Being a seasoned sailor - a United States Coast Guard veteran - I have found Bob Bond's "Handbook of Sailing" to be indispensable. It is without a doubt the best and most up-to-date handbook available on the subject of sailing. The explanations and illustrations are exquisitely detailed. This is an extremely helpful book that every sailor, novice or seasoned, needs as a reference guide. Excellent for classroom instruction. Gets ten stars!

I should also like to recommend "Allegiances: A Novel," which is the creation of my cousin Charles Strout Davis, a fellow yachtsman. His novel is born out of his intense interest in determining the root causes of international wars and the track of the famous yacht, America, during the Civil War. An alumnus of the old New England Choate School and of Princeton, Mr. Davis's characterizations of Civil War gentry is remarkable.

Being a seasoned sailor - a United States Coast Guard veteran - I have found Bob Bond's "Handbook of Sailing" to be indispensable. It is without a doubt the best and most up-to-date handbook available on the subject of sailing. The explanations and illustrations are exquisitely detailed. This is an extremely helpful book that every sailor, novice or seasoned, needs as a reference guide. Excellent for classroom instruction. Gets ten stars!

I took up sailing this summer, and found that, while no book can replace the physical experience on the boat, one needs an instruction manual to keep up with all the maneuvers and terminology that are thrown at you. The Handbook Of Sailing provides concise and very well organized information, with ample illustrations. It’s the perfect accompanying textbook for someone who’s still trying to learn the lefts and rights of boating.

I took up sailing this summer, and found that, while no book can replace the physical experience on the boat, one needs an instruction manual to keep up with all the maneuvers and terminology that are thrown at you. The Handbook Of Sailing provides concise and very well organized information, with ample illustrations. It’s the perfect accompanying textbook for someone who’s still trying to learn the lefts and rights of boating.

This book is really 2 separate books cobbled together from material the author used in some of his earlier work. The first half of the book is a treatise on dinghy ("one-design") sailing and the last half is a manual for cruisers; both books cover their material superbly, going in depth on many matters that don't get adequate coverage elsewhere, but it's truly unfortunate that the author and his editors tried to fit the 2 specialist books together under one cover. Keelboat cruisers cannot learn to handle their boats from a technical dinghy sailing treatise and dinghy sailors cannot benefit from discussions of cruising problems outside the scope of their equipment. It was especially unfortunate that the author didn't point out in his introduction that the cruising material starts in the second half of the book, which could have saved me many evenings of puzzling through centerboards, trapezing, and capsize drills! In spite of its awkward concept the book is profoundly detailed, profusely illustrated, and a must for whichever type of sailor you are...

Great book, covers all aspects of basic and advanced sailing on all types of boats. I was very impressed with its comprehensive coverage of the subject. I keep it as a reference book. No other book will cover nearly as much about sailing. If you want to buy only one book, then this must be the one.

Sort of a shorter, and lighter to carry, Chapman's, this is a comprehensive review of topics relevant to most sailing situations. A good book to start with and a helpful reference to have. Lots of good illustrations and pictures. Also, the construction/binding of the book is high quality, so it will survive being bounced around.

This is by far one of the best sailing books available for both beginning and experienced sailors.

As I was learning to sail, a friend suggested it and I learned more from this one book than any other I have seen or bought and I own 10+ books on sailing. I carried it with me for over a year and read portions every time I had a few minutes.

Highly recommended reading for sailors or anyone interested in sailing or sailboats.