RICHARD HENRY DANA

Together for the first time: Two Years Before the Mast, the thrilling nautical classic by one of America's first and greatest travel writers, along with hard-to-find narratives of Dana's later journe

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En 1834, %3Cstrong%3ERichard Henry Dana%3C/strong%3E, estudiante de Harvard, se enroló en un buque mercante como marinero raso rumbo a California, iniciaba un viaje que duraría dos años. A su regreso escribiría «Dos años al pie del mástil» con el propósito de «dar a conocer la vida del marinero corriente en la mar tal y como es: con sus luces y sus sombras». Dana sentó las bases del género dando un corte realista y auténtico. Fue la primera incursión de un hombre culto al ambiente rudo de la vida en el mar así como a contactos con pueblos por civilizar. En 1840 obtuvo un gran éxito con esta obra de la que Melville se confesó deudor.

The Seamans Friend is a treatise by Richard Henry Dana Jr. It details shipboard procedures during the 19th-century, such as setting sails and tying knots as well as the roles of crew members.

This book presents a great background to the social conditions in 19th century Cuba which led to the revolution in 1959. It tells about Cuba of 1887. At the time, Cuba was heavily dependent on Spain, did not have self-rule but had high taxes to support the bureaucracy sent out from Spain to rule the island. It is very interesting from a historical perspective. Also, it allows drawing analogies with the current state of things. Many researchers recommend this book as a key to better understanding the policy of the country today.