I can't say enough good things about this book. However, I think it's obvious that any review of it must take into account that while the story takes place in actual historical context, the book's literary content, being the journal of a domesticated cat, is clearly fabricated. I find it humorous that several reviewers seem to have forgotten this and have criticized it for being somehow unrealistic.

The book is a journal of the Endurance's carpenter's cat, Mrs. Chippy (apparently, ships' carpenters are often nicknamed "Chips"). We learn that Mrs. Chippy took his responsibilities as an explorer, including keeping a stern watch to monitor the ship's progress, helping his mate in carpentry projects, and mousing, quite seriously. In fact, Chippy's concern for the maintenance of ship routine through the monotony of the shipwreck period surpasses that of virtually any other crew member.

If you've read any account of the Endurance Expedition already, you will quite likely enjoy this book for its thoughtful alternative perspective. It is not sappy in the least - Chippy's intelligent writing allows us to see him as he sees himself: as the 29th crew member on the expedition.

If you have to ask, "how did Chippy learn how to write?" or "when did he find the time?", you're not appreciating the books purpose - to entertain and provide a little insight into how an animal might have been more than slightly responsible for maintaining the crew's sanity.

Mrs. Chippy's Last Adventure is the best-written book I have read in many years (and I read a LOT!) The book is written from the point of view of Mrs. Chippy, a (male) cat who was privileged enough to join Shackleford's Polar expedition in the early 1900's and who was stranded in the polar ice fields along with the remaining 28 crew members. The book is based on actual events and a great deal of research obviously went into the telling of this remarkable human and feline-interest story. The author captures Mrs. Chippy's world view remarkably well; cat lovers will KNOW that they are seeing these events unfold through the eyes of a very perspicacious cat. As an added bonus, Mrs. Chippy is a damn funny feline, albeit sometimes unintentionally - I laughed out loud throughout the book.

All cat lovers will recognize the behavior and thinking of cats so observantly and lovingly depicted in this little gem of a book. It's a cat book, a history book, and an adventure book all in one. Written in diary form, it tells the story of Shackleton's antarctic voyage from the point of view of the expedition's cat, Mrs. Chippy. The expedition, the last of the heroic age of polar exploration, might have been wiped out, as was the Scott expedition a few years before. If only Scott had taken a cat with him, things might just have turned out differently. Somehow, Shackleton's crew survived. Mrs. Chippy, like the men of the expedition, is in many ways just an ordinary cat, not a hero. We read of her (well, actually, it's really his) devotion to ship routine, never missing a meal, always inspecting things and keeping watch, and his comic demonstrations of how a mouse works. Don't skip the footnotes! They are necessary to round out the story's "human angle." Caroline Alexander has carefully combed the photographs made during the expedition for traces of Mrs. Chippy. Don't look for digital insertions of Mrs. Chippy where none had existed before, as in Forrest Gump. Instead Ms. Alexander makes a delightful game of inferring Mrs. Chippy's presence. Is that Mrs. Chippy on Page 108? What do you think? My only criticism of this book relates to its ending. Armchair explorers may not be ready for this surprise.

I have never been a fan of Ernest Hemingway, but The Old Man and the Sea is a truly classical story.
Set in Cuba during the 1960's, an old fisherman named Santiago seeks to catch fish: a feat which he has not accomplished in eighty-four days. Outlasted by successful fishermen with better equipment, Santiago can only hope to catch fish the old-fashioned way with the help of his apprentice, a young boy named Manolin, whom the boy's parents eventually force to work on a different, more successful boat.

Santiago sets out to change his 'losing streak.' When a giant marlin takes his bait, he struggles with the great fish for several days until he finally catches it. To his great dismay, sharks that are by Santiago's boat attack the fish's body, and it is completely devoured, leaving only a skeleton.

With the skeleton as his only record of the great catch, Santiago returns to Cuba. What will happen to his apprentice, Manolin, as well as Santiago's well being after an apparent defeat by the sharks, is up to the reader to find out.

Hemingway conveyed a powerful message in a very short book. This story can be enjoyed by anyone who likes classical books or simply good reading in general.

This is about an old man's determination to catch a fish. In the story of the old man and the sea, a man shows that he can do what he sets out to do. The story shows his strong will and struggle against the weather, fatigue, pain and other elements that he encountered while at sea.
In the story, Santiago said, "A man can be destroyed, not defeated." I really like this statement. I think it is true. He faught to the end. Even when the sharks attacked his fish, he didn't give up. He still tried to protect the fish. He uses every method that he can think of not to be defeated by his enemy.
The old man called the sea "la mar" which is masculine. He liked fishing and baseball. What I like about the old man is his dream. He always dreams about a lion. It's in a beautiful gold sea in Africa. I say I like it because not very many people dream about such beautiful places.
In the end, the old man did catch the fish and made it back to his village. However, his physical conditionwas nearly distroyed. With his determination, he proved to the people of the village, the boy and himself that he was able to accomplish his dream in "La mar."

