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All Sail Set: A Romance of the Flying Cloud
An exciting, fact-based, old-fashioned tale of adventure at sea, winner of a Newbery Honor for young readers in 1936.
When his father loses his fortune at sea, a boy, Enoch Thacher, signs up with a famous shipbuilder and takes a record-breaking trip around Cape Horn on the famous Flying Cloud.
The Flying Cloud was a real ship and its maker was master shipbuilder, Donald McKay (1810-1880). The era depicted in this novel is a time when the windships were the queens of the ocean and sail was king. McKay's company, located in East Boston, launched many of the fastest clipper ships in history, with Flying Cloud being his most famous ship of all.
In All Sail Set , McKay puts Enoch to work during the lofting, building, and rigging of the Flying Cloud, and then to ship out on her for her maiden, record-breaking trip around the Horn. Accompanied by Sperry's wonderfully vigorous drawings, this realistic nautical yarn from the glory days of sail will appeal to adults as well as young adult readers with a taste for historical adventure.
When his father loses his fortune at sea, a boy, Enoch Thacher, signs up with a famous shipbuilder and takes a record-breaking trip around Cape Horn on the famous Flying Cloud.
The Flying Cloud was a real ship and its maker was master shipbuilder, Donald McKay (1810-1880). The era depicted in this novel is a time when the windships were the queens of the ocean and sail was king. McKay's company, located in East Boston, launched many of the fastest clipper ships in history, with Flying Cloud being his most famous ship of all.
In All Sail Set , McKay puts Enoch to work during the lofting, building, and rigging of the Flying Cloud, and then to ship out on her for her maiden, record-breaking trip around the Horn. Accompanied by Sperry's wonderfully vigorous drawings, this realistic nautical yarn from the glory days of sail will appeal to adults as well as young adult readers with a taste for historical adventure.
175 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1935
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About the author
Armstrong Sperry
115 books39 followersArmstrong Wells Sperry was an American writer and illustrator of children's literature. His books include historical fiction and biography, often set on sailing ships, and stories of boys from Polynesia, Asia and indigenous American cultures. He is best known for his 1941 Newbery Medal-winning book Call It Courage.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
April 28, 2024
I was looking so forward to this book, yet sadly it turned out to be somewhat of a disappointment. The story itself sounded exciting ..... based on a true sailing voyage of the Flying Cloud, a clipper that, on her first voyage in 1851, set the record for the passage from New York to San Francisco. The record lasted for over 130 years.
All Sail Set embeds Enoch Thacher into the story, a boy who is part of the design of the ship and sets sail for the first time on her maiden voyage. Somehow, instead of crafting a smoothly flowing story, Sperry's tale sort of stumbles along with piecemeal experiences and occurrences. Thus, the reader never sinks into the story but is left bumping along with the current. I could never get invested in the characters and even the voyage itself and the final success fell flat. Nevertheless, the story has some interesting parts and is worth a read, just without high expectations.
All Sail Set embeds Enoch Thacher into the story, a boy who is part of the design of the ship and sets sail for the first time on her maiden voyage. Somehow, instead of crafting a smoothly flowing story, Sperry's tale sort of stumbles along with piecemeal experiences and occurrences. Thus, the reader never sinks into the story but is left bumping along with the current. I could never get invested in the characters and even the voyage itself and the final success fell flat. Nevertheless, the story has some interesting parts and is worth a read, just without high expectations.
April 14, 2024
Although my nautical knowledge is nearly nought, nevertheless I enjoyed this tale of the record-breaking clipper designed by the renowned Donald McKay. Overall, I didn't find it to be too exceptional, with the story being told a bit hastily over just ten chapters. There didn't seem to be any room for much development. Maybe I expected too much and this was intended for a younger audience than I thought.
The rush is partly due to the fact that the first three chapters (nearly a third of the book) precede our narrator's going aboard the ship and are about his early life, including working in McKay's shipyard. I suppose this is a sort of gimmicky way of telling the life story of the boat itself, from design to construction to maiden voyage, all from an eyewitness.
There were chapters with lots of action and others which were more thoughtful, I suppose like being on the ship. I did feel, however, that certain conflicts that ought to have been more all-consuming were forgotten about at times. I guess the author didn't want to get stuck in a rut and wanted instead to present a more rounded view of things.
One oddity is that there was no mention of the very unusual historical fact that the Flying Cloud's navigator was a woman - Eleanor, the wife of Captain Josiah Perkins Creesy. Even more odd was the exchange on p.114: "why should women bring bad luck at sea, Tom?" [...] "why else 'cept that - 'cept that the sea's the last place in the world for 'em!" Could the author have been entirely oblivious as to Eleanor's position? Certainly if the book were to have been written more recently it would make a bigger deal of her inclusion.
