Oceans Apart Kevin McCarey 9781889901664 Books
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Oceans Apart is a story for anyone who has ever been struck by wanderlust. Kevin McCarey's memoir portrays the life of a young man who, armed only with his own youthful intrepidness, finds himself sailing on American merchant ships to adventures beyond his wildest imaginings. It is the characters he meets that ultimately illuminate what it means to explore the world the Portuguese street girl he weds for a day -- the Italian villagers who steer him from certain danger -- the surly stevedore with a soft spot for Puerto Rico's poor -- the bookseller in war-torn Vietnam who lives only for poetry. Just as revealing are the flashbacks to the author's home turf, the Hudson River Valley. The stories of his flamboyant, half-cocked Irish-American family are as fraught and funny as the adventures overseas. McCarey shipped out during turbulent times, and his voyages range from delivering high explosives to Vietnam in floating rust buckets, to weathering a ferocious Atlantic hurricane in a dilapidated tanker. But for all the terrifying dangers, McCarey writes with a deep passion for the blue majesty of the ocean world. Oceans Apart the Wanderings of a Young Mariner is a warm and compelling memoir; equal parts a rollicking sea yarn, an exotic travelogue and a classic coming-of-age story.
Oceans Apart Kevin McCarey 9781889901664 Books
At the end of the prologue, Kevin McCarey quotes Mark Twain, “sail away from the safe harbor…Explore. Dream. Discover” which is exactly what his second book, Oceans Apart embodies. Through Kevin’s narration, I was able to join him on his coming of age journey as he navigates through foreign waters and through the tumultuous era of the Vietnam War.In the first act, Children of the Sea, McCarey recollects his training and experiences during his time at the New York Maritime College. As he learns how to be a proper seaman aboard the T. S. Empire State IV, he is surrounded by a group of characters with nicknames such as Filario, Wishbone, Troll, Boomer, and Roadblock that give humor and comradery to the story during their trials of training. Amid his time in school, McCarey is faced with the reality of brief encounters, fleeting romance and lost love.
In the second act, Dat Ike Davil Sea, McCarey sets out on numerous back-to-back journeys all over the world, including countries like France, Italy, Sweden, Ireland, Portugal, Morocco, Germany, Spain, China, Panama and most importantly Vietnam. On his first assignment aboard the SS Free America, the ship is supposedly destined to stop in Vietnam, but after a false-emergency fiasco, the ship instead goes to Korea. McCarey was lucky that round, but his next assignment on the ghost ship SS Beaver Victory was not so fortunate. While in Saigon, he recollects a moment where he observed a parade of locals walking by and suddenly an explosion went off, leaving the street in ruin. After navigating through the pain and culture of a war-torn Vietnam, the last mission for the SS Beaver Victory was to return “retrograde equipment,” or broken military tanks and trucks, to the U. S. McCarey eloquently writes that, “the men returning from Vietnam were also retrograde equipment. But no one knew [it] yet.” Back on American soil, he looks for other assignments far away from the conflict. He ends up missing out on a mission to South America, travels to Europe, comes into contact with a deranged captain who owns a parrot with no name, and dismantles a lady of the night take over aboard the ship. While on the SS Green Wave, the crew continually searches for an ominous “bong” noise to no avail, and to me, it seems that the noise symbolized a constant reminder of the loss and looming fear of death that permeated throughout his adventures.
In the last act of his memoir, The Sweets of Liberty, McCarey travels to Puerto Rico, where he seems to find peace and renowned admiration for the culture. The last section is quite a tease, as I was left wanting to know more of his time there, but thankfully his first book Islands Under Fire includes some of his time there.
Throughout the memoir, McCarey includes the historical context of each ship he boards, and each chapter begins with a reflective quote to draw the reader in to each moment of his saga. While the story is interesting in and of itself, McCarey’s writing style draws you in, as though you are standing next to him on his expedition. I would highly recommend this memoir to anyone interested in maritime history, a sense of adventure and the human condition.
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Tags : Oceans Apart [Kevin McCarey] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Oceans Apart</i> is a story for anyone who has ever been struck by wanderlust. Kevin McCarey's memoir portrays the life of a young man who,Kevin McCarey,Oceans Apart,The Glencannon Press,1889901660,Action & Adventure,Biographies & Memoirs,FICTION Action & Adventure,Fiction,Fiction-ActionAdventure,GENERAL,General Adult
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Oceans Apart Kevin McCarey 9781889901664 Books Reviews
Mr. McCarey achieves an exquisite literary piece with Oceans Apart. He delights the reader with the same comfort and nostalgic warmth of a life long friend as he tells the stories of an adventure-filled youth. Oceans Apart takes you on a journey through the world, before traveling the world was the order of business for every millennial trying to find themselves, instead guiding you through his own experiences in a time when the world wasn't as connected. I say guide because McCarey performs the role of a historian as he peppers you with facts and information that meld with his romanticized memories in a most delightful way. It's a hard-to-put down book that will fill you with a longing for the rawest type of adventure, one without social media or photos, but one that you can create into a story to tell you children around the fireplace during a chilly evening.
Maybe you've seen those large sea-vessels, loaded down with steel shipping containers, quietly and slowly passing by, cutting through the waters of the Hudson River, or the Port of Charleston, or the Savannah River, or New Orleans, or Liverpool, and any other port in the world. Who's drivin' that thing? What kinda life is that.....?
In "Oceans Apart", (clearly author Kevin McCarey's strongest work to date), that life is described with such clarity, affection and humor, the reader is swept into the adventure. It's a great ride.
Supported by tales of his youth and eccentric "valley" family, thru his new family at the Merchant Marine Academy, and ultimately his international family of "shipmates", McCarey's well drawn portraits elicit smiles and amazement that he got out alive. The passages describing shipment of supplies, toxic chemicals, munitions and explosives to Vietnam during and after the Gulf of Tonkin incident, are particularly enlightening and harrowing, yet McCarey finds the humor.... even there.
The years of the 60's and early 70's in America was filled with sorrow, love, horror, energy, pain, enthusiasm, confusion, uncertainty and triumph. Oceans Apart weaves a story that allows all those ideas to surface in a trip around the world.
I'm too old to join the Merchant Marine, but if I wasn't.........
I met McCarey in Cuzco Peru, a fellow traveler exploring the mystical sites of a mythical culture. An explorer and observer of human nature, he shared a few of his stories around the proverbial campfire along the Inca trail. I purchased this book hoping to enjoy some more of his adventures and I wasn't disappointed. Like all good stories the line between truth and embellishment is blurry from tears of laughter.
I picked up Kevin McCarey's first book "Islands Under Fire" during a book fair a couple years back, and I loved every part of that book. So, when I realized that he had released a new book, I placed the order right away - knowing that if it was anything like the first book, it was going to be a exhilarating read!
And that is exactly what it was! McCarey's life story at sea can be perfectly pictured through his writing, and it almost makes you feel like you are right there with him every step of the way. His writing brings out the best aspects of humor, literally making you laugh out loud - but then can draw you back and make you "reflect on the human condition" -- something only good, passionate storytelling can do to a person.
I highly recommend this book to anyone that has ever had dreams or thoughts about a life at sea, anyone who enjoys a good adventure story, or anyone that just wants a good book to read!
Now come out with another book!
At the end of the prologue, Kevin McCarey quotes Mark Twain, “sail away from the safe harbor…Explore. Dream. Discover” which is exactly what his second book, Oceans Apart embodies. Through Kevin’s narration, I was able to join him on his coming of age journey as he navigates through foreign waters and through the tumultuous era of the Vietnam War.
In the first act, Children of the Sea, McCarey recollects his training and experiences during his time at the New York Maritime College. As he learns how to be a proper seaman aboard the T. S. Empire State IV, he is surrounded by a group of characters with nicknames such as Filario, Wishbone, Troll, Boomer, and Roadblock that give humor and comradery to the story during their trials of training. Amid his time in school, McCarey is faced with the reality of brief encounters, fleeting romance and lost love.
In the second act, Dat Ike Davil Sea, McCarey sets out on numerous back-to-back journeys all over the world, including countries like France, Italy, Sweden, Ireland, Portugal, Morocco, Germany, Spain, China, Panama and most importantly Vietnam. On his first assignment aboard the SS Free America, the ship is supposedly destined to stop in Vietnam, but after a false-emergency fiasco, the ship instead goes to Korea. McCarey was lucky that round, but his next assignment on the ghost ship SS Beaver Victory was not so fortunate. While in Saigon, he recollects a moment where he observed a parade of locals walking by and suddenly an explosion went off, leaving the street in ruin. After navigating through the pain and culture of a war-torn Vietnam, the last mission for the SS Beaver Victory was to return “retrograde equipment,” or broken military tanks and trucks, to the U. S. McCarey eloquently writes that, “the men returning from Vietnam were also retrograde equipment. But no one knew [it] yet.” Back on American soil, he looks for other assignments far away from the conflict. He ends up missing out on a mission to South America, travels to Europe, comes into contact with a deranged captain who owns a parrot with no name, and dismantles a lady of the night take over aboard the ship. While on the SS Green Wave, the crew continually searches for an ominous “bong” noise to no avail, and to me, it seems that the noise symbolized a constant reminder of the loss and looming fear of death that permeated throughout his adventures.
In the last act of his memoir, The Sweets of Liberty, McCarey travels to Puerto Rico, where he seems to find peace and renowned admiration for the culture. