A Ship’s Tale is one of the most refreshing sea adventures I have read in a very long time. This is the story of the rescue of a wonderful old sailing ship from an inglorious end, planned by unthinking and uncaring bureaucrats.

 The story is told in a manner that is reminiscent of times long past, full of humor, suspense and romance. This is the kind of story that puts the “sail” back in sailor.

 The story unfolds with the introduction of a cast of characters that would be familiar to anyone who has ever hung about the waterfront of a bustling seaport.

 A Ship’s Tale is told from the perspective of a former Royal Navy Officer, Lieutenant Flynn, who becomes the newest, and rather accidental, member of a group that is set on saving one of the last surviving relics from the age of sail.

 The rescuers include the former master of the sailing ship – a barque, actually – called Bonnie Clyde, his first mate, Harris and Irish navigator named Edward, and Boris, a rigger from Russia.

 The story is set just after the close of the World War II, and gives a clear and unvarnished idea of what life was like afte3r all the years of the terrible ordeal. Young writes with great humor, and describes the lengths sailors will go to save a beloved ship.

 This determined crew’s preparations are thorough, their strategy sound, and their methods unconventional, to say the least. Beg, Borrow or steal, shanghai, kidnap, or downright just make something disappear is all within their realm.

 It takes a lot of everything to turn their plan into reality, making off with a full-rigged sailing ship – including, stores, canvas, and a crew, whether experienced or not!

 This is a highly recommended and charming story, with a happy ending, in some ways, and a sad one in others.

 Find a favored reading spot, relax and enjoy. This is a book difficult to put down, leaving one anxious to turn page after page. And surprises, eliciting grins, greet readers with each chapter.

 My advice? Simply crack open the book, set sail, and learn what a circus, a dancing bear, a boy’s orphanage, a duck-stalking cat, and a three master barque have in common!

 Bonnie Clyde’s escape and ensuing voyage are an experience in daring seamanship. Not the modern version of the turn of a wheel, a turbine driving screws, and the use of a GPS Navigation system, but the age-old ritual of climbing of masts, fisting sails, plotting a course, and tracking and wearing a ship in all weathers.

 The fear and exhilaration of working high above the deck in the rigging, while the wind tries it’s best to batter sailor off the years, and the sheer violence of waves on a hull, drive this unlikely adventure that readers who love the sea and ships will enjoy.