bulk carriers, container ships, and oil tankers. Spilman picks out one year, 1905, and a dangerous winter passage around Cape Horn at the tip of South America. Using period logs from a real windjammer and memoirs of a real Captain Barker and others, Spilman brings to life a time which otherwise would have remained hidden in a library archive or someone’s attic.
Spilman’s narrative is crisp and well-paced, and his knowledge of life at sea and the complex operation of a tall ship is expert. But Hell Around the Horn’s characters teeter on the edge of sea story stereotype: the doughty captain, the mutinous mate, the adventurous young sailor out to see the world, the superstitious crewman always predicting doom, and so on. We’ve seen these people before. As good as it is as a historical novel, Hell Around the Horn might have been far better if the author focused on how circumstances change the characters’ relationships to each other, and how they live with the transformation, rather than just live through a Cape Horn blow.
Nonetheless, the storm scenes, particularly one involving a so-called “rogue wave,” forced me to reflect on what might have gone through the mind of Captain Walbridge on the HMS Bounty as he struggled to cope with the unexpected and unthinkable. We’ll never know what he really thought, because Walbridge is presumed dead. But it’s possible he may have wondered whether he made the right choices, just as Captain Barker does in Hell Around the Horn. The difference is a happy ending versus a tragic one.
In the midst of reading Rick Spilman’s fine first novel, Hell Around the Horn, I learned that the replica tall ship HMS Bounty was lost on October 29 in Hurricane Sandy, along with two of her crew. As I read the terror-filled scenes of the fictional ship Lady Rebecca struggling against the storms of Cape Horn, I considered whether the thoughts of Captain James Barker mirrored those of HMS Bounty’s master, Robin Walbridge. Barker lives the ideal of perseverance, that given enough luck, courage, and raw will, a person, or a ship, can survive anything. If Walbridge believed in the same things, something in the equation went terribly wrong for him and his ship.
Spilman, a naval architect by training and blogger by vocation, constructs his imaginary world out of a short period of maritime history lasting from the mid-19th century to the mid-20th century. At the peak of this period, around 1900, as many as 5,000 large sailing cargo ships, called “windjammers,” carried on the trans-ocean trade now dominated by bulk carriers, container ships, and oil tankers. Spilman picks out one year, 1905, and a dangerous winter passage around Cape Horn at the tip of South America. Using period logs from a real windjammer and memoirs of a real Captain Barker and others, Spilman brings to life a time which otherwise would have remained hidden in a library archive or someone’s attic.
Spilman’s narrative is crisp and well-paced, and his knowledge of life at sea and the complex operation of a tall ship is expert. But Hell Around the Horn’s characters teeter on the edge of sea story stereotype: the doughty captain, the mutinous mate, the adventurous young sailor out to see the world, the superstitious crewman always predicting doom, and so on. We’ve seen these people before. As good as it is as a historical novel, Hell Around the Horn might have been far better if the author focused on how circumstances change the characters’ relationships to each other, and how they live with the transformation, rather than just live through a Cape Horn blow.
Nonetheless, the storm scenes, particularly one involving a so-called “rogue wave,” forced me to reflect on what might have gone through the mind of Captain Walbridge on the HMS Bounty as he struggled to cope with the unexpected and unthinkable. We’ll never know what he really thought, because Walbridge is presumed dead. But it’s possible he may have wondered whether he made the right choices, just as Captain Barker does in Hell Around the Horn. The difference is a happy ending versus a tragic one.
July 21, 2013
In the early 1900s part owner and merchant captain James Barker contracts to sail a load of coal from Cardiff, Wales to Pisagua, Chile. Aboard the Lady Rebecca, a windjammer vessel that was the pinnacle of sailing technology for speed and seaworthiness, Captain Barker embarks with nineteen seamen, his wife and their young children, and his wife’s brother as a second officer. Author Spilman offers a realistic story of the challenges of life at sea during the eventful journey of the Lady Rebecca around Cape Horn in one of the worst winters in history. The accidents and illness that befall the ship’s people accurately portray the way many more seafarers lost their lives than were ever killed in maritime conflicts.
Spilman follows his adventure set during the last days of sail with a highly interesting narrative of the real personages, ships, and voyages that inspired his novel. A useful glossary of sailing and sea terminology is provided for armchair sailors and landlubbers alike. Highly recommended.
Spilman follows his adventure set during the last days of sail with a highly interesting narrative of the real personages, ships, and voyages that inspired his novel. A useful glossary of sailing and sea terminology is provided for armchair sailors and landlubbers alike. Highly recommended.
July 11, 2013
Die fiktive Geschichte erzählt von einer Reise von Cardiff um Kap Horn nach Chile, die sich an die Fahrt der realen "British Isles" und ihrer Besatzung anlehnt. Der Windjammer "Lady Rebecca" macht sich mit einer Ladung Kohle und nur 20 Mann Besatzung auf die Reise. Sonderbar wirkt auf mich als Landratte, dass der Kapitän seine Frau und zwei noch sehr kleine Kinder mit auf die Reise genommen hat, dieses Detail ist allerdings authentisch. Nach mehreren Todesfällen an Bord muss sich die verbliebene Mannschaft buchstäblich zu Tode schuften. Den Autor hat am Schicksal der realen British Isles vermutlich fasziniert, dass sowohl der Kapitän als auch ein "first voyage apprentice" rückblickend über die Reise geschrieben haben. Zwischen beiden Sichtweisen und den Einträgen ins Logbuch, das 1970 aufgefunden wurde, bestehen erhebliche Widersprüche. Ein beeindruckendes Buch aus der kurzen Zeit, als Windjammer auf weiten Strecken ohne Möglichkeit zum Tanken den ersten Dampfschiffen noch überlegen waren.
October 29, 2013
I guess this is really Faction since the main players, and the prime event, in this vivid sailing drama were real and although the name of the ship (and a those of the leading members of the crew) were changed it is largely based on a log of true happenings. There are several books recording these wonderful last days of commercial sail, 'The Last Grain Race' springs instantly to mind when reading this tale and although it lacks Newby's dry humour and better writing style it is still very readable.
The multi points of view of the voyage, Captain, Apprentice, Crewman, Wife, seems like a good idea and an attempt to get different perspectives of events but the format doesn't work very happily. The story becomes choppy making the journey a little uncomfortable. All in all though this will make me think twice about serving under a Captain like Barker or going westward round the Horn.
In addition there is a useful glossary at the back in case any landlubber doesn't know the difference between a futtock shroud and a buntline.
The multi points of view of the voyage, Captain, Apprentice, Crewman, Wife, seems like a good idea and an attempt to get different perspectives of events but the format doesn't work very happily. The story becomes choppy making the journey a little uncomfortable. All in all though this will make me think twice about serving under a Captain like Barker or going westward round the Horn.
In addition there is a useful glossary at the back in case any landlubber doesn't know the difference between a futtock shroud and a buntline.
April 28, 2013
Nearing the end of square rigged sailing ships, this is the story of one such shop and its voyage with a load of Cornish coal around the Horn to Chile. With a small crew the Captain is determined to make good time and beat a German steam ship going the same way. The first part of the voyage goes well even with being stuck for a while in the Doldrums they are making good time and the Captain who has his wife and young children along is pleased. Thing start going bad as they round the horn and run head on into the infamous Westerly’s and the notorious weather in that area. Life and death struggles against the weather and the seas which conspire to keep the shop from reaching the Pacific. While this is a work of fiction it is based on various accounts of actual ships and experiences and gives a look into the life of a sailor as he rounds the Horn in a ship under sail.
April 28, 2015
I loved reading this book, Rick Spilman took the compilation of a series of books based on the voyage(s) of an actual Windjammer captain (Capt. Barker) and of one of his apprentices in 1905. He provided a dialogue, character development and background descriptions to what was described in the diaries and memoirs of the original personalities, though with a differently named ship.
I have to admire his ability to do this, it does flow very well together with a ton of great seafaring action. The only slight criticism I may have is that the period language as written though not entirely modern, does seem to be structured in a current manner. This off course may have been done to make it more readable in todays world.
An excellent read.
I have to admire his ability to do this, it does flow very well together with a ton of great seafaring action. The only slight criticism I may have is that the period language as written though not entirely modern, does seem to be structured in a current manner. This off course may have been done to make it more readable in todays world.
An excellent read.
September 11, 2014
As a ship captain, blogger and tech geek I prefer modern fiction to old sea tales so I was a bit wary after the third reader of my blog mentioned this book but once I discovered it was written by Rick Spillman I immediately purchased a copy. For those who don't know Rick hosts one of the first and most respected maritime blogs and he is considered by many to be the preeminent maritime book reviewer of our time. The list of nautical books he has read and reviewed is impressive and the lessons learned from all those books provides the background for this story which proves to be well written and flawlessly executed. Well done Rick!
September 27, 2013
Truth is always stranger and more unbelievable than fiction and Spilman made a smart move in basing his novel on the log of a true Cape Horn voyage. The tale is told from the vantage point of four members aboard the square rigger and moves along at a fast clip. Thankfully, the author can speak nauticalise and so Hell Around the Horn can be enjoyed by both sailors and lubbers alike. I look forward to his next novel and hope that it will also be set aboard a fine sailing ship.
January 24, 2013
A well paced seafaring tale, Hell Around the Horn is set in the early 20th century when sailing ships were struggling to compete with steam. Told from four different perspectives, the captain, his wife, an apprentice and a seaman, the book moves along nicely and manages to tell a gripping story without getting bogged down in sailing jargon.
There are a few too many typos and minor errors but they don't detract too much from an enjoyable read.
There are a few too many typos and minor errors but they don't detract too much from an enjoyable read.
March 28, 2013
Beyond my scope or attention span. For myself there was too many technical sailing terms. I had to stop every now and then to look up a word to be able to understand the story line. It became more of a chore than a pleasure to read. For some one with nautical knowledge it is probably a very good book. I just couldn't continue on with it.
April 16, 2013
A well-written tale of one of the harshest places on the sea - Cape Horn. Although fictional, it's based on a real voyage, and it's very clear that the author has done his research. I've read a lot of sailing novels, and this ranks up near the top.
December 29, 2015
A quick read of a fascinating time in our history. .
We don't move like this anymore but I wonder if the world wouldn't be better off if we did. Slow and steady with our fate resting on that which we bring with us.
We don't move like this anymore but I wonder if the world wouldn't be better off if we did. Slow and steady with our fate resting on that which we bring with us.
January 26, 2013
Very good story.
August 2, 2013
I now know in intimate detail how to sail a windjammer in a gale. I also know I don't want to ever do that. an exciting story based on a true hellacious voyage in 1905
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