Children's Classic Books discussion

All Sails Set: A Romance of the Flying Cloud by Armstrong Sperry
Published: 1935
Newvery Honor Book: 1936

Summary (Goodreads): "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 made by master shipbuilder, Donald McKay. The ship held the record for the fastest sailing time between New York and San Francisco for 130 years! (1854-1989) She also had the unusual honour of having a woman navigator, Eleanor Creesey, wife of the skipper who skippered during her record voyage.

I bought a Kindle copy and hope to read it. Time is an issue for me, but if I don't get to it in April, I plan on reading it at least sometime in the summer. This will be a new author for me. I have read some of the Newberry Award Winners and runners-up, but there are so many left I haven't gotten to.

It's hard to fit in all the books we're reading, isn't it? Even if you don't read with us, please let us know what you think when you do get around to it. This is a read that I'm really looking forward to!

Thus far I have read the introduction, which is by William McFee. It praises Sperry's book for not being yet another cliche-ridden novel of a boy going to sea. McFee was himself a sailor in the Royal Navy and a marine engineer, as well as a prolific writer of sea stories. He seems to know of what he speaks (certainly more than I do) so his praise is encouraging. I also note that the book's dedication is to Captain Sereno Armstrong, the great-grandfather of the author. Again, encouraging in terms of authenticity.

McFee's introduction starts off talking about how sailing ships are "becoming more and more of a curiosity every year" - and 90 years later this has just continued - even as one who has lived on the so-called east coast, I can say that my sole encounters with sailing ships have been of the "historical museum" type (and a few lake vacations involving the tiny 2-man kind of sailboat). The 1976 Tall Ships parade for the Bicentennial is something of which I have vague television memories. With 2026 approaching, maybe I'll make an effort to get out to see the ships that are planned to make visits. It will likely be a rare opportunity for my kids.

I guess my point is that a book such as this one would have had much more immediate relevance to readers at the time of its publication, but there was recognition even then that the times were a-changing. I think it is important to some degree to retain connections to how life was - if only to be able to read and appreciate great literature of the past that assumes some knowledge of such things.

oops I'm posting again. I hope it isn't too much. I started reading the book. I am only 20% in. (I read on Kindle so I use %.) So far there are a few things I like.

1. This is historical fiction. Some of the characters are true historical figures and the names and sailing records of certain Clipper ships are also historically accurate. That is a big plus for the book in my opinion.

2. There is an excerpt from one of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow 's poems in the book. If you want to read the entire poem it is available here:

https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem...

There are also nice versions of readings of the poem on YouTube.

I like the way Sperry slipped this poem seamlessly into his narrative, although there are some fictional elements to the story there.

Michael, I started reading the introduction but I found he was telling me a little more of the story than I wanted to hear so I stopped and I'll come back to it at the end (which is usually what I do with anything that isn't written by the author). He did mention Nathaniel Bowditch which reminded me of Carry On, Mr. Bowditch which is an excellent book. Hopefully we can read it at some point.


Lynn, I really enjoy the mix of real-life characters and story within the novel as well. Thanks for the link to the poem. I'm only at around 8% but I will read it when I get there. So far this book is showing real promise!

I've put a hold on this--very few copies in our library system, so hopefully one makes it to me.

It's really good, Karin! I hope one turns up soon.

I'm about 20% now. I like how we're not just treated to a story but we're also getting a general education in shipbuilding and the philosophy of sailors.

"In those days men took a pride in their work," which implies in present times they don't, but that's probably even more true now. The excitement of having a part of something so big and impactful certainly must have made the lives of everyone involved more meaningful. Imagine such a joy in going to work!

Coming up on April 15th will be the anniversary of The Flying Cloud's launch. We'll have to remember.

I'm so enjoying William McFee's illustrations! Superb!

No, no - illustrations are by the author, Armstrong Sperry! (It's the introduction that is by McFee.)

Sperry was an excellent illustrator who occasionally did work for other authors. I own one of these: The Codfish Musket. Considering how prolific he was just on his own, I'm amazed he still had the time to do this.

I've read the first chapter and will be moving ahead today.

Lol! This is what happens when one starts to need glasses but still refuses to wear them. 🤦🏻‍♀️😆 Amazing Sperry illustrations! I pause my reading for minutes sometimes to look at them.