Hemmingway uses a short and refined style to tell a story of an old man and his
perilous journey through the sea. His writing is superb, and clean. The story flows well and is without flaws. The wording and structure of the story is as if it flowed freely from his mind to the paper without error.
Hemmingway creates a good feel for the story by being very descriptive. Although, the paragraphs are short and simple, the descriptiveness is superb. Hemmingway uses simple but concise word choice. Because of the simple wording it makes for easy reading. In the same way, he uses words such as, treachery. Because of this, it eliminates useless jargon. And you are able to grasp the meaning of the sentence or paragraph easily because of the descriptive words.
Because of all the descriptive writing you are able to fully grasp the story aswell. For instance, "the line showed like a phosphorescent streak in the water." And "Fish... big fish." Because of the descriptiveness you are able to fully understand what Hemmingway is trying to relate, through simple, refined writing. "They were strong shoulders, still powerful although very old." Again, this is a good example of Hemmingway's short concise style in this book. As he is describing a part of Santiago's figure, easily, smoothly and in a short amount of words.
As you can see, Hemmingway has a writing style unlike any other, and unparalleled by any other. He is undoubtedly one of the best writers in American history. Although he is no longer alive, he still lives on through his classic writing, which will also go on for ages to come. This book is definitely a classic, and well worth reading.

This book contains a lot of symbollism that advanced readers can comprehend. The ending is what ties the book together and has a lot of meaning to it. Heidi and Jessica

i think a lot of the people reviewing this book have missed the point. It is true that there is not much of a plot but the book is not about plot. If you want a page turner go to an airport and look at the bestseller list. Through this book Hemingway displays his views and feelings on masculinity. It has been said, and been well reported, that Hemingway is deeply macho and believes in this whole rum-drinking world. But in the old man... I feel that Hemingway shows a masculinity with a human face. In the book the old man and the boy talk of the baseball greats. When they come to John J. McGraw, they say that "he was rough and harsh-spoken and difficult when he was drinking." Here Hemingway is showing that machismo which is coarse or totally insensitive is not a worthy charectaristic. Although Dimaggio is strong and plays through a bone spur and the old man is resolute in over coming every difficulty to kil the Marlin, both these charectors are give a sensitive edge. The old man talks about humility and wonders about the consequences of having this emotion. He decides that this feeling loses no pride. Ultimately I feel that feelings and the fight that man has to go through are the over whelming messages of the book.

The old man... also has beautiful images and throws up lots of questions aboutrole models and determination. I read in one of the reviews that the reviewer wanted snatiago to let the fish go and go back to land! That is totally missing the point. We have to look at santiago and his qualities. Take the arm wrestle he didn't just 'give-up'. All of us can do with some of his determination to be resloute, fear no sacrifice and surmount every difficulty to win victory.

All in all i feel this is a fantasti book that uses some wonderful images. the language, which has caused such a chasm between the reviewers, I feel is beautiful. It is so beautifully simple that hemingway himself considered it the best he had ever and would ever write.

I would like to recommend One hundred years of solitude by gabriel garcia marquez, graham greene, a confedaracy of dunces by john kennedy toole

The Old Man and the Sea was an outstanding book in my opinion. Although short, it had some deeper meaning. One theme I found was: have courage in the face of defeat. Even though the Old man hadn't caught a fish in 72 days he kept trying. The next day geuss what, he caught a huge marlin. He fought with the fish for three days before he killed it. On the way back he had more than just worrying about keeping the fish tied to the boat. I don't want to spoil the ending but I do recommend reading it.

With the encouraging success of the recent box-office smash, American Beauty, I believe props need to be given to whom their due: Ernest Hemingway. No, he was not involved in the actual movie, but I could not help but notice the similarities between the movie and the "The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber," which also happens to be my favorite Hemingway short. Americans feel alone and without control of their own lives in the late 20th century, and as Hemingway proves in this strong story, Americans have been feeling this way for a long time. Short and to the point, "Macomber" delivers a one-two punch that cannot be forgotten. Get up and take control of your own life; just make sure you're aware of what you're entering the bush in chase of.

I loved the book and the movie. It just reminded me of Key West, which I love, and it gave me a comforting and happy feeling all the way through. It is incredible the way the old man never gives up with his courage to fight the big fish. The ending was perfect when he finds security in his hut and with the little boy. He sure deserved it.

A fast read and old-fashioned sounding written account of the Vermilion lighthouse and the replica in 1991 that finally replaced it.

There are also some local Vermilion, Ohio tales at the end of the book that make an interesting read, although they were probably added since information on the original lighthouse is quite scarce.

A sure add to your Great Lakes and lighthouse book shelf.

"The Old Man and the Sea" is something that everyone should read. If it comes down to listening to a version of this book and actually reading, it is no contest: get this in book form.

i think this book is a good book with with many underling meanings as to what hemingway was trying to say to his readers.

he wrote this book as a story and then added his hidden meanings

When the old man set out on his daily routine he experiences more than he has expected. He has found his dream fish and now has the task of reeling it in.
Ernest Hemingway was born on July 21, 1899 in a small village in Illinois. After he graduated from high school he started to report for the Kansas City Star where he learned to get to the point in direct, simple sentences. After going to WWI and being injured he fell in love with his nurse. These events inspired his first novel, which led to his amazing career as an author.
In my opinion "The Old Man and the Sea" was a great adventure and accomplishment book. In the book the old man is so dedicated to his goal that he endures pain and hardships to achieve this goal. I also think that the book is well written in the aspect of how easy it is to read. The book is easy enough for a younger reader to follow yet it is still interesting and in depth enough for the more average reader to enjoy. So if I had to rate this book on a scale of one to five I would probably give it a four because sometimes the book gets a little too detailed and boring.

Santiago, an old Cuban fisherman, has the battle of his life with a ferocious marlin in the book, The Old Man and the Sea. He is a very poor man and is very unlucky with fishing but with the help of the little boy, Manolin, he gets through the days of his life. Santiago's adventure with the giant fish begins eighty five days after his last catch. The Old Man and the Sea is an appealing and an enjoyable book because Ernest Hemingway is an excellent writer.

The events and actions of this book create interest for the readers. For example, Santiago was not angry with the other fishermen when they made fun of him. He is a good man and is so wise that being made fun of does not bother him. A good protagonist is always a good character to read about. Moreover, the characters and their actions can be related to real life situations. For instance, the old man ignores all the laughing made by the younger fishermen because he cannot catch any fish. This is like a student dealing with bullies and humiliation at school. These are some points that Ernest Hemingway made to arouse interest to readers.

Hemingway has a very unique writing style. For example, in the book it says, "Most of the boats were silent except for the dip of the oars." He has a very soothing way of writing. This is also easy enough for kids to understand. Also, Hemingway does not use clutter in his sentences which makes him different from the rest. For instance, he writes sentences like, "Only I have no luck anymore;" which is very direct. Many writers tend to use clutter to sound professional or important. Hemingway's style and voice is calming and intense in all the right places.

I think The Old Man and the Sea is a great book to read. My favorite part of the book was the climax when Santiago defeats the antagonist. If I could change something in this book, I would change some of the rising action so it is more gripping. I would recommend this book to adults and teenagers. Although a grade school student could read and understand this book, they would not value the moral of the story. Hemingway's original style and the characters in this book make it an interesting and wonderful book to read.

I read this book in Chinese,and I plan to read it in English again.(Maybe something that I am writting is not good translation from Chinese to English)I think the best way to understand a novel is to read it in its original language.Hemingway is one of my favorite authors.I like his style."Less is more."He uses the words that are not hard for me to understand,and they express his thoughts as well as the big words.In The Old Man and the Sea,Hemingway tells us a story about an old fisherman's experience on the sea.The part I like best is after the old man's way home after he finally catches the big fish,but he doesn't have enough strength to protect his victory from the sharks.He is all tried thirsty and hungry.Unfortunately,the sharks eat his fish bit by bit.So when he gets home,the fresh of the fish is gone,only the bone left there.Hemingway uses symbols a lot.For example,the old man's dreams of lions play on the beach represent the old man's youth and power.The old man is a hero that Hemingway creates successfully.

The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway is a book about an old fisherman named Santiago. Santiago is very poor and does not catch many fish, until one day, when he catches the biggest fish he has ever seen.This book is about the fisherman's battle with the humongous fish and how he manages to catch it all alone. There are many lessons about life during the time he is alone, like to never give up and how having a lot of courage is very important. One thing that Ernest Hemingway mentions quite often is the ols man's pride and how he treats it, which taught me a lesson that many people could use. I liked the book, especially since i learned so much more about life reading it.The one thing that I did not like about The Old Man and the Sea was that it gets a bit boring while Santiago is struggling to catch the fish, but this ends when he goes through many obstacles on the way back home. I would definitely recommend this book to people at almost all ages, but i think that someone reading it is too young they may not understand it, therefore making them not like it as much. Otherwise, I believe that it is a good book and i would definitely read it if I were you.

The Old man and the sea was a decent book. The plot of this story was was about an old man who lived in his shack on the coastline in Cuba. Each day he went out to fish, but recently, he's been in a slump. Now it is the eighty-fifth day that he has not caught a fish. Will his luck change? Find out by reading this book. I gave this book four-stars because it was a good book, but, like all books, it had it's boring moments.

This book was great, although it could have used some cannibalism. It was very well written. I really liked the part were he went fishing. It was funny when he lost the fish. If I were there, I would have laughed at him really hard.

There's a lot of cheap and distorted information in this book (probably edited by the clumsy U.S. Navy), but there's no doubt that Mad Admiral King never understood what a submarine was or that German submariners ran up and down our East Coast at will attacking our harbors and sinking our ships. He thought they were spontaneous combustion, of some sort, and made an effort to load ships differently and thus prevent these "untoward events."

Now all this time'early 40's'the Brits had been warning KING about the present position and anticipated arrival of every German submarine sent across the Atlantic to attack our Eastern ports, but the number one SOB on our side (and an American) refused to ever listen to the Brits due to a pathological craziness that negatively focused on the Brits. Instead he did the opposite. The ports were left unguarded. The German wolf packs roamed just a few miles off our Eastern seashore at will and thousands of men died needlessly! Why this one salient point wasn't a large focal point of this book is beyond me.

As bald as King's purposeful negligence seems today I must admit that everyone wants to read about a leader who is also a buffoon. Madness and stupidity offer great areas of comedic relief even in pointless deadly battles. A glimpse at some of the most fatal but stupid and uninspired Anglo-Saxon battle plans'"over the top boys!"'of the 2nd World War will convence anyone of this! That's why this book isn't selling but would be selling 2000 copies a month right now had the authors and the U.S. Navy relentlessly searched for the truth and then after finding it wrote is all down exactly as it happened. But the U.S. Navy was then a boatload of WASPS in search of a great U.S. Naval leader and Mad Admiral King looked just like a leader with his clean face and pretty white hair. In their egoistic ways and means, the writers tried to place King anywhere but where he belongs: in a yellow submarine. Instead, King's long and costly road to victory was too grevious for everyone in the end and so no foolish writer wanted to spend time researching him when his record spoke for itself.

Mad Admiral King's true plan for the Pacific war was to island-hop for another three years, to have the war end in 1948. His dwarf like mind conceived the worst and possibly malignant war plans when he purposefully ordered Iwo Jima to be invaded. This latter plan of death and dying caused even the most cynical American Admiral-to-be to suggest that island hoping was a bad idea. Bypass the remaining islands and bomb Japan back into the stone age with incendiaries. The deaths of the truly great fighting men at Iwo Jima were placed there by King and ordered to take the island at allcosts. This is not insightfully addressed in the book on King because it's just more proof of King's pathological arrogance and conceit.

Ernie J. King was one of the least known and yet most important figures of American 20th century military history. While others, such as Nimitz and Halsey, gained laurels in the press, King actually defined the strategy, determined who would lead American naval forces across the Pacific, and single-handedly ran the Navy Department throughout the war. Yet he remains almost unknown to modern generations [during a recent visit to the US Naval Academy, an official tour guide -- a retired Naval officer -- told me that King was buried in Arlington cemetery, when in fact he is buried at the Academy]. Mr. Buell addresses this gap with this extraordinary book. Buell tries -- by all available means -- to get at who the man was, what he was like, and what he did -- no easy task considering that King distrusted the press for much of the war, and was almost universally regarded as an SOB within the Navy Department. Yet reading this book, I came to understand why it took an SOB to accomplish the defeat of Japan simultaneously with that of Germany -- something that Admiral King seems to have understood as well. I felt that at the end of this book, I understood who King was, what motivated him, and what he was like. The reproduction of King's 2-page memorandum to FDR about Pacific war strategy is an extraordinary document and a classic example of good business writing. It is unfortunate that Buell's biography of Raymond Spruance does not manage to capture equally the character of Spruance -- admittedly an enigma. Buell's bibliography is a marvel of critical assessement of sources -- he uses the same style with his Spruance biography and new Civil War history. For someone interested in sources and original material, Buell's syntheses are unparalleled. My only question is: when will Buell take up the story of another fascinating military figure such as Pershing, Arleigh Burke, or McNair? Barry Miller Bethesda, Maryland