Atlantic High: A Celebration

by William F. Buckley Jr., Christopher Buckley (Foreword)

In 1980, Buckley gathered together his friends and set out to sail across the Atlantic. This is what he correctly describes as a “celebration” of that thirty-day event. Here are the calms and the storms, the melodrama and the rumination, the wine and the song, the navigation and the introspection that in Buckley’s distinctive blend capture the imagination of sailors and non-sailors, amuse the lighthearted and the dour, and engross the reader who wishes he were aboard, as also the reader who thanks heaven that he is not.

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction, Biography, Sports, Nautical, Autobiography, Maritime

282 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 1982

About the author

William Frank Buckley, Jr. was an American author and conservative commentator. He founded the political magazine National Review in 1955, hosted 1,429 episodes of the television show Firing Line from 1966 until 1999, and was a nationally syndicated newspaper columnist. His writing style was famed for its erudition, wit, and use of uncommon words.

Buckley was "arguably the most important public intellectual in the United States in the past half century," according to George H. Nash, a historian of the modern American conservative movement. "For an entire generation he was the preeminent voice of American conservatism and its first great ecumenical figure." Buckley's primary intellectual achievement was to fuse traditional American political conservatism with economic libertarianism and anti-communism, laying the groundwork for the modern American conservatism of US Presidential candidate Barry Goldwater and US President Ronald Reagan.

Buckley came on the public scene with his critical book God and Man at Yale (1951); among over fifty further books on writing, speaking, history, politics and sailing, were a series of novels featuring CIA agent Blackford Oakes. Buckley referred to himself "on and off" as either libertarian or conservative. He resided in New York City and Stamford, Connecticut, and often signed his name as "WFB." He was a practicing Catholic, regularly attending the traditional Latin Mass in Connecticut.

Reviews

[Glen]

William F. Buckley decides to sail across the Atlantic on a sail boat, with a crew including various friends and his son, Christopher. He celebrates the thirty day journey with this book.

There are few writers as good as Buckley at his best, and this book is highly recommended for anyone at all interested in sailing.

[Tom Stamper]

The writing style is in line with Buckley’s documentary books like Cruising Speed and Overdrive. I’m not a sailor so I learned something about navigating by the sun and stars. There isn’t much political talk here. Buckley doesn’t even explain whether Jeff Hart or Rick Brookhiser are editing the magazine in his absence. I had no idea who Bill’s sailing friend Dick Clurman was, so I looked further into his life. He was a Time Magazine editor that died in the 1990s. I knew Van Galbraith from his book about being Ambassador to France in thew 1980s. Something as small as the demand for ice cubes is a struggle at sea. I wish he had given us a floor plan of the ship.

I would have enjoyed it better had I spent weeks at sea, but I will likely get around to reading the rest of his books on this subject.

[Richard]

It's been awhile since I read these, but I loved all his trans-Atlantic/Pacific crossings biographical books. I learned more about him personally and admired him increasingly ever afterwards. RIP

[Suzanne]

Not as good as Airborne, but a great sailing memoir from one of the great wits and intellects in American politics.

[Gsackett]

Having experienced many of the types adventures described in the book, it is enjoyable to compare notes. Additionally Buckley's style and erudite vocabulary are entertaining.
On a personal note: my copy was originally my grandfather's and he annotated it with notes and comments of things that he found interesting.

[Jane(Pixie)]

Sometimes I was entertained and found it a witty read. There is some boring reading, which is not about crossing the Atlantic.

[Michael G]

Another fine and playful journey with Buckley and friends... As close as I am likely going to get to ocean sailing, and a satisfying substitute. Like Airborne, a paean to friendship as well.

[Sarah]

I ADORED this book, but I know it won't be as compelling to everyone else as it was to me. Buckley is renowned for his clever, sophisticated, unusually intellectual writing, which I had never experienced in a book-length text. I annotated like a school girl and copied whole paragraphs that just pleased me to read and reread on the most fundamental level.

The story drew me as much as his fame as an author (he's written at least 50 books!!), because I'm working on a project of my own, also about a sailing adventure. I wanted to see how he approached the structure and presentation of his own journey, and I learned a lot. If you're not all that interested in how to navigate by the stars or whatever, you can easily skip those bits. The photos are also amazing.

Buckley's descriptions of his shipmates, the places they visited and the events along the way will amuse and entertain you and hey, you might even learn a couple of new words!

[Matthew J]

Overall a very enjoyable read as someone who likes the ocean. Not super fun as someone who didn’t go to an Ivy League or have many high ranking political connections.

Probably would have given it a 4 but it’s hard for me to highly rate books of no consequence

[Raymond Jones]

WFB, renaissance man. Great pacing on a subject I know nothing of, intersperced with great sidebars.

[Gordon Francisco]

Good read...I especially like the wit and humor of William F. I would have loved to dine with Buck and the boys...good wine, good food, good cigars and David Niven - and the conversation - would have been quite a treat. This book is the next best thing to actually being on board. Sail on WFB, sail on.

[Arlen]

My respect for Mr. Buckley, both as a sailor and as a casting director fleshing out the crew with which he sailed, is amplified. my inability to stomach his diffidence and his politics is, however, undiminished. My bias may keep me from enjoying any other works by the "royal" William F.

[Marilyn Hartl]

This was really a wonderful, fun book to read. It almost made me want to make an Atlantic crossing...and if I had Buckley's boat and Buckley's crew...perhaps we would have.

[Jay Tillman]

I missed sailing and pulled this book to get over it

[Win Dunwell]

Thoroughly enjoyed reading all of Buckley's sailing books. I wish could have been on board.

[Brian]

OK, but not great.

[Eric]

Another one, I feel so much love from this guy!