The nautical glossary was less than useful as several terms found in the text are not included (likewise the sail plan on p.67). To rectify this, I recommend consulting Oars, Sails and Steam: A Picture Book of Ships, which has a more complete glossary.
Illustrations by the author were lovely.
The rush is partly due to the fact that the first three chapters (nearly a third of the book) precede our narrator's going aboard the ship and are about his early life, including working in McKay's shipyard. I suppose this is a sort of gimmicky way of telling the life story of the boat itself, from design to construction to maiden voyage, all from an eyewitness.
There were chapters with lots of action and others which were more thoughtful, I suppose like being on the ship. I did feel, however, that certain conflicts that ought to have been more all-consuming were forgotten about at times. I guess the author didn't want to get stuck in a rut and wanted instead to present a more rounded view of things.
One oddity is that there was no mention of the very unusual historical fact that the Flying Cloud's navigator was a woman - Eleanor, the wife of Captain Josiah Perkins Creesy. Even more odd was the exchange on p.114: "why should women bring bad luck at sea, Tom?" [...] "why else 'cept that - 'cept that the sea's the last place in the world for 'em!" Could the author have been entirely oblivious as to Eleanor's position? Certainly if the book were to have been written more recently it would make a bigger deal of her inclusion.
The nautical glossary was less than useful as several terms found in the text are not included (likewise the sail plan on p.67). To rectify this, I recommend consulting Oars, Sails and Steam: A Picture Book of Ships, which has a more complete glossary.
Illustrations by the author were lovely.
August 8, 2020
I loved the descriptions of fighting the following sea during the gale around the Horn.
November 7, 2013
I found this title in an used bookstore in the little town of Columbia Falls, Montana, and paid $10 for it thinking it was a non-fiction account of the legendary sailing ship Flying Cloud. My copy is a 1935 edition and includes a very large number of superb woodcut illustrations. Instead of the factual account I was expecting, the book is actually historic fiction of the so-called "juvenile" variety. This is a book for boys, and specifically boys of eighty years ago when square-rigged sailing ships were still common and transporting cargoes around the world.
Much of the charm of the book comes from the combination of illustrations and the text. Without them the work would loose much of its power and I suspect the somewhat negative reviews by others here are a result of later editions lacking the illustrations.
Some reviewers have complained about the nautical terminology included in the text, an extremely unfair and inappropriate objection for a book like this. The Patrick O'Brian "Master and Commander" books are loaded with such terminology and without any context or explanation, and in my opinion the O'Brian books are the most deliciously musical of all modern popular fiction...but that's another review for another book.
The only really odd thing about this book is the ending. It is quite dark by comparison to the rest of the story and I didn't think it was appropriate for a work of juvenile fiction.
The genre of sea stories, factual and fictional, is a great one and ALL SAIL SET fits nicely on the shelf with many other titles celebrating the era of sailing ships. I don't know how much of the story is based on fact but the general picture the story paints is detailed and intimate and it gives a receptive reader a good idea of the life of a boy going to sea for the first time. It certainly isn't for every young reader but for anyone with an interest in maritime history, it's a good book with superb illustrations in the original edition.
Much of the charm of the book comes from the combination of illustrations and the text. Without them the work would loose much of its power and I suspect the somewhat negative reviews by others here are a result of later editions lacking the illustrations.
Some reviewers have complained about the nautical terminology included in the text, an extremely unfair and inappropriate objection for a book like this. The Patrick O'Brian "Master and Commander" books are loaded with such terminology and without any context or explanation, and in my opinion the O'Brian books are the most deliciously musical of all modern popular fiction...but that's another review for another book.
The only really odd thing about this book is the ending. It is quite dark by comparison to the rest of the story and I didn't think it was appropriate for a work of juvenile fiction.
The genre of sea stories, factual and fictional, is a great one and ALL SAIL SET fits nicely on the shelf with many other titles celebrating the era of sailing ships. I don't know how much of the story is based on fact but the general picture the story paints is detailed and intimate and it gives a receptive reader a good idea of the life of a boy going to sea for the first time. It certainly isn't for every young reader but for anyone with an interest in maritime history, it's a good book with superb illustrations in the original edition.
April 14, 2008
Ships enchant Enoch Thacher, which makes East Boston—where ships are built, docked, and sailed from—his paradise. His friend the old captain Messina Clarke teaches him the ways of the sea and tells him yarns of when he was a young man and sailed the world. After the sudden death of his father, the fourteen-year-old must find work to support his mother, and turns to Donald McKay, a friend of his father and designer of clipper ships. Fate brings Enoch and the most famous clipper ever built, the Flying Cloud, together from the time she is just a model on McKay's desk. The boy watches the construction of the Cloud from blueprints on up, and knows that someday he will sail aboard her. Enoch leaps at the chance when it comes, and signs aboard for the Cloud's second voyage--on the dangerous passage around Cape Horn to California and then on to China. Can the crew--and the ship--endure and survive the hardships?
