Second Wind

A Sunfish Sailor, an Island, and the Voyage That Brought a Family Together

By: Nathaniel Philbrick

Narrated by: Nathaniel Philbrick

A charming memoir of midlife by the bestselling author of Mayflower and In the Hurricane's Eye, recounting his attempt to recapture a national sailing championship he'd won at twenty-two.

“There had been something elemental and all consuming about a Sunfish. Nothing could compare to the exhilaration of a close race in a real blow—the wind howling and spray flying as my Sunfish and I punched through the waves to the finish.”

In the spring of 1992, Nat Philbrick was in his late thirties, living with his family on Nantucket, feeling stranded and longing for that thrill of victory he once felt after winning a national sailing championship in his youth. Was it a midlife crisis? It was certainly a watershed for the journalist-turned-stay-at-home dad, who impulsively decided to throw his hat into the ring, or water, again.

With the bemused approval of his wife and children, Philbrick used the off-season on the island as his solitary training ground, sailing his tiny Sunfish to its remotest corners, experiencing the haunting beauty of its tidal creeks, inlets, and wave-battered sandbars. On ponds, bays, rivers, and finally at the championship on a lake in the heartland of America, he sailed through storms and memories, racing for the prize, but finding something unexpected about himself instead.

Critic reviews

Praise for Second Wind

“Describing his races tack-by-tack and gust-by-gust, Philbrick crosses the finish line with sure-to-be satisfied readers interested in sailing and the personal life of this highly popular author.”--Booklist

Praise for Valiant Ambition:

"May be one of the greatest what-if books of the age--a volume that turns one of America's best-known narratives on its head."--Boston Globe

"A suspenseful, richly detailed, and deeply researched book about the revolutionary struggle that bound George Washington and Benedict Arnold together and almost disastrous dysfunction of America's revolutionary government that helped drive them apart."--The New York Review of Books

"Clear and insightful, it consolidates his reputation as one of America's foremost practitioners of narrative nonfiction."--Wall Street Journal

"Philbrick is both a meticulous historian and a captivating storyteller. The book has unforgettable novelistic details [and] also contains much astute historical analysis and argument. Philbrick sees Arnold not as the man who almost lost the war so much as the catalyst that helped to win it."--Christian Science Monitor

Praise for Bunker Hill:

"A masterpiece of narrative and perspective."--Boston Globe

"A tour de force . . ."--Chicago Tribune

"Popular history at its best--a taut narrative with a novelist's touch, grounded in careful research."--Miami Herald

"A story that resonates with leadership lessons for all times."--Walter Isaacson, The Washington Post

Great Book for Fellow Sailor

it was an enjoyable listen, performance was good, and the story was also good. This is really a book for someone who also sails, which I am so I rather enjoyed it.

How well Nat Philbrick can write

Unfortunately, I know very little about sailing and it made it hard for me to totally comprehend this story, but I enjoyed it. It was an easy read, and I’m a big fan of Nathaniel Philbrick.

Could have been…

Second Wind could have been a good book if it would have been well written. Seems more like the writer bounces around a flimsy storyline with a thesaurus. 😞 Disappointing.

Limited audience

Not interested in sailing. Therefore story was not interesting. The character had limited appeal. The story, was not very interesting.