Clouds of White Sail - by Michael Wayne Santos (Paperback)

About the Book

Clouds of White Sail tells the story of how early-twentieth-century fishermen from New England and the Canadian Maritime Provinces used the International Fishermen's Races to reignite the public's love affair with the beauty of their ships and the romance of the sea in order t...

Book Synopsis

Clouds of White Sail tells the story of how early-twentieth-century fishermen from New England and the Canadian Maritime Provinces used the International Fishermen's Races to reignite the public's love affair with the beauty of their ships and the romance of the sea in order to hold onto their way of life.

Review Quotes

Michael Wayne Santos masterfully weaves the tale of the newly arrived Irishmen who contributed to the growth of maritime industries and who invigorated New England seaport life through the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Men like my great-great grandfather John H. McManus and his sons, 'America's Cup' sail-maker Charlie and the renowned knockabout schooner designer Thomas, worked alongside Boston Brahmins as well as other new immigrant groups to shape New England's rich maritime history. Eventually, as this book documents, they would compete with their Canadian counterparts in swashbuckling schooner races that captivated both nations. In so doing, these groups of old and new Americans helped to forge some of the best maritime traditions of our country, which we all still share.

The Schooner Adventure was built in 1926. Designed by Thomas McManus as a 'knockabout'--having no bowsprit, which was known as a 'widow maker' due to the danger of working on the jib--she spent twenty-seven years fishing cod, haddock, and halibut off Georges Bank. Since her return to Gloucester in 1988, she has become a National Historical Landmark and serves to preserve and celebrate the traditions of America's oldest port through education, interpretation, and community events. As her skipper, I appreciate what she stands for, which is why I find Santos's book, Clouds of White Sail, so compelling. He has captured the story of the fishermen and the ships they sailed in a readable narrative that helps us to understand their experiences and their contributions to American maritime history.

About the Author

Michael Wayne Santos is professor of history at the University of Lynchburg.