Enoch's journey is filled with new adventures, danger, and ancient seafaring stories, all in only 171 pages, making it a nice introduction to epics of the sea for the younger readers. Overall, All Sail Set reminded me of a Misty of Chincoteague aimed at boys; for the love of a horse, for the love of a ship, and growing up along the way. But the characters were sadly flat, with only a couple sticking in the reader's mind after the last page. The adventure-loving reader will enjoy it more than the emotional ones.
Enoch's journey is filled with new adventures, danger, and ancient seafaring stories, all in only 171 pages, making it a nice introduction to epics of the sea for the younger readers. Overall, All Sail Set reminded me of a Misty of Chincoteague aimed at boys; for the love of a horse, for the love of a ship, and growing up along the way. But the characters were sadly flat, with only a couple sticking in the reader's mind after the last page. The adventure-loving reader will enjoy it more than the emotional ones.
March 30, 2016
Riveting tale of long-gone sailing days, written in 1935, that transports you right onto the deck of a 19th-century clipper of great fame - although you should know it contains historical inaccuracies.
Ironically (considering the passage where an old hand tells his fellow sailors and apprentices that it's bad luck having women on board), this record-breaking 1851 maiden voyage of the 'Flying Cloud' from New York to San Francisco was navigated by none other than Captain Creesy's wife. She was instrumental in breaking their own record again a few years later, which stood firm until 1989. The maiden voyage also carried passengers in addition to crew.
Still, this is an old fictional tale worth reading for the call and charm of well-told sailing stories that will certainly catch your fancy, even though it's directed at young people. Follow it on with a reading of "Flying Cloud" by David Shaw at the adult level, or "Dare the Wind" by Tracey Fern at the children's level, to fill in the curiosity you'll then have for a historically accurate accounting of the mighty accomplishment.
Ironically (considering the passage where an old hand tells his fellow sailors and apprentices that it's bad luck having women on board), this record-breaking 1851 maiden voyage of the 'Flying Cloud' from New York to San Francisco was navigated by none other than Captain Creesy's wife. She was instrumental in breaking their own record again a few years later, which stood firm until 1989. The maiden voyage also carried passengers in addition to crew.
Still, this is an old fictional tale worth reading for the call and charm of well-told sailing stories that will certainly catch your fancy, even though it's directed at young people. Follow it on with a reading of "Flying Cloud" by David Shaw at the adult level, or "Dare the Wind" by Tracey Fern at the children's level, to fill in the curiosity you'll then have for a historically accurate accounting of the mighty accomplishment.
November 5, 2015
I thought it was an interesting book. It is about a boy who watches the ship The Flying Cloud be built and then sets sail on her first voyage as an apprentice. There's an attempted mutiny, they watch a whaler get busted up, the go through some storms, etc.
I find though that the author isn't that well-educated. It seems he did his research, but in the appendix at the back of the book he says the Common Bottlenose Dolphin is more accurately called a 'Porpoise,' which is incorrect, and is a large type of fish, which is even more incorrect. He also says that a Portuguese Man of War is a type of fish. This isn't just him saying what the sailors think - it's in the appendix to the book. I was quite disappointed with this.
Anyway, the book is okay and interesting, but it doesn't really have anything of value in it as far as I'm concerned.
I find though that the author isn't that well-educated. It seems he did his research, but in the appendix at the back of the book he says the Common Bottlenose Dolphin is more accurately called a 'Porpoise,' which is incorrect, and is a large type of fish, which is even more incorrect. He also says that a Portuguese Man of War is a type of fish. This isn't just him saying what the sailors think - it's in the appendix to the book. I was quite disappointed with this.
Anyway, the book is okay and interesting, but it doesn't really have anything of value in it as far as I'm concerned.
September 24, 2018
3 stars. This is the story of the teenager Enoch Thacher who in the late 1840s-early 1850s takes a position with Donald McKay's shipbuilding company in Boston as a draftsman. Ostensibly he does it to make money to support his mother (after his father's demise), but he has always loved the thought of ships. Eventually he becomes an apprentice seaman on the first voyage of the clipper ship Flying Cloud which held the speed record from NYC to San Francisco from 1854-1989. To say this is a nautical adventure would be an understatement. It's a rousing adventure, but it somehow failed to wholly capture me (the terminology was just overwhelming) - I think it would make a brilliant film though. Interestingly this voyage is a key trigger in one of the earlier Newberys, Glory of the Seas (Honor Book, 1934). I read this for my 2018 Reading Challenge and my Newbery Challenge (Honor Book, 1936).
September 30, 2014
This Book is about the Flying Cloud; the planning, the building and the first sailing of the ship through the eyes of Enoch Thatcher. He spins his tale from learning from the builder of the ship to actually sailing the boat from New York to the Cape of Good Horn, to San Francisco. The pictures are realistic and drawings of the ship--the spread of sails are shown. The reader learns the different terminology of the boat and parts of the ship.