I've now finished chapter 3, and hooray, we're on the boat! I don't mind the first two chapters because they do a good job of setting things up in terms of both characters and just the whole mindset - history, setting, attitudes. I think it was astute for Sperry to create the character of the old captain who is skeptical of the newfangled approaches of McKay. It makes us care a little more because he is close to our protagonist, who then causes him to soften his views. It's not a huge conflict, but it lets us understand that at times innovation is controversial. I think that as the years go by, we can sometimes forget that and assume that the wheel of progress just rolls smoothly along from one great moment to the next. We don't hear so much about the failed attempts, and neither do we often get the viewpoints of those other than the great inventors.

I'd also like to mention how Sperry telegraphs the future by having the story be told by the main character at the age of 97 - so we know for sure that he doesn't die sometime during the adventures. It might reduce or eliminate some tension - I don't know yet. I note that he also has a "prediction" (a statement of certainty) about one of the ship's apprentices. I'm not sure whether I like this technique or not. We shall see.

Although I was familiar with Manhattan and spent time as a youth both at the South Street Seaport and in the Wall Street area, I hadn't really grasped how these two were so closely connected (because I imagined finance to be something separate from fish - the Fulton Street Fish Market was prominent at the time). But really, years ago, trade meant shipping and shipping meant ships. So a huge part of the financial industry was all about insurance for trade voyages made by ships. It makes perfect sense.

I picked the book up from the library today, but am not sure when I'll read it :) I have a large pile here.

Karin wrote: "I picked the book up from the library today, but am not sure when I'll read it :) I have a large pile here."

Hopefully you can get to it soon. If you start reading it, you may not be able to put it down! 😉

I'm now in chapter 7 and have very much been enjoying the action and activity, both serious and comical.

Previously I had not fully grasped the meaning of the term "Able Seaman" - but now it's perfectly clear. The knowledge and experience the apprentices gain on this first voyage will qualify them for that rank in the future. (I had thought it was more an assigned honor or a particular position/role.)

The book has a nautical glossary, but I have found it lacking. Likewise, the sail-plan of the clipper on p.67. For example, the "topmast stuns'l" mentioned on pp. 65 and 70 is nowhere to be found in this clearly labeled illustration. Neither is it in the glossary! Also not in the glossary is "foc'sle" - which I happen to know is an abbreviation for forecastle.

I highly recommend an ancillary book - Oars, Sails and Steam: A Picture Book of Ships by Edwin Tunis - which has a much more complete glossary that including studding sails (stuns'ls) and forecastle and much more - it's 8 big pages compared to the 3 in this book. As it covers a wide history, from 8000 BC to AD 1951, the clipper ship only gets a single page, but the book definitely helps in understanding the context and why McKay's ships were so important. Great illustrations too.

Michael wrote: "I'm now in chapter 7 and have very much been enjoying the action and activity, both serious and comical.

Previously I had not fully grasped the meaning of the term "Able Seaman" - but now it's pe..."

The edition of the book I received from the library, which is the same one showing at the top of this discussion, as a drawing of a clipper ship with studded sails :). Here's a diagram of one with 3 studded sails (extra sails on a square rigged ship)

How is everyone doing with this one? I read about half quite quickly and was enjoying it and then put it down for awhile. Now I'm picking it up again. I have many of these type of books going: Robinson Crusoe, Swallows and Amazons, etc. so it should be easy to get back mentally to The Flying Cloud!

I finished a few days ago. I felt there were some aspects that ought to have received more attention - the story seemed to flit from one thing to another, and the ending was rushed. Overall, I enjoyed it but didn't find it to be a five-star book.

I liked this, but didn't love it. It's been an intense and emotionally draining 2+ weeks, so I've forgotten all of the reasons why it wasn't more than 3 stars, and I didn't point out why in my review (I just checked). I posted the review on April 7 I think.

I finally finished and I feel the same as Michael and Karin. It is definitely an interesting premise with lots of promise but for some reason I felt Sperry just bungled it. He's a very good writer but it's almost like he just cobbled together a bunch of vignettes and so there was little flow and therefore I was unable to sink into the story or invest in any of the characters. Even the race and the record the Flying Cloud broke and the new record that lasted for 130 years didn't come through. I think Karin mentioned in her review that there was no mention of the woman navigator (the captain's wife) and the captain himself was portrayed a little like Captain Ahab. Was this a true portrayal? Who knows! I gave it 3 stars. I was hoping for 3.5 but in the end, I just couldn't bump it up.