Skip to content
$4.95 Flat-Rate Shipping to the US
$4.95 Flat-Rate Shipping to the US
Two Years Before the Mast

Two Years Before the Mast

by Richard Henry Dana
$12.99 - $24.99
$12.99
$12.99 - $24.99
$12.99

A Personal Narrative of Life at Sea

The book recounts Dana’s experiences as a common sailor on a merchant ship during the early 1830s. Motivated by a desire to improve his health, Dana embarked on the Pilgrim, a trading vessel, and spent two years at sea, documenting the hardships and challenges faced by sailors during the era of the California hide trade. 

First published in 1840, this edition is derived from the edition published in 1923 with 8 color illustrations and 50 black & white illustrations by E. Boyd Smith. Also included are 300 footnotes by Homer Eaton Keyes. As always, this edition is complete and unabridged.

Author(s): Richard Henry Dana, Jr.

Illustrator(s): E. Boyd Smith

Translator(s): None

Book Size: 6" x 9"

Pages: 426

Font Size: 12pt

ISBN: 9781649657855

ASIN: 1649657854

  • Paperback - Black & White: Perfect bound with gloss cover; cream standard paper.
  • Paperback - Color: Perfect bound with gloss cover; white standard paper.
Amazon (Black & White) Amazon (Color)
US UK DE FR US UK DE FR
ES IT NL PL ES IT NL PL
SE JP CA AU SE JP CA AU
A Note About Amazon Reviews

Amazon aggregates product reviews for books. This results in many unrelated reviews beneath our editions on Amazon.

Please ignore those reviews and photos referencing small text, poor formatting, spelling, photocopies, etc. Those reviews are not for our editions.

If you purchase our books through Amazon, please consider leaving a review as this will assist future readers and reduce the visibility of unrelated reviews.

About the Author

Richard Henry Dana Jr. was a prominent American lawyer, author, and social activist best known for his memoir "Two Years Before the Mast," which vividly depicted life at sea in the early 19th century. Born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, into a distinguished family, Dana was expected to follow a path of privilege and success. However, he was drawn to the sea, influenced by his father's connections to maritime trade.