5 comments about Ashley Book of Knots.

1. In case a beginner is considering this book, this survey of books on knot-tying might be helpful. The knot hobbyist should skip this survey and just buy the book!
   
   Just as there is no perfect knot, there is no perfect knot book. All have deficiencies of one sort or another. One common deficiency seems to be misleading or just plain wrong directions for tying a knot. Another deficiency is a failure to tell the reader when to use a particular, or more important, when not to use it. All the books suffer these deficiencies to one degree or another.
   
   Another deficiency is too many knots! But how could this be a deficiency, one might ask. Isn't more better? The answer is that the beginner needs to know the most useful knots that have the widest application. If the book contains knots that don't have wide application but doesn't tell the reader which ones are widely used and which ones aren't, how is the reader to know which ones to learn? Therefore, for a beginner, careful selection by the author is essential.
   
   Budworth, The Complete Book of Knots
   
   Of all the books, this is my pick as the best for a beginner.
   
   What I like about this book is that it contains large, clear line drawings, and for the most part, the layout is pleasing to the eye. Drawings are superior, in my opinion, to photographs. One drawback of drawings is that the cordage you're trying to knot never lies as smoothly and gracefully as the one in the drawings. (This tends to be true of photographs, too, however.) But if you view the drawings more as a blueprint, then you get a conceptual understanding of how the knot is to be tied, and drawings allow a clearer conceptual understanding than photographs in most cases.
   
   Another plus to this book is that most of the knots Budworth picked for inclusion are useful and often "best of breed" knots. On pages 6 and 7, there is a "directory of knots" that shows the best or most popular use of each knot. In addition, for each knot, there is a summary called "applications," and occasionally a warning when not to use a knot.
   
   A minus is that some of the drawings are wrong or misleading. For example, in the drawing for the double bowline (figure 8 on page 37), the arrow to show how the working end is rove (threaded) through the loops would have the working end going from the top of the loops to the bottom when it should be the reverse. After some frustration and referring to other sources, I was able to tie the knot. (Google is your friend.)
   
   A bigger minus is the terseness of the descriptions. In a number of instances, the author assumes you should be able to figure out the process from fewer drawings than I think necessary. I would like it if each and every step in tying the knots were shown. With some effort, I was able to figure out each knot that I tried to tie even though some drawings included several steps in one drawing. But why make the reader work? A book for beginners should make it easy.
   
   When I was starting with this book, I thought that it would be helpful if the author included pictures of the finished knot. After about a week, I realized that he did! But they are murky pictures that are either in a small space at the top of the page, above the name of the knot, or serve as a background for the entire page. There is no excuse for such bad pictures, which mar an otherwise excellent layout. Instead of putting some trivia about the history of the knot in a circle on each page, a clear monochromatic photo in the circle would serve the reader better.
   
   The book does not include decorative knots (Budworth having written a separate book on decorative knots).
   
   Because of the terseness of the descriptions, the lack of clear photographs of the finished knots, and the occasional errors, I downgraded this book from five stars to four.
   
   Pawson, Handbook of Knots (expanded edition)
   
   This book contains very clear color photographs, and the layout is quite pleasing to the eye. The problem with photographs is that it can be hard sometimes to discern when one cord is on top of another or below, and sometimes the hand can be hiding some important information. Compounding this is the fact that the book is small in format, and when you have four or five photographs on one page, each photograph ends up being small (say, 1.5" by 2.5"), too small sometimes.
   
   Although the book is soft-cover, the binding is stitched, and the book can be opened flat without breaking the binding. I found that it would stay open without much difficulty.
   
   Pawson, like Budworth, is a founding member of the International Guild of Knot Tyers. But his choice of knots puzzles me. For example, he has a number of stopper knots but does not include Ashley's stopper knot, which many consider the most important stopper knot. He also does not include any grip-and-hold knot (such as the midshipman's hitch, taut-line hitch, or the Tarbuck knot). This is peculiar in that a grip-and-hold knot can be quite useful. I almost had the feeling that Pawson had decided that he would avoid (when he could) duplicating what Budworth had done. Quite gentlemanly, but not what I want in a book for beginners.
   
   On the plus side, Pawson includes a number of lashings, plaits and sennits, and splices, which Budworth does not.
   
