Silas is a real grumpy old sod, a sea Captain who fueled his colorful career at sea by drinking more than his fare share of anything he could get his hands on. Nowadays he talks to all who will lend an ear; merrily perched and usually well-pickled on the same wooden stool that he first sat on over fifty years past. Most seafarers don't 'drink and drive' but Silas was a rare exception. He drank throughout his vivid career, often from sunrise to sunrise or sunset to sunset, depending on when the clock was started, but if asked he will emphatically reply, "I never drank at sea, never have and never will and best you believe it, young man." That's Silas in a nutshell!Down at the bar he holds court; mayhem-riddled adventures can there be heard. The old codger loves to impart many an unimaginable tale from his past, although without fail, he does maintain convenient blindness to his instigator status. To open the flood gates all that the old goat needs is a drink and a couple more along the way. He certainly needs the constant lubrication to keep him talking.To start the book off there is an introduction from Joe Larkin with some valuable words to say about Silas. Joe is a retired chief engineer, one of many who had the misfortune to sail with the pickled captain on one or more of his drink-fueled escapades. Then after he has said his piece the book dives into the world of Silas. Like a wife in every port Silas has stories from all corners of the globe. He vividly describes the farting incident which caused a Venezuelan navy captain to end up landing on the bow of his own ship, and there was that time with the furious commodore in Papua New Guinea - he sings "Rule Britannia" whilst baring his behind. Or how about when his ship runs out of booze or when vicious pirates attack? These tales might be just enough to start with but there are plenty more to follow - over twenty stories in total.Later on, as the stories flow, an old employer will chip-in with his views on the old rogue and then Betty will say her piece. Betty is his ex-wife - 'God bless her misguided ways' - she left him for another man. Big Al, the temperamental cook, also has something to get off his chest. Oh, and then there is the barman himself who will have the final word as he probably knows Silas better than he knows himself.This book, written by a seafarer of many years, is a humorous and cleverly detailed novel that delves deeply into 'a life at sea' with constant humor used throughout. This is managed, not quite in the way one would expect, but through the eyes of an expert, a lifelong Captain called Silas E. Parks who knows more about the sea and ships than most. The books contain over twenty fictional tales narrated by Silas, with some interjections from 'those who know him' - they give balanced and mostly opposing character reference to Silas' often misguided outlook and conclusions to certain disastrous events that he has usually but perhaps unknowingly instigated. The books detail is unrivaled - the backbone of the tales and the knowledge contained all pouring onto the pages by the author, Ieuan Dolby.
About the Author: Ieuan Dolby, born in 1967 in Cambridge, England, spent his formative years in Edinburgh, Scotland. He went on to study marine engineering at Leith Nautical and South Tyneside Colleges and spent the next twenty years in the merchant navy, rising to the rank of chief engineer, before moving ashore as a technical superintendent. Latterly, he obtained an honours degree in Maritime Technology from the University of Newcastle upon Tyne and spent many years as a marine casualty investigator based in Singapore.