The Unlikely Voyage of Jack de Crow
Truly hilarious books are rare. Even rarer are those based on real events. Join AJ Mackinnon, your charming and eccentric guide, on an amazing voyage in a boat called Jack de Crow. Equipped with his cheerful optimism and a pith helmet, this Australian Odysseus in a dinghy travels from the borders of North Wales to the Black Sea - 4,900 kilometres over salt and fresh water, under sail, at the oars, or at the end of a tow-rope - through twelve countries, 282 locks and numerous trials and adventures, including an encounter with Balkan pirates.
Along the way he experiences the kindness of strangers, gets very lost, and perfects the art of slow travel.
Praise for The Unlikely Voyage of Jack de Crow
“a great travel writer and more importantly a great traveller”—Sydney Morning Herald
“not just an adventurer, but an artist, philosopher and keen observer of the world around him”—The Canberra Times
“Mackinnon’s journey makes a lovely picaresque tale, one dotted with English literary references and wonderful descriptions of the English and European countryside”—Good Reading
“a marvellous adventure, and Mackinnon recounts it with humour and unflagging enthusiasm … a clever and entirely engaging read”—The Melbourne Times
“a wonderful idea for a book – a series of ever bolder improvisations … undertaken in praise of the spirit of adventure”—Times Literary Supplement
Read a review here.
Read an extract here.
Watch the launch here.
Buy the audio book:
A.J. Mackinnon is the author of The Unlikely Voyage of Jack de Crow and The Well at the World's End. He was born in Australia in 1963 and he spent his childhood between England and Australia, traveling as a small boy with his family on the last P&O liners to sail between the two countries.
His interests include painting, philosophy, writing, conjuring and home-made fireworks. He is currently a teacher at the Timbertop campus of Geelong Grammar.