   For what it's worth, I was unable to tie the Turquoise Turtle knot following Pawson's description until I watched a video on the internet.
   
   Based on the fact that this book uses photographs instead of drawings (particularly in a small format book), the sometimes odd choice of knots, and lack of warnings about certain knot uses, I downgraded this book from five stars to three.
   
   The Morrow Guide to Knots
   
   This book contains very clear color photographs, and the pictures are larger than in the Pawson book which is helpful. But layout is off-putting. There are typically several pictures on a page, but the picture on the top of the page is not the starting picture; it's the one on the bottom of the page to the left.
   
   Like the Pawson book, the book is soft-cover, the binding is stitched, and the book can be opened flat without breaking the binding. I found that it would stay open without much difficulty.
   
   I found the choice of knots to be satisfactory in that most of the basic knots are covered. A plus is that several ways of tying a knot is shown for several of the knots. That is always helpful. Another plus is that it covers decorative knots, such as plaits and sennits.
   
   This book's depiction of the climber's method of tying the bowline knot took me an hour to figure out because two steps were (inexcusably) combined into one picture without an explanation.
   
   A minus is that the book is outdated. This comment would have come as a surprise to me before I started studying knots inasmuch as many knots are hundreds, if not thousands, of years old. But a number of improvements in knots have been made in the last twenty years, and these improved knots can't be found in a book published in 1981. Moreover, for the Tarbuck knot, the book states that the knot is used by climbers, but climbers have avoided this knot for decades because it tends to damage the kernmantel type of rope used in climbing.
   
   Another minus is the paucity of information about the use and misuse of knots.
   
   Based on the fact that this book uses photographs instead of drawings (particularly in a small format book), the odd layout, the lack of warnings about knot uses, and the dated nature of the information, I downgraded this book from five stars to three.
   
   Budworth, The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Knots & Ropework
   
   This book contains very clear color photographs, and the layout is quite pleasing to the eye.
   
   Of all the books that use photographs to depict the tying of knots, this is my pick as the best. Although the pictures are small, it's much more step-by-step than the others. In particular, it doesn't suffer from the terseness of Budworth's The Complete Book of Knots, and it shows a large picture of the finished knot. (It also correctly depicts the double bowline.)
   
   An important plus of this book, given its claim to encyclopedic coverage, is the inclusion of decorative knots. There are far more knots in this book than any beginner would need, and there is a paucity of information about the use and misuse of knots.
   
   My copy has an update date of 2002, making it the most recent edition of all my knot books.
   
   This book coupled with Budworth's The Complete Book of Knots would make a complete library for any beginner. But this book is too much, in my opinion, for the ordinary reader who just wants to learn a few useful knots.
   
   The fact that this book uses photographs would normally make me downgrade it, but number of step-by-step pictures for each knot offset that. Based on the fact that this book is intended as an encyclopedia and it fulfills that function very well, I give this book five stars. If this book were intended for a beginner, however, I would downgrade it to four stars because of the sheer number of knots, the lack of guidance to beginners as to which ones to learn, and the lack of warnings about knot uses (and misuses). The number of ste-by-step pictures keeps it from going to three stars.
   
   The Ashley Book of Knots
   
   As an encyclopedic work, The Ashley Book of Knots is not suitable for beginners. For knot aficionados, it's a must-have.
   
   Based on the fact that this book is intended as an encyclopedia and it is in fact the standard reference work for knots, I give it five stars. If this book were intended for a beginner, however, I would downgrade it to three stars because of the sheer number of knots and the fact that it was published in 1944, which means that it does not satisfactorily address modern synthetic ropes.
   
   Conclusion
   
   For the beginner, that is, for the reader who simply wants to learn a few of the most useful knots, my pick is Budworth, The Complete Book of Knots. For an encyclopedia of knots, my pick is Budworth, The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Knots & Ropework. For the knot hobbyist or public library, The Ashley Book of Knots is a must-have.



2. I never dreamed that there was this much to learn about the world of "Knots". Definitely the primer "ALL" who wish to learn.



3. This book is the gold standard for knots. I could write a long review, but others have already given details. All I would add is that over several decades it is the book I turn to for any information or directions for knots, plaits, buttons, etc. It is all there in easy to follow format and with all variations. There are many other books available, but if you have this one you need no other.



