Second Wind: A Sunfish Sailor, an Island, and the Voyage That Brought a Family Together

Some engaging sections but there are ways of writing about personal journeys that are far less self-aggrandising. His other books are better.

Some of my best memories of growing up are of summer days spent sailing a sunfish with my best friend, so much of this memoir felt familiar, as did stories of Nantucket where I spent a few vacations. This book is perhaps the micro polar opposite of most sailing tales which tend to be about those who have circumnavigated the earth as the author rarely leaves manmade lakes and millponds. Philbrick is better known for his books on the Mayflower and other American History topics, and this book could have been better if it had kept to broader themes of sailing and spent less time recounting his sailing races tack by tack

This terrific little volume will strike a cord in those, like me, well along in life and who turn over a stone, or in this case a long unused boat, where the vague markings made while young and intensely focused bring on a flood of emotions and a desire not to escape adulthood, but to rekindle that passion and see where it takes you. Yes, reawaking that dormant part of the author's fiber brings him joy, but perhaps more important is his sharing of a now more mature passion with his family. As a sailor whose son sails and races, it particularly resonated with me, but non-sailors will enjoy it as well. Well done Mr. Philbrick.

I am a sailor, 70 years old, who has done sailing both on inland lakes and offshore cruising, so this book was enjoyable on many fronts. I was a bit taken back by the fact that Philbrick was not exactly a "novice" sailor, but an accomplished competitor with a national resume. It made it a bit harder to relate to him and his experiences, but nevertheless, a nice addition to the small, one design-class library of books; the bonus here is that it was also well written!

I like the writing style of this author and have read several of his other books. In this book he decides to take up a hobby he enjoyed as a youth with considerable success. See if a middle aged man can recover what he excelled at as a youth.

Not up to his usual standards, which are very high.