Blow The Man Down.

Holman Day, a chronicler of New England's working coast, spins a lively adventure of ships, ambition and the rough business of the sea.

What it's about

Blow the Man Down follows a determined young man into the world of coastal shipping and maritime trade, where fortunes are made and lost on the water and on the wharves. The story mixes the perils of seafaring with the intrigues of the shipping business ashore, pitting its hero against tough rivals and hard circumstances as he strives to prove himself and win his place. Day's feel for the workaday life of sailors and traders gives the tale its salty, energetic texture.

Themes

Enterprise, courage and the making of a self stand at the centre, along with the code and comradeship of working men at sea. Honest effort is set against sharp dealing, and the ocean itself is a constant, testing force.

Why it still matters

Popular adventure fiction of this stripe captured the vigour of early twentieth-century American maritime life, an economy of sail and steam now largely gone. Day's stories keep that vanished working world vividly alive.

Who it's for

For readers who love sea stories and rugged adventure, and for those drawn to tales of grit, commerce and the coast.

Sources and references

Verified references for this edition: Open Library.