Return of the Tiger (1970)
by Brian Connell
This is an account of Operation Jaywick and Rimau—both of which were World War I Anglo-Australian covert raids, led by British officer Major Ivan Lyon against Japanese shipping in Singapore Harbor. Both attacks involved the use of folding kayaks to penetrate the Japanese defenses in Singapore. It’s a good read, and Connell provides vivid descriptions of the character of those personalities involved. The photographs are also extraordinarily useful, as official records are scant, and many Jaywick participants were killed a year later during Operation Rimau.

 

Kayaks Down the Nile (1979)
by John Goddard
Goddard was the first man to explore the entire length of the world’s longest river, the Nile. For 6,000 years, it has been the world’s most important -watercourse, with a vital role in the -development of the human race. Two other men went with him on this 4,200-mile, 10-month trek. According to Goddard, he had yet one more traveling companion—he contracted a tapeworm that he named Rodney. Each man paddled his own folding kayak, which were built by Jean Chauveau on the banks of the Seine near Paris. They used three folding double kayaks measuring 16 feet long and 32 inches wide, each of which weighed 100 pounds empty. Taken down and strapped into their cases, they shrank into a packet six feet long by 20 inches wide. Nearly drowned in a cataract, attacked by bull hippos and vicious wild dogs, and shot at by Egyptian River pirates, the trio finally arrived safely in Rashid after dipping their paddles a million times each into the Nile. A great companion book is Andre Davy’s own version of this trip, entitled 4,000 Miles of Adventure: Down the Nile by Canoe (1958, Camelot Press, London). Davy’s kayak was put out of action almost immediately in the cataracts at Kagera, and they had to wait for replacement parts from Paris. In nine months, they traversed 3,100 miles on the river and the other 1,150 miles, being non-navigable or forbidden, mostly on foot.

 

Blazing Paddles: Scottish Coastal Odyssey (1988)
by Brian Wilson
This is an exciting account of an 1,800-mile, four-month kayak journey around Scotland. The reader is taken with Wilson on his voyage, experiences his highs and lows, meets all the interesting characters he encounters and joins in the hilarious situations that occur periodically. A thoroughly entertaining and enjoyable story, I have read my copy at least five times and still appreciate it. Wilson’s wonderfully detailed description of the Scottish coast brings into focus several environmental problems but still has its hilarious moments with shark hunters, nudists, gold panners and cave dwellers. Another of Wilson’s excellent nail-biting adventures, Dances with Waves (1998), chronicles his 1,200-mile voyage around the coast of Ireland. Filled with ghost galleons, pirates and the near loss of his kayak, this book provides Irish history, adventure, humility and humor all in one narrative.

 

Seekers of the Horizon: Sea Kayaking Voyages From Around the World (1989)
Will Nordby, Editor
A great book to take on a sea-kayak camping trip. It includes 11 compelling sea-kayaking adventure stories from Hawaii to the Arctic. Included in the anthology are stories from Hannes Lindemann, Audrey Sutherland, Christopher Cunningham, Chris Duff and Larry Rice.

 

The Last of the Cockleshell Heroes (1992)
by William Sparks and Michael Munn
The film Cockleshell Heroes made famous one of the most daring British commando operations of World War I. Training for the operations involved mental ingenuity as well as physical toughness, and trainees were occasionally turned loose in the English countryside to make their way back to camp as best they could, dodging British troops and police along the way. In December 1942, the Royal Marine Commandos attempted to paddle up the Gironde River at night in folding kayaks (“cockleshells” to the Royal Marines) and attach explosives to German ships at dock in Bordeaux. Inflicting some damage, only William Sparks and a Marine officer, “Blondie” Hasler, managed to escape and elude capture on a lengthy chase across southern France to neutral Spain.

 

The Dreamtime Voyage (1994)
by Paul Caffyn
To paddle around Australia’s 9,500-mile perimeter using muscle power alone is an unimaginable feat. There are vast areas of extremely inhospitable coast, including desert, cliffs and mangrove swamps, not to mention sharks and crocodiles. The narrative is a blend of history, hair-raising moments and descriptions of the harshness and beauty of Australia. Caffyn achieved the circumnavigation paddling for four months solo with his support vehicle–driver Lesley sharing the highs and the lows for the duration. The book is not only about the kayaker, his boat and his driver-partner—it’s about history, personal development and conflict. Illustrated with stunning full-color photography, Dreamtime Voyage is an epic. Caffyn also wrote Obscured by Waves (1979), describing his circumnavigation of New Zealand’s South Island; Cresting the Restless Waves (1987), about paddling 1,700 miles around the coast of the North Island of New Zealand; and Dark Side of the Wave (1986), a gripping account of a circumnavigation of Stewart Island—New Zealand’s southernmost island.

For information on locating these and other hard-to-find kayaking tales, click here.

 

Michael Free is a campaign manager for a technology company in Wilmington, Delaware, and is a member of the Chesapeake Bay Paddlers Association. He spends his free time exploring the bay, and his experiences are published regularly in the Nor’easter, a publication focused on boating in the Chesapeake Bay.

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