What do you think?
Rate this book
Peter Freuchen's Book of the Seven Seas
Peter Freuchen drew upon his vast knowledge of nautical fact and legend, as well as his fantastic personal experiences, to write BOOK OF THE SEVEN SEAS. In these pages, readers will wrestle with sea monsters, drift endlessly in hot, dead calms, face raging storms, and battle mighty navies. They will join scientists and explorers on expeditions into the sea, across it, and to its floor to discover new life forms, new sources of wealth, and new lands to conquer.
The inimitable Freuchen paints an exciting and colorful picture of humankind's adventures at sea-from the first prehistoric voyages in open rafts to daring scientific explorations in bathyspheres. He tells of sailors who fought for fame and glory, traders who risked their lives for wealth, and galley slaves who sought only freedom. He exposes the scavengers of the sea-pirates, privateers, whalers, and wreckers who placed lights on rocky shoals to lure unsuspecting ships to disaster. He describes the greatest battles of the seven seas-from the destruction of the Persian fleet at Salamis to the great conflict at Leyte Gulf in the Philippines in World War II.
Revealed here are the great mysteries of the sea itself-monstrous waves over 100 feet high; rivers and currents flowing between underwater mountains and valleys; ghost ships, mermaids, and sea serpents. Here too are the great treasures of the sea-jewels, oil, minerals, and millions of dollars' worth of gold in each cubic mile of sea water.
The result of many years of exploration and research, this is a truly magnificent volume.
The inimitable Freuchen paints an exciting and colorful picture of humankind's adventures at sea-from the first prehistoric voyages in open rafts to daring scientific explorations in bathyspheres. He tells of sailors who fought for fame and glory, traders who risked their lives for wealth, and galley slaves who sought only freedom. He exposes the scavengers of the sea-pirates, privateers, whalers, and wreckers who placed lights on rocky shoals to lure unsuspecting ships to disaster. He describes the greatest battles of the seven seas-from the destruction of the Persian fleet at Salamis to the great conflict at Leyte Gulf in the Philippines in World War II.
Revealed here are the great mysteries of the sea itself-monstrous waves over 100 feet high; rivers and currents flowing between underwater mountains and valleys; ghost ships, mermaids, and sea serpents. Here too are the great treasures of the sea-jewels, oil, minerals, and millions of dollars' worth of gold in each cubic mile of sea water.
The result of many years of exploration and research, this is a truly magnificent volume.
512 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1957
11 people are currently reading
504 people want to read
About the author
Peter Freuchen
84 books97 followersPeter Freuchen, born Lorenz Peter Elfred Freuchen was a Danish explorer, writer and traveler.
He spent many years in Thule, Greenland, living with the Polar Inuit. He worked with Knud Rasmussen, crossing the Greenland icecap with him. In 1935, Freuchen visited South Africa, and by the end of the decade, he had travelled to Siberia.
In 1938 he founded The Adventurer's Club (Eventyrernes Klub in Danish), which still exists. They later honoured his memory by planting an oak tree and creating an Eskimo cairn near the place, where he left Denmark for Greenland back in 1906.
He was also employed by the movie industry as a consultant and scriptwriter, specializing in Arctic-related scripts. Most notably MGM's Oscar winning Eskimo/Mala The Magnificent starring Ray Mala. In 1956, he won $64,000 on The $64,000 Question, an American TV quiz-show on the subject "The Seven Seas".
During World War II, Freuchen was actively involved with the Danish resistance movement against the Germans, despite having lost a leg to frost bite in 1926. He was imprisoned for a time by the Germans.
He spent many years in Thule, Greenland, living with the Polar Inuit. He worked with Knud Rasmussen, crossing the Greenland icecap with him. In 1935, Freuchen visited South Africa, and by the end of the decade, he had travelled to Siberia.
In 1938 he founded The Adventurer's Club (Eventyrernes Klub in Danish), which still exists. They later honoured his memory by planting an oak tree and creating an Eskimo cairn near the place, where he left Denmark for Greenland back in 1906.
He was also employed by the movie industry as a consultant and scriptwriter, specializing in Arctic-related scripts. Most notably MGM's Oscar winning Eskimo/Mala The Magnificent starring Ray Mala. In 1956, he won $64,000 on The $64,000 Question, an American TV quiz-show on the subject "The Seven Seas".
During World War II, Freuchen was actively involved with the Danish resistance movement against the Germans, despite having lost a leg to frost bite in 1926. He was imprisoned for a time by the Germans.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
December 20, 2023
This book, published in 1958, covers a lot of ground, and while it might be aimed at a youth market, there is plenty there for all. It is a scientific based approach to all things Seven Seas.
Divided into ten parts, it is easiest to give an overview of the scope Freuchen covers by ticking these off.
The Shape of the Sea begins with an overview of the birth of the ocean (and the planet), the massive changes the planet has been through since its origin.
Life in the Seven Seas explains some of the generalities of marine life.
The Sea in Action gives and excellent description of the tides, the winds (trade winds and the like), the currents (Humboldt, Gulf Stream, El Nino, etc), the waves and the depths of the sea. It shows its date a little here, when it explains the oceanic trenches (the fault lines - the theory of plate tectonics wasn't fully developed until the 1960s).
The Ships of the Seven Seas breaks down the history of nautical transportation from Eskimo (his terminology) and Indians through navigation technology, manpower, sail, the industrialisation of steam, motorised ships and the submarine.
The Great Voyages covers famous and ground-breaking expeditions and explorations by ship, including Kon Tiki, Leif Ericson and other Vikings, Columbus, Magellan, Slocum, Barents, James Cook, a number of North Pole explorers (Peary, DeLong, Nansen, Amundsen), a number of South Pole explorers (Palmer, Bellinghausen, Amundsen, Scott) and then a final chapter about the 'new pioneers' such as Beebe and Piccard with their submarine exploration, Cousteau and Diole and marine archaeology as a new science.
Battles at Sea covers off naval exploits, including the Battles of Salamis, Svoldr, Lepanto, Trafalgar, the defeat of the Armada and a few others.
Treasures of the Seven Seas covers the extraction of food, mining of minerals, whales and seals, recovery of treasure and black ivory (the slave trade). These are history / future focussed chapters.
The Islands of the Seven Seas is a mixmatch of various islands and the Europeans who have interacted with them under chapters titled: The Romantic Islands, The Rugged Islands and The Lonely Islands.
The Law of the Seven Seas explains some legal positions (the dullest of the sections, by some distance!)
Strange Tales from the Seven Seas wraps up with chapters titled: Supernatural Stories, Wonders and Marvels, and Mystery and Adventure.
Freuchen writes in a way that breaks complex concepts down and explains them in an understandable way. He cites examples, and moves easily from large concept to small detail.
The extensive text is accompanied with equally extensive photographs and diagrams, many of which are reproduced from famous sources.
Overall, this book was extensive and well paced, interesting and enlightening on many aspects, but would not be a thorough explanation of any single topics for someone looking for anything other than a great overview.
4 stars
Divided into ten parts, it is easiest to give an overview of the scope Freuchen covers by ticking these off.
The Shape of the Sea begins with an overview of the birth of the ocean (and the planet), the massive changes the planet has been through since its origin.
Life in the Seven Seas explains some of the generalities of marine life.
The Sea in Action gives and excellent description of the tides, the winds (trade winds and the like), the currents (Humboldt, Gulf Stream, El Nino, etc), the waves and the depths of the sea. It shows its date a little here, when it explains the oceanic trenches (the fault lines - the theory of plate tectonics wasn't fully developed until the 1960s).
The Ships of the Seven Seas breaks down the history of nautical transportation from Eskimo (his terminology) and Indians through navigation technology, manpower, sail, the industrialisation of steam, motorised ships and the submarine.
The Great Voyages covers famous and ground-breaking expeditions and explorations by ship, including Kon Tiki, Leif Ericson and other Vikings, Columbus, Magellan, Slocum, Barents, James Cook, a number of North Pole explorers (Peary, DeLong, Nansen, Amundsen), a number of South Pole explorers (Palmer, Bellinghausen, Amundsen, Scott) and then a final chapter about the 'new pioneers' such as Beebe and Piccard with their submarine exploration, Cousteau and Diole and marine archaeology as a new science.
Battles at Sea covers off naval exploits, including the Battles of Salamis, Svoldr, Lepanto, Trafalgar, the defeat of the Armada and a few others.
Treasures of the Seven Seas covers the extraction of food, mining of minerals, whales and seals, recovery of treasure and black ivory (the slave trade). These are history / future focussed chapters.
The Islands of the Seven Seas is a mixmatch of various islands and the Europeans who have interacted with them under chapters titled: The Romantic Islands, The Rugged Islands and The Lonely Islands.
The Law of the Seven Seas explains some legal positions (the dullest of the sections, by some distance!)
Strange Tales from the Seven Seas wraps up with chapters titled: Supernatural Stories, Wonders and Marvels, and Mystery and Adventure.
Freuchen writes in a way that breaks complex concepts down and explains them in an understandable way. He cites examples, and moves easily from large concept to small detail.
The extensive text is accompanied with equally extensive photographs and diagrams, many of which are reproduced from famous sources.
