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Tom Cringle's Log
One of the first masterworks of nautical fiction.
No collection of nautical fiction would be complete without the inclusion of Tom Cringle's Log, a novel that, along with the works of Marryat, became a cornerstone of the genre upon its publication some 150 years ago. Told in Scott's irresistible and immediate style, the novel follows the life of young midshipman Tom Cringle: his imprisonment in occupied Germany by Napoleon's forces, his West Indian cruise on the Torch, a British man-of-war, his daring escape from West Indian pirates, and his ultimate promotion to the officer ranks.
No collection of nautical fiction would be complete without the inclusion of Tom Cringle's Log, a novel that, along with the works of Marryat, became a cornerstone of the genre upon its publication some 150 years ago. Told in Scott's irresistible and immediate style, the novel follows the life of young midshipman Tom Cringle: his imprisonment in occupied Germany by Napoleon's forces, his West Indian cruise on the Torch, a British man-of-war, his daring escape from West Indian pirates, and his ultimate promotion to the officer ranks.
576 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1833
About the author
Michael Scott
22 booksMichael Scott was a Scottish author and autobiographer who wrote under the pseudonym Tom Cringle. The son of a Glasgow merchant, in 1806 he went to Jamaica, first managing some estates, and afterwards joining a business firm in Kingston. The latter post necessitated his making frequent journeys, on the incidents of which he based his best known book, Tom Cringle's Log.
In 1822 he left Jamaica and settled in Glasgow, where he engaged in business. Tom Cringle's Log began to appear serially in Blackwood's Magazine in 1829. Scott’s second story, The Cruise of the Midge, was also first published serially in Blackwood's in 1834–1835. The first appearance in book-form of each story was in Paris in 1834. Both stories - autobiographical portraits of Jamaica in the 1820s - were originally published anonymously, and their authorship was not known till after Scott's death at Glasgow.
Librarian's Note: There is more than one author by this name on Goodreads.
In 1822 he left Jamaica and settled in Glasgow, where he engaged in business. Tom Cringle's Log began to appear serially in Blackwood's Magazine in 1829. Scott’s second story, The Cruise of the Midge, was also first published serially in Blackwood's in 1834–1835. The first appearance in book-form of each story was in Paris in 1834. Both stories - autobiographical portraits of Jamaica in the 1820s - were originally published anonymously, and their authorship was not known till after Scott's death at Glasgow.
Librarian's Note: There is more than one author by this name on Goodreads.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
November 2, 2012
A star and a half for the vividly drawn picture of West Indian life in the early 19th Century (that is to say, naturally, 'West Indian life for an entitled white brat'), and a star and a half for the few 'adventure' segments that actually still sizzle (yellow fever! hurricanes! various wrecks, battles and maladies!).
Then minus a star for all the racism.
Seriously.
Then minus a star for all the racism.
Seriously.
June 21, 2018
Finally finished! Parts are very interesting & funny, but getting through the minute descriptions can be boring. Gives a record of Tom Cringle's sea life from the time he first joins a ship to becoming a commander!
November 30, 2023
Packed with adventures big and small, morally corrupt and flat out funny, Tom Cringle’s Log reads like non-fiction, but with a bit more body and a lot more curves.
The description and detail capture the romanticism of diary-like storytelling, rather than pompously pretentious expedition heavy note taking. I really appreciated the intimate and personal reflection in written form. It is a sea faring coming of age adventure and not necessarily a crusade, which was unexpected for me. It has a scholarly effect, but with real life humour and hardship woven between tales.
Written FP from Tom’s POV, I recognize that he’s a colonizer and benefitted from the enslavement of African and indigenous peoples. But he’s not unlikeable. He’s not personally responsible for, or trying to destroy and conquer. He just worked for the people that did and that makes this a complex read depending on the lens you’re reading it from.
It takes place during late 1900th century, so I knew what to expect language wise when referencing people of colour and wasn’t alarmed by any of that. What held me was the casualness of using what we would now consider racial slurs. It was the use of terms such, blacky, no malice, just utter indifference. This was my first real literary experience exploring the concept ‘being othered’ from the lens of unintentional disregard. I say first because this is not a modern novel written as historical fiction, this was written in 1895… actual vs perceived. From Tom’s perspective, he has no real issue with the enslaved Africans, because he doesn’t actually see them as his equal. For him, it’s like being a dog owner where maybe he prefers retrievers over shepherds. No big deal, he likes them enough to know they shouldn’t be maltreated, hence his taking care of and protecting the ones he likes. Push come to shove, however, he’d probably save the dog before the ‘negro’.
It’s hard to not overthink the dehumanization of people when reading a novel solely based on the ‘nautical’ pursuits of the Caribbean in the late 1880s, because we know how it ends - in poverty, genocide and racial disparity that we’re still facing the consequences of in the 21st century.
If you go into this novel looking for racism, you’ll find it. If you go into it wanting cultural and societal insight, from a sea faring perspective, you’ll get a unique perspective of just how deeply the wounds run with respect to the nefariousness of systemic racism and the settlement of the colonial Americas.
I read the whole thing, it’s very well written, but I’m a bit morally conflicted by it so I won’t recommend it.
The description and detail capture the romanticism of diary-like storytelling, rather than pompously pretentious expedition heavy note taking. I really appreciated the intimate and personal reflection in written form. It is a sea faring coming of age adventure and not necessarily a crusade, which was unexpected for me. It has a scholarly effect, but with real life humour and hardship woven between tales.
Written FP from Tom’s POV, I recognize that he’s a colonizer and benefitted from the enslavement of African and indigenous peoples. But he’s not unlikeable. He’s not personally responsible for, or trying to destroy and conquer. He just worked for the people that did and that makes this a complex read depending on the lens you’re reading it from.
It takes place during late 1900th century, so I knew what to expect language wise when referencing people of colour and wasn’t alarmed by any of that. What held me was the casualness of using what we would now consider racial slurs. It was the use of terms such, blacky, no malice, just utter indifference. This was my first real literary experience exploring the concept ‘being othered’ from the lens of unintentional disregard. I say first because this is not a modern novel written as historical fiction, this was written in 1895… actual vs perceived. From Tom’s perspective, he has no real issue with the enslaved Africans, because he doesn’t actually see them as his equal. For him, it’s like being a dog owner where maybe he prefers retrievers over shepherds. No big deal, he likes them enough to know they shouldn’t be maltreated, hence his taking care of and protecting the ones he likes. Push come to shove, however, he’d probably save the dog before the ‘negro’.
It’s hard to not overthink the dehumanization of people when reading a novel solely based on the ‘nautical’ pursuits of the Caribbean in the late 1880s, because we know how it ends - in poverty, genocide and racial disparity that we’re still facing the consequences of in the 21st century.
If you go into this novel looking for racism, you’ll find it. If you go into it wanting cultural and societal insight, from a sea faring perspective, you’ll get a unique perspective of just how deeply the wounds run with respect to the nefariousness of systemic racism and the settlement of the colonial Americas.
I read the whole thing, it’s very well written, but I’m a bit morally conflicted by it so I won’t recommend it.
October 11, 2020
Blood 'n' thunder. Storms, drownings, pirates, deception. Action highlights. Typos
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews