A Furnace Afloat by Joe Jackson

A Furnace Afloat by Joe Jackson

When an accident with an open oil lantern set the American clipper Hornet alight in 1866, the 31 passengers and crew were forced to abandon ship. Cast adrift in three small lifeboats, they had less than 10 days rations to share between them. They were over 1000 miles from the nearest island. Over the next six weeks they were to encounter every danger the Pacific could throw at them. They were attacked by sharks and swordfish. They endured storms, and even tornadoes. Their hunger became so intense that they resorted to eating their clothes, and later, half-mad from the effects of drinking sea-water, were driven to the edge of cannibalism. A FURNACE AFLOAT tells the story of their 4000-mile voyage through the eyes of three men, who kept journals throughout their ordeal. It is one of the rare, great historical survival stories, and yet it also transcends its genre: the boatful of castaways becomes a microcosm of 1866 America - a diverse mix of immigrants struggling to overcome class divisions, and to recover from the recent Civil War.

A four time Pulitzer Prize nominee, Joe Jackson is author of the Edgar Award Nominated LEAVENWORTH TRAIN (Carol & Graf, 2002), and is co-author of DEAD RUN (Canongate, 1999), which is in development as a feature film with HBO.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9780304366934
ISBN 10	0304366935
Title	A Furnace Afloat
Author	Joe Jackson
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	Orion Publishing Co
Year published	2005-02-03
Number of pages	296
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.
Note	Unavailable