Overall, this book was extensive and well paced, interesting and enlightening on many aspects, but would not be a thorough explanation of any single topics for someone looking for anything other than a great overview.
4 stars
October 11, 2009
I read this as a young boy, and it was mesmerizing. Maybe this is why I spent 25 years in the Navy
August 18, 2015
This one is an old favorite, being at the same time both entertaining and very enlightening. Freuchen writes about something he clearly loves and he gives his topic a broad ranging treatment that's highly readable. By keeping his coverage of each aspect short and to-the-point, he avoids becoming tiresome and pedantic as most writers would when imparting so much detailed scholarly knowledge.
I would say that he undertook, way back in the 1950's, very much the same task that Simon Winchester did more recently in his "Story of the Atlantic". Winchester is clearly a more skilful writer and has the benefit of 21st century research tools and yet Freuchen's work still stands up pretty well.
Highly recommended to anyone who appreciates the complexities of natural history.
I would say that he undertook, way back in the 1950's, very much the same task that Simon Winchester did more recently in his "Story of the Atlantic". Winchester is clearly a more skilful writer and has the benefit of 21st century research tools and yet Freuchen's work still stands up pretty well.
Highly recommended to anyone who appreciates the complexities of natural history.
April 15, 2020
For my April book report, I read the book Peter Freuchen’s Book of the Seven Seas by Peter Freuchen. This book was full of interesting things. Some of the most interesting topics covered in this book are the legends of sea monsters and ghost ships. I found it interesting that sailors believe that these are not just stories and that they are real. Judging from the evidence given, it seems like they certainly could be real. I also thought that whaling was an interesting topic. To be honest, the entire book was interesting. The oceans are intriguing places!
I thought that this was a very interesting book. Knowing that the author had been a sailor himself, that only made it more interesting. The personal experiences that he shared were exciting. Covered in this book was just about everything you could ever want to know about the ocean, from its history to its mysteries. This was a very well-written book. I would give it 5 stars out of 5. I would recommend it to readers 16 and up because it is very scientific. Younger readers might not understand some of the content covered.
I thought that this was a very interesting book. Knowing that the author had been a sailor himself, that only made it more interesting. The personal experiences that he shared were exciting. Covered in this book was just about everything you could ever want to know about the ocean, from its history to its mysteries. This was a very well-written book. I would give it 5 stars out of 5. I would recommend it to readers 16 and up because it is very scientific. Younger readers might not understand some of the content covered.
September 7, 2018
A collection of nautical facts, opinions, and stories likely left-over from previous works.
Probably an eye-opener when first released (1957), but now dated.
Perhaps the writers of 'Pirates of the Caribbean' read it for its chapters on "Strange Tales From The Seven Seas", as I recognized a number of aspects from the book in the movies - but as the author indicates that the tales were common knowledge, maybe not.
Probably an eye-opener when first released (1957), but now dated.
Perhaps the writers of 'Pirates of the Caribbean' read it for its chapters on "Strange Tales From The Seven Seas", as I recognized a number of aspects from the book in the movies - but as the author indicates that the tales were common knowledge, maybe not.
June 12, 2020
A book of Love - love for the sea and all that connected to it. Old with maybe obsolete or even wrong information but read it for the stories, simple scientific explanations and geographical know-how and facts for simpletons like me and for the many pictures offering a glimpse of a lost world and mid-20th century book publishing. Recommended. You won't regret it.
January 22, 2022
3.5 stars. Contains lots of different topics and stories related to seven seas and Freuchen’s writing style makes it interesting read. Some scientific theories presented in the book are of course outdated.
October 22, 2023
This is easily one of the best books for a poet mariner. I crave the adventure and passion shared in this book. A must read for anyone that shares the love of the sea.
July 7, 2013
I read it while in high school.I still have my copy (4th printing 1958-hardback)in the "nautical" section of my library. What teenage boy doesn't want to experience the "High Seas" after reading this book? Especially if he was born & raised in the Midwest- a thousand miles from the nearest salt water.
March 16, 2016
I think I was maybe 10 years old when I found this at a used bookstore. I plowed through it and proceeded to consult it regularly for all things nautical. It was my Bible for least a summer. I haven't read it again as an adult, but for a kid this was all the romance of the sea in one book.
October 3, 2013
Of a different era ... writing is somewhat like the Victorian great exploration style. Not a bad book though.
April 2, 2017
I can certainly see why this book would be a favorite of so many who romanticize the sea. It was wonderful! Full of stories of hero and monsters and sea battles and sea life and pirates. What's not to love? Of course, it is a bit dated now, but I would still recommend it highly to anyone who loves the sea.
Read
April 29, 2019I have the slovenian edition.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews