How Long to Read The Civil War Adventures of a Blockade Runner

How Long Does it Take to Read The Civil War Adventures of a Blockade Runner?

It takes the average reader 6 hours and 9 minutes to read The Civil War Adventures of a Blockade Runner by William Watson

Assuming a reading speed of 250 words per minute. Learn more

Description

William Watson published his account of the two years he spent evading Union gunboats and dealing with the "sharpers" who fed off the misfortune of war in 1892. Using log books, personal papers, and business memoranda, he sought to write a "plain, blunt" account of "events just as they happened." Instead, he wrote a classic adventure tale whose careful description of seafaring in the 1860s gives us a glimpse into a world now closed to us. Watson is the protagonist, but he shares his story with his ship, the Rob Roy, a center-board schooner whose shallow draft and wide beam made it the ideal vessel for slipping over shoals and dashing in and out of blockaded ports. He peoples his account with the good, the bad, and the unlucky, from the likeable and irrepressible Captain Dave McLusky to the loathsome and dishonest Mr. R. M. He takes his reader from Havana, where land sharks greeted incoming sailors, to Galveston, where sharp businessmen and corrupt officials connived to confiscate both profits and ships. He stops at Matamora, a dusty place on "a bare and barren coast," and he visits General Magruder in Houston. His crew brave gales and a hurricane that drives the Rob Roy back thirty miles; and he survives plots against his ship and his life. Through it all, Watson enjoys himself. Blockade running, he declares, was not "unlawful or dishonourable." Rather, it was "a bold and daring enterprise," an "exciting sport of the higher order," like racing yachts, and an almost obligatory act of defiance of a blockade "maintained by no other right than by the force of arms." The "commission merchants" did better than the blockade runners. But Watson recalled his years dodging federal gunboats and outwitting petty officials, treacherous crew, and dishonest businessmen as "much more congenial than the extortions and deceitful wheedling and trickeries of the legitimate trade." This is an adventure story held together by the nuts and bolts of sailing. Watson's discussion of why sail was superior to steam for running blockades is superb; his detailed accounts of surviving gales and outrunning Federal cruisers are fascinating. He takes yellow fever and high sea chases in stride. Through it all, he maintains his honor and guards his profits. For the reader who wants to ply the Gulf of Mexico under sail, play the lottery in Havana, and visit Texas when it was "a new country," Watson is the perfect guide to run the blockade that time imposes on posterity.

How long is The Civil War Adventures of a Blockade Runner?

The Civil War Adventures of a Blockade Runner by William Watson is 358 pages long, and a total of 92,364 words.

This makes it 121% the length of the average book. It also has 113% more words than the average book.

How Long Does it Take to Read The Civil War Adventures of a Blockade Runner Aloud?

The average oral reading speed is 183 words per minute. This means it takes 8 hours and 24 minutes to read The Civil War Adventures of a Blockade Runner aloud.

What Reading Level is The Civil War Adventures of a Blockade Runner?

The Civil War Adventures of a Blockade Runner is suitable for students ages 12 and up.

Note that there may be other factors that effect this rating besides length that are not factored in on this page. This may include things like complex language or sensitive topics not suitable for students of certain ages.

When deciding what to show young students always use your best judgement and consult a professional.

Where Can I Buy The Civil War Adventures of a Blockade Runner?

The Civil War Adventures of a Blockade Runner by William Watson is sold by several retailers and bookshops. However, Read Time works with Amazon to provide an easier way to purchase books.

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