4. I WAS SEARCHING FOR THE ULTIMATE KNOT BIBLE WHEN I CHANCED UPON ASHLEY'S BOOK, WOW! THIS MANUAL DESCRIBES IN DETAIL THOUSANDS OF KNOTS, HOW TO TIE THEM AND HISTORY OF THE KNOT WHEN KNOWN. KNOTS OF UNBELIEVABLE COMPLEXITY AND BEAUTY AWAIT THE READER OF MR. ASHLEY'S BOOK.



5. I'm a newbie, as I've only had my copy of Ashley for 25 years, unlike the fellow who bought his in 1945. :^) But I want to echo most of what's been said.
   
   If you're considering buying this book, how well it will fit your needs depends on what your needs are. I strongly recommend you read the 2 and 3 star reviews, as what they contain are valid comments about the book. Some of the criticisms that have been made of the book are:
   
   * It's been in print for 60 years and hasn't been modernized.
   * It was based on (mostly) natural fiber ropes. It doesn't have relevant discussion of more modern fibers.
   * Some of the drawings can be hard to understand.
   * The indexing could be better.
   
   If you're reading this, you have access to a computer, so you can learn an enormous amount about knots from the web, including color pictures, verbose descriptions, and animations. It's a fantastic resource. Why, then, would anyone spend 50 bucks on a book like Ashley?
   
   If you just want to learn some practical knots, then there are many books that will suit your needs (if you can't get what you want from the web for free). You can visit a library to take a look at different books.
   
   Yet I still think Ashley's book belongs in my library (you'll have to make your own decision as to whether it belongs in your library). I still pick it up and get immersed in it a few times a year. It's fascinating reading and learning about all the different types of knots and other ropework.
   
   There are some very practical things I've learned from this book. One of my favorites is #364, which explains how to tie a constrictor knot to fasten a hose to a hose fitting. I've used this many times over the last 20+ years. My wife complained about my using worm-drive hose clamps to hold on the machined brass fittings and I had to agree -- they hurt one's hand when tightening a connection. Ashley's method with the constrictor works perfectly -- so well, in fact, that I leave it on permanently. I use 1/8" braided nylon rope. I also use it to attached compressed air hose to its fittings. You should also be aware that it could be an emergency fix for e.g. a broken radiator clamp. I've even tied it in wire.
   
   While I'm at it, I'll also pass on a comment about the knots I use. For 95% of the things I do (and my wife and kids tease me about how much I use rope and twine to do lifting, pulling, and lashing), I use the bowline, constrictor, span loop, and one and two half hitches (often the second hitch is slipped). I still use other knots, but one or more of those four are involved whenever I pick up a piece of rope.
   
   Oh, and since I use the bowline more than the other knots, I'll pass on a relatively unknown way of tying this knot. I don't remember where I learned it (it wasn't from Ashley), but the method is #1788. I consider it extremely important, as once you learn it, you can tie it completely by feel, in the dark, the rain, or a snowstorm with ice-cold hands -- and do it in a few seconds (with practice). The key is to pull on the knot properly so that you feel it collapse into a bowline. This is such an important way of tying the knot, I think it should be taught to everyone. Yet I've never run across anyone who knew the method (except the person who taught it to me).

5 comments about How to Read a Nautical Chart : A Complete Guide to the Symbols, Abbreviations, and Data Displayed on Nautical Charts.

1. Since the current U.S. Administration saw fit to cease publication of CHART NO. 1, the government's own guide to reading maritime maps, back in 2000 (maybe they figured Dubai might pick up the slack around our harbors), HOW TO READ A NAUTICAL CHART is an absolutely crucial educational volume for those of us new to reading charts.
   
   It's all here. Nigel Calder does a splendid job of taking the esoterica of chart symbolism and language and turning it into something any boater can understand in everyday terms. He also does a fine job delineating the differences between harbor charts, large area charts, GPS readings and so on, all of which have their own internal but non-complimentary logic.
   
   If you leave the dock, knowledge of and familiarity with charts can avoid costly errors, save your boat, and literally save your life. HOW TO READ A NAUTICAL CHART is a reference you must have.



2. As a newbie to reading charts I soon realized that much of the information displayed on a nautical chart is difficult or imposable to decode without some reference outside of the chart itself.
   
   This book does a beautiful job of explaining all the mysterious symbols and conventions. It also has a great introduction that puts chart creation and interpretation into a practical, real-world perspective. I would consider this book to be a vital part of any vessel's safety equipment.



3. Brand new item, very nice. Smooth transaction with excellent communication & quick shipping. Thank You



4. Very detailed. Plan to sit with coffee and really study but you will get good understanding of the material.



5. This is a complete, accurate and succinct reference book. It is almost required reading for mariners of all sizes.

5 comments about The Great Wide Sea.

1. Ben doesn't want to spend a year on a sailing trip with his father and brothers recovering from his mother's sudden death, but he's on the trip anyway - so when disaster strikes and the father vanishes halfway between the Bahamas and Bermuda, it's up to him and his brothers to survive a storm, a shipwreck, and more. Survival on many levels is a key issue in THE GREAT WIDE SEA, a riveting story for middle to high school leisure readers.



2. This book is Great! I couldn't put it down!
   
   After reading this book I had a lot of questions about what the sail boat actually looked like, how are the Bahama Islands laid out, and more and I was thrilled to find the companion web site with lots of pictures and maps that go along with the story in the book. [...].
   
   This is one of my all time favorite books, the writing is simple but profound. You feel like you are there, riding along on this adventure, learning a lot about the Bahamas, sailing, and survival while you're at it.



3. I read this book all in one sitting, today, and I loved it. Couldn't put it down.



4. This is a wonderful book, written with an authentic knowledge of sailing. Herlong knows the mind of young males and captures the voice to make this a compelling story. She has crafted interesting characters--people we care about--as well as a story that is fascinating, flawless, and satisfying. This may be her first published novel, but it seems like she has managed to channel Madeleine L'Engle. I look forward to many more wonderful books by this author. As a developmental reading teacher in a community college, I am excited to have found a book my students enjoy talking about to others.



5. I have to say that after reading all the 5 star ratings I had high hopes for this book, and was a bit dissappointed. This book has a great sotry about relationships between brothers, and fathers and sons. The author did a great job writing about the emotions each character. However it seems the plot was quickly arranged with simple, rough and blunt phrases and sentences. I think for youth this wouldn't be a negative, but I personally wished the story of the day to day events was given the attention he put into explaining the feelings of each character. Great message in the end. I liked it and recommend it but probably won't read again.

5 comments about Sailing Alone Around the Room: New and Selected Poems.

1. Billy Collins is able to make a picture out of just about any combination of words. Each poem in this collection seems to begin in one place and land in another, turning corners with each line, and leaving the reader wondering where it is going until the very end. A very satisfying adventure in poetry filled with humor, compassion, and wonder. "Sailing Alone Around the Room" is also full of insight into one of America's greatest contemporary poets. I would highly recommend this to anyone who study's poetry for whatever reason, critiques it, or just enjoys a good read.
   
   David J. Gluck author "Life's Pages"



2. Perhaps, what may best describe the poetry of Billy Collins is "Thought-Provoking Subtle Humor." Throughout much of his work Collins intertwines a hint of humor with a profound message about our daily existence, dealing with everything from junk mail to our inner voices to the spirits of the dead.
   
   Collins, a teacher by day, poet by night, offers his readers visions and images from the classroom. At times, we are the student, as in "Snow Days," "First Reader" and "On Turning Ten" and at other times, we are the teacher, as in "The History Teacher."
   
   However, the vast range of themes to which Collins writes is not limited to the student - teacher perspective, but is as diverse as life itself. In "Pinup" a trip to the auto mechanic turns into a whimsical satire regarding the ever common pinup calendar found in probably every garage in America. This poem, complete with the "we're going to have to charge you more" routine so typical of the dreaded repair shop, offers the reader some comic relief as the poet becomes mesmerized by the attractive and seductive women on the pinup calendar hanging over the tool bench. Again, in "Victoria Secret" Collins pokes fun at man's lustful tendencies, as he thumbs through the catalog prior to opening his other mail. The poet's imagination runs amuck as he places the thoughts in the models' heads based on their various poses, facial expressions and intricate clothing (available in a multitude of oddly named colors).
   
   Poems dealing with an even more significant theme, such as death, are not void of humor. In "The Dead" Collins proposes that the spirits of the deceased are always watching us, hopeful that we might see them and when we, the living, lie flat and stare upwards, they think we are watching them. In "Night House" Collins addresses the many inner voices of man as if all are separate entities or spirits living captive within our bodies. His poignant observation of how, at times, we all glance off into the distance in an almost comatose fashion and at these moments, he speculates, we might actually be listening to some of these other spirits within us, this is as profound an idea as it absurd, which heightens the poems overall appeal. In "Forgetfulness" a poem about aging, here too, Collins adds humor to address the topic of the slow and gradual loss of one's mental faculties, specifically that of memory.
   
   What makes Collins work so endearing and so pleasurable is his ability to sprinkle humor into what ails us. The life experiences, both the good, the bad and the mundane, often contain some subtle humor. In stepping in as himself and then stepping back as an objective observer of himself, the poet fuses the two perspectives into verse and offers forth the quiet comical reality of life itself. Collins' collection of work in "Sailing Alone Around the Room" will leave you floating about in thought with a smile on your face.
   
   John Santoemma
   English Teacher
   Reno, Nevada



3. Billy Collins is simply the best, and I think this is some of the best of Billy Collins. I treasure my fraying copy and recently bought two more as gifts.



4. This is a nice collection of poems by a modern poet. It made the bestseller list and I suppose for readers of poetry this is a good collection of poems. Instead of critiquing style and syntax, I will instead say that I truly found these poems to be a strong emotional outpouring by the author. Billy Collins' writing is to the point and about those things that even not poetry lovers can relate with. After reading this book I was left with the sensation that I actually had just conversed with Collins and know him for who he is and not just for the images of his writings.



5. Being critical of artists is interesting territory. As an amateur poet who is learning to fall in love with the medium and all other artistic mediums late in life, I find it hard to be critical of any artist. I think they are all noble in simply pursuing a craft that so few really care about. That, to me, is bold. In a culture addicted to quick fix idiot entertainment, blessed is the man who can get across to the masses through the written word sans pulp. Collins is one of those artists and good for him.
   
   Every poem in this book was worth reading IMHO. A range of subjects are covered and Collins is never dark and brooding. He displays sensitivity and uses evocative yet accessible imagery to elucidate common evreyday themes.
   
   As to his detractors I believe Collins would respond like this:
   
   I want the scissors to be sharp
   and the table to be perfectly level
   when you cut me out of my life
   and paste me in that book you always carry.

5 comments about Sail.

1. Read this book during the Christmas holidays. Generally knew what the ending was going to be, it's the how and what-will-happen-next parts that kept me turning the pages to the end.
   
   Last book of the year, and it was a quick read as always whenever I read a James Patterson book. Doesn't take a lot of reading effort 'cause the book hooks me in early, it's quite relaxing, I fly through the pages, and get the expected entertainment out of it.
   
   Sail is co-authored by Howard Roughan. Patterson now has a number of books where he has co-authored with someone. So I wonder who really writes the book, Patterson or the co-author - and is his name there just for marketing purposes. The books still maintain his style - the large font, short chapters, often ending with an event that makes you want to turn the page to find out the what-is-it part.
   
   The Alex Cross series of books are still my favorites, but anytime I see another James Patterson book at the local Half Price Books clearance section that I haven't still read - then for a buck or two - I am usually pretty certain I'll get my entertainment value out of it. And with this book, I did.



2. The story was so so. I was hoping it would be a lot more of a sailing adventure; the title is misleading. I got the audiobook abridged version. The female narrator was terrible. I cringed everytime it was her turn to read (reading is split with a male narrator). The way Katherine Dunn's role is written; first person diary style, really sucked too; its very choppy, no flow.



3. This was a great book! At first I thought it was going to be all about the trip, but James Patterson came through again!!!



4. I have read a lot of Patterson's and his collaborators work. It seems that we are experiencing the literary equivalent of the production line that churns out the same artwork that is hung in cheap motel rooms. I cannot believe how weak the start of this story is. Patterson's book seem to be specializing in neurotic women characters, hunky outdoor type hero men, and supremely irritating and downright stupid children.
   
   I received this audio book as a gift second hand, and I was glad for the fact as I would not pay for it. The disfunctional family Dunne sale together and provide the first set of cliches. The anorexic daughter, the overweight younger son, the Stoner brother, with the too career focused mother.
   
   Then...
   
   The daughter tries to kill herself. The boat starts to flood and sink. A super villain has rigged the sail boat to blow up. The seeminly loving smarmy step father is actually an adulterous murderer. I think I have hit all of the cliches. No wait a minute, that would be Patterson.
   
   Give this one a pass.



5. 
   I don't usually write reviews, but I thought this book was so good that I had to write. I was hooked from the very start of this book right up until the end.
   Lots of twists and turns and keeps you turning the pages, I was sorry to see it end.

5 comments about Handbook of Knots: EXPANDED EDITION.

1. This is easily the best book I've seen on the subject, especially considering it's size. (Okay, so I only recall three or four.) I know a few knots, variations and principles that could be added, some discovered previously, some stimulated by the book. Hopefully the next edition will have more, as mine had more than the copy I got from the library. The range of possible knots is basically infinite and I find the subject more interesting than any kind of puzzles I know of.
   
   danrob@efn.org



2. This is an excellent book. Extremely well illustrated and very informative. Colour coding of rope strands helps immensely. Should be in every knotters library.



3. This is an excellent book. It's small 100ish knots and pocket size make it extremely portable. This is in contrast to another great knotting tome such as, Clifford Ashley's "Ashley Book of Knots" which is the definitive work on the subject. Which is large and heavy and very expensive. This book is a great value being in full color and it's jam packed with info for each knot. I particularly like the section on whippings that includes sewing palms. I've been a teacher of knots to scouts know for over twenty years and this is what I'd recommend to a young tenderfoot or second class scout if he was interested in learning more than the 10 required knots for 1st class rank.



4. Just as there is no perfect knot, there is no perfect knot book. All have deficiencies of one sort or another. One common deficiency seems to be misleading or just plain wrong directions for tying a knot. Another deficiency is a failure to tell the reader when to use a particular, or more important, when not to use it. All the books suffer these deficiencies to one degree or another.
   
   Another deficiency is too many knots! But how could this be a deficiency, one might ask. Isn't more better? The answer is that the beginner needs to know the most useful knots that have the widest application. If the book contains knots that don't have wide application but doesn't tell the reader which ones are widely used and which ones aren't, how is the reader to know which ones to learn? Therefore, for a beginner, careful selection by the author is essential.
   
   Budworth, The Complete Book of Knots
   
   Of all the books, this is my pick as the best for a beginner.
   
   What I like about this book is that it contains large, clear line drawings, and for the most part, the layout is pleasing to the eye. Drawings are superior, in my opinion, to photographs. One drawback of drawings is that the cordage you're trying to knot never lies as smoothly and gracefully as the one in the drawings. (This tends to be true of photographs, too, however.) But if you view the drawings more as a blueprint, then you get a conceptual understanding of how the knot is to be tied, and drawings allow a clearer conceptual understanding than photographs in most cases.
   
   Another plus to this book is that most of the knots Budworth picked for inclusion are useful and often "best of breed" knots. On pages 6 and 7, there is a "directory of knots" that shows the best or most popular use of each knot. In addition, for each knot, there is a summary called "applications," and occasionally a warning when not to use a knot.
   
   A minus is that some of the drawings are wrong or misleading. For example, in the drawing for the double bowline (figure 8 on page 37), the arrow to show how the working end is rove (threaded) through the loops would have the working end going from the top of the loops to the bottom when it should be the reverse. After some frustration and referring to other sources, I was able to tie the knot. (Google is your friend.)
   
   A bigger minus is the terseness of the descriptions. In a number of instances, the author assumes you should be able to figure out the process from fewer drawings than I think necessary. I would like it if each and every step in tying the knots were shown. With some effort, I was able to figure out each knot that I tried to tie even though some drawings included several steps in one drawing. But why make the reader work? A book for beginners should make it easy.
   
   When I was starting with this book, I thought that it would be helpful if the author included pictures of the finished knot. After about a week, I realized that he did! But they are murky pictures that are either in a small space at the top of the page, above the name of the knot, or serve as a background for the entire page. There is no excuse for such bad pictures, which mar an otherwise excellent layout. Instead of putting some trivia about the history of the knot in a circle on each page, a clear monochromatic photo in the circle would serve the reader better.
   
