Scan barcode
A review by ceeemvee
Adrift: A True Story of Tragedy on the Icy Atlantic and the One Who Lived to Tell about It by Brian Murphy
4.0
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in return for an honest review.
I read Brian Murphy’s 81 Days Below Zero, and thoroughly enjoyed the story and the storytelling. He’s a great writer, and while this is based on one person’s experience and retelling, Murphy makes the whole story come to life.
The John Rutledge is a packet ship going from Liverpool to New York in 1856. Its cargo included mail, dry goods and more than 100 passengers, mostly Irish immigrants hoping to escape poverty and find a better life. After the Rutledge hits an iceberg, only one man survived, Thomas Nye, a member of the crew. Murphy recreates the journey from Nye’s story and other research.
Nye made his way, with the ship log, to a lifeboat along with 12 others. We are then witness to the passengers succumbing to the harsh elements, and the madness that takes over after they drink seawater. Once Nye has given up hope and is waiting for the elements to take him, he spies a ship. With his last ounce of strength, he is able to summon it and thereby becomes the lone survivor.
I find stories of survival fascinating, and this book was no exception. There is a lot of history given at the beginning of the book, and some parts seem to be disjointed. The actual sinking of the ship doesn’t happen until halfway through the book, but I still found it to be quite interesting. All the historical facts and stories helped to place me in the mindset of life at that time. It may seem a little slow at first, but I highly recommend this book.
I read Brian Murphy’s 81 Days Below Zero, and thoroughly enjoyed the story and the storytelling. He’s a great writer, and while this is based on one person’s experience and retelling, Murphy makes the whole story come to life.
The John Rutledge is a packet ship going from Liverpool to New York in 1856. Its cargo included mail, dry goods and more than 100 passengers, mostly Irish immigrants hoping to escape poverty and find a better life. After the Rutledge hits an iceberg, only one man survived, Thomas Nye, a member of the crew. Murphy recreates the journey from Nye’s story and other research.
Nye made his way, with the ship log, to a lifeboat along with 12 others. We are then witness to the passengers succumbing to the harsh elements, and the madness that takes over after they drink seawater. Once Nye has given up hope and is waiting for the elements to take him, he spies a ship. With his last ounce of strength, he is able to summon it and thereby becomes the lone survivor.
I find stories of survival fascinating, and this book was no exception. There is a lot of history given at the beginning of the book, and some parts seem to be disjointed. The actual sinking of the ship doesn’t happen until halfway through the book, but I still found it to be quite interesting. All the historical facts and stories helped to place me in the mindset of life at that time. It may seem a little slow at first, but I highly recommend this book.