This book is for anyone that has a love for the sea and for sailing ships.
This book is for anyone that has a love for the sea and for sailing ships.
June 30, 2016
Maybe a Newbery Honor book written for the young, but I believe that those much older like myself would really appreciate it more. To start it is a true story. It is a remembrance of a time long passed in the story teller's life. The voice of the characters was wonderfully told. Maybe a simple story, but filled with all kinds of happenings. I felt like I was right there watching it all happen around me, and I too have survived rounding the Cape of Good Horn. To me this should have been an Award book and not an Honor book.
October 17, 2008
We read this book as part of Gabriella's 5th grade curriculum, neither of us enjoyed it. It was linear and not exciting at all, it read like a boring diary of someone who you just couldn't care about. It illustrated what men who had their life at sea was like in the 1800's but it just wasn't captivating enough. We had a hard time finishing this.
November 23, 2011
I had a fascination with clipper ships in early high school... and here is a book honoring the best one of them all, the Flying Cloud. This book follows the story of Enoch who becomes a man as he helps in the construction and then the sailing of the Flying Cloud around the Horn. Several good male role models. I wish I had found it sooner for all my boys.
February 15, 2024
Fascinating story that takes place during the heyday of the clipper ships, 1843-1869, sailing ships known for their speed, narrow hull, and large total sail area. The Flying Cloud became famous for it's record-breaking trip from New York City to San Fransisco via Cape Horn in 1851. It made the trip in 89 days 8 hours, the shortest time on record at that time.
June 19, 2009
I'm certain that somewhere amongst the many mysterious nautical terms lurked an exciting story. Perhaps if we had a basic understanding of ships, this might have been mildly interesting. But we don't, and it was not. Educational? Yes. Interesting? No.
May 18, 2010
"A magical book. The romance is irresistible."
— Fort Worth Star Telegram
— Fort Worth Star Telegram
October 26, 2010
This book was nothing but confusing. It was written for sailors. Me and my landlubber boy were lost throughout most of the book.
January 9, 2011
I got bogged down in all the nautical terms and can't help thinking there was another piece of historical fiction that would have benefited us more.
Want to read
May 9, 2013Newbery Honor Book 1936
August 15, 2017
Good book. I enjoyed it especially the part where the whale escapes! Makes me want to buy a sailboat even more.
May 6, 2018
A boy gets a job with a shipbuilder and takes a trip on the maiden voyage of the Flying Cloud.
Meh. Vintage children's stories about sailing are not my favorite.
Meh. Vintage children's stories about sailing are not my favorite.
August 31, 2018
Well written, but not much different from every other nautical book out there.
August 18, 2019
A book about a boat's maiden voyage with the hope to set a record.
April 7, 2024
This was a very interesting book--it's a fictional work designed to teach readers about a real clipper ship, The Flying Cloud, which was designed for speed and set a new record in the run from New York City to San Francisco in the days before the Panama Canal was built. What the book didn't say was that the navigator for that run was the wife of the Captain--it only lists 101 men and boys--I just learned that now. In fact, she and her husband planned the run.
It does do a good job of showing just how hard it was to be an apprentice aboard the ship, but I can't say that I want to read any more books by Sperry if all of them are written like this one.
It does do a good job of showing just how hard it was to be an apprentice aboard the ship, but I can't say that I want to read any more books by Sperry if all of them are written like this one.
October 23, 2019
This was a read aloud in Ben's curriculum. We both thought it was super boring. In fact, I skimmed the last 3 chapters because we couldn't face it anymore. Lots of technical ship talk, very little plot, characters we didn't care about.
June 29, 2020
This book offered interesting points of view from a young, novice sailor as he embarks on his first time at sea. Great detail on the workings of the ship, the tasks of those onboard, and the sights and storms they experienced. Quite a bit of adventure.
July 1, 2020
My ancestors built tall masted ships in Amesbury, Massachusetts, on the Merrimack River. All Sail Set gave some interesting tidbits on what sailing those ships might be like. Enjoyable read from the perspective of the hands on deck.
November 28, 2020
A boy helps build the greatest clipper ship ever and then helps sail her around the Horn.
Great book for someone interested in sailing and boats historically (set in the 1800s). Classroom library 4th through 6th grade
Great book for someone interested in sailing and boats historically (set in the 1800s). Classroom library 4th through 6th grade
December 8, 2022
This book is a good adventure, for those who enjoyed Treasure Island or Carry On, Mr. Bowditch. The language is closer to Treasure Island, but this is not a long book, and the story reminds me of both.
April 3, 2020
I liked the beginning but it got a bit dull by the end. Wasn't my favorite.
June 7, 2025
one of my children's favorite read alouds
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews