Across Islands and Oceans is the memoir of twenty-five year-old James Baldwin and his epic two-year, solo circumnavigation in Atom, his trusty but aging twenty-eight foot sailboat. Early on and “as broke as [he] dared to be,” James determined not only to sail around the world, but also to hike across every island that he visits. His inland forays are unique in the literature of circumnavigators as he finds danger, humor, friendship and romance in places most sailors will never visit. James' story unfolds in his earnest exploration of distant lands and seas, his meditations on the people whose lives he touched, and his greater voyage to explore his own private ocean of solitude. His adventure is not merely an attempt to seek thrills, nor even to tempt death, but rather a voyage of discovery as he set out in the direction of his youthful dreams to meet the life he imagined. “Go seek what you will, where you will, but be a seeker all of your life.” –James Baldwin "Baldwin's crisp, clear writing carries the reader forward...the book has a reflective tone as Baldwin examines his own growth during the journey and the many lessons he learned that only the sea can teach." -Practical Sailor Magazine, July 2012 "His tales of the hikes and the people are as fascinating as the stories of his voyages and times at sea. This book is a wonderful addition to anyone's cruising bookshelf and likely to become a classic someday." -Good Old Boat Magazine "This is the well-crafted story of a young man's voyage of self-discovery coupled with a desire to absorb and learn from the people and cultures he experiences." - Cruising World Magazine, October 2012 Maine Harbors Book Reviews, September 2013 Having grown up in Detroit, watching sailboats on Lake Michigan and "had never stepped into a sailboat larger than a dingy", Baldwin decided, at the ripe old age of twenty, to buy the "best second-hand boat I could afford. If necessary, I'd travel alone, as long and as far as my meager talents could take me." Two years later he accomplished that goal. His voyage was not one of daring do, but rather of self-discovery. The wind and the sea were not his only challenges. He also stopped and lived and worked on fourteen mainland ports and islands along the way. Baldwin's account of his sailing experience is quite calm and matter-of-fact, even about the blows and sail rending. It is how he experiences the island stops that are the true life of the party. He hikes across every island he stops at and meets intriguing characters. The people and the topography are the focus of Baldwin's attention and his descriptions are vivid and detailed. He literally takes you with him and that's the best kind of travel book. Islands like Hiva Oa, Bora Bora, Papua New Guinea, Cocos, St Helena, and Martinique stir the imagination. - by Carol Standish.