   The book does not include decorative knots (Budworth having written a separate book on decorative knots).
   
   Because of the terseness of the descriptions, the lack of clear photographs of the finished knots, and the occasional errors, I downgraded this book from five stars to four.
   
   Pawson, Handbook of Knots (expanded edition)
   
   This book contains very clear color photographs, and the layout is quite pleasing to the eye. The problem with photographs is that it can be hard sometimes to discern when one cord is on top of another or below, and sometimes the hand can be hiding some important information. Compounding this is the fact that the book is small in format, and when you have four or five photographs on one page, each photograph ends up being small (say, 1.5" by 2.5"), too small sometimes.
   
   Although the book is soft-cover, the binding is stitched, and the book can be opened flat without breaking the binding. I found that it would stay open without much difficulty.
   
   Pawson, like Budworth, is a founding member of the International Guild of Knot Tyers. But his choice of knots puzzles me. For example, he has a number of stopper knots but does not include Ashley's stopper knot, which many consider the most important stopper knot. He also does not include any grip-and-hold knot (such as the midshipman's hitch, taut-line hitch, or the Tarbuck knot). This is peculiar in that a grip-and-hold knot can be quite useful. I almost had the feeling that Pawson had decided that he would avoid (when he could) duplicating what Budworth had done. Quite gentlemanly, but not what I want in a book for beginners.
   
   On the plus side, Pawson includes a number of lashings, plaits and sennits, and splices, which Budworth does not.
   
   For what it's worth, I was unable to tie the Turquoise Turtle knot following Pawson's description until I watched a video on the internet.
   
   Based on the fact that this book uses photographs instead of drawings (particularly in a small format book), the sometimes odd choice of knots, and lack of warnings about certain knot uses, I downgraded this book from five stars to three.
   
   The Morrow Guide to Knots
   
   This book contains very clear color photographs, and the pictures are larger than in the Pawson book which is helpful. But layout is off-putting. There are typically several pictures on a page, but the picture on the top of the page is not the starting picture; it's the one on the bottom of the page to the left.
   
   Like the Pawson book, the book is soft-cover, the binding is stitched, and the book can be opened flat without breaking the binding. I found that it would stay open without much difficulty.
   
   I found the choice of knots to be satisfactory in that most of the basic knots are covered. A plus is that several ways of tying a knot is shown for several of the knots. That is always helpful. Another plus is that it covers decorative knots, such as plaits and sennits.
   
   This book's depiction of the climber's method of tying the bowline knot took me an hour to figure out because two steps were (inexcusably) combined into one picture without an explanation.
   
   A minus is that the book is outdated. This comment would have come as a surprise to me before I started studying knots inasmuch as many knots are hundreds, if not thousands, of years old. But a number of improvements in knots have been made in the last twenty years, and these improved knots can't be found in a book published in 1981. Moreover, for the Tarbuck knot, the book states that the knot is used by climbers, but climbers have avoided this knot for decades because it tends to damage the kernmantel type of rope used in climbing.
   
   Another minus is the paucity of information about the use and misuse of knots.
   
   Based on the fact that this book uses photographs instead of drawings (particularly in a small format book), the odd layout, the lack of warnings about knot uses, and the dated nature of the information, I downgraded this book from five stars to three.
   
   Budworth, The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Knots & Ropework
   
   This book contains very clear color photographs, and the layout is quite pleasing to the eye.
   
   Of all the books that use photographs to depict the tying of knots, this is my pick as the best. Although the pictures are small, it's much more step-by-step than the others. In particular, it doesn't suffer from the terseness of Budworth's The Complete Book of Knots, and it shows a large picture of the finished knot. (It also correctly depicts the double bowline.)
   
   An important plus of this book, given its claim to encyclopedic coverage, is the inclusion of decorative knots. There are far more knots in this book than any beginner would need, and there is a paucity of information about the use and misuse of knots.
   
   My copy has an update date of 2002, making it the most recent edition of all my knot books.
   
   This book coupled with Budworth's The Complete Book of Knots would make a complete library for any beginner. But this book is too much, in my opinion, for the ordinary reader who just wants to learn a few useful knots.
   
   The fact that this book uses photographs would normally make me downgrade it, but number of step-by-step pictures for each knot offset that. Based on the fact that this book is intended as an encyclopedia and it fulfills that function very well, I give this book five stars. If this book were intended for a beginner, however, I would downgrade it to four stars because of the sheer number of knots, the lack of guidance to beginners as to which ones to learn, and the lack of warnings about knot uses (and misuses). The number of ste-by-step pictures keeps it from going to three stars.
   
   The Ashley Book of Knots
   
   As an encyclopedic work, The Ashley Book of Knots is not suitable for beginners. For knot aficionados, it's a must-have.
   
   Based on the fact that this book is intended as an encyclopedia and it is in fact the standard reference work for knots, I give it five stars. If this book were intended for a beginner, however, I would downgrade it to three stars because of the sheer number of knots and the fact that it was published in 1944, which means that it does not satisfactorily address modern synthetic ropes.
   
   Conclusion
   
   For the beginner, that is, for the reader who simply wants to learn a few of the most useful knots, my pick is Budworth, The Complete Book of Knots. For an encyclopedia of knots, my pick is Budworth, The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Knots & Ropework. For the knot hobbyist or public library, The Ashley Book of Knots is a must-have.



5. This is my second book from Des and he provides great information and tips. Great anybody that is interested in knots.

5 comments about Navigation Rules.

1. The publication is REQUIRED to be onboard vessels over 39 feet. Not much choice in the matter.



2. If you are a seaman you have to possess it, read it, and understand it. Period. The price on Amazon was much cheaper than my local stores.



3. This book satisfies the requirement for Coast Guard Auxiliarists to have a current copy of the Nav rules on their boat. I especially liked the way the changes in the update were identified for easy reference.



4. My son needed this book for his college class. It came quickly and is just what he needed!



5. Increase you on the water knowledge by learning the "Rules of the Road". It's amazing to see how many "boaters" have no clue how to operate a vessel according to the rules.

5 comments about The Annapolis Book of Seamanship, 3rd Edition Revised.

1. If you only could have one book from which to learn about sailing and how to sail - this would be it



2. There's nothing that needs to be said other than if you want to know it about sailing... then it's in this book... Anyone who sails should have this onboard.



3. Everyone who has anything positive about this book is correct.
   
   The reason for three stars is the discussion of GPS is slightly shorter than the discussion of Loran and Radio Direction Finding; e.g. one page to each. There is no acknowledgment of the existence of a thing called the Internet.
   
   The value of this book lies in things that don't change much - Ground tackle, Rigging, Knots, Dead Reckoning.
   
   At one point this was the go-to book, but the growing lag in coverage of technology that has changed in the years since 1998 includes subjects that are now core to offshore sailing.



4. Very informative, well organized and simple to understand for the inexperienced sailor as well as those who have a basic understanding of sailing. Very helpful.



5. A whole lot of info. I agree, that it could use an Addendum of modern navigation.

No comments about Fiberglass Boat Repairs Illustrated.

5 comments about Chapman Piloting & Seamanship 66th Edition (Chapman Piloting, Seamanship and Small Boat Handling).

1. I can't say enough about the usefulness of this manual. Whether you're 18 or 60, a novice or old salt, this book is not just fact filled, but also a pretty good read, thanks to the almost 100 year legacy of the primary authors.
   
   I bought new the 66th edition hardcover.
   
   I've been boating since I was a 16 year old Boy Scout seeking my Canoeing merit badge, including an enlistment in the US Coast Guard and empployment in unlimited hydroplane and offshore powerboat racing.
   
   I find this book to be the ultimate reference.
   
   Buy It. Now.



2. Not much to say about the standard in piloting & seamanship for almost 100 years. Should be required reading for all recreational mariners. If you own a boat, you should own, and have read this book in addition to your continuing boating education.



3. The nautical 'bible' Chapman Piloting & Seamanship has been completely updated and reviewed with new charts, photos and illustrations for its 66th anniversary edition, making it an ongoing foundation title for any serious nautical collection. Chapters have been fully updated with the latest U.S. regulations, fees and federal laws and cover everything from how to assist a stranded boat charts vs. maps, considering radar's pros and cons, and more. A 'must' reference.



4. This is an excellent reference book to have. Explains navigating very well. BTW, West Marine is selling the 66th edition for $29.95.



5. I was very pleasd with the quality of the book and the timely manner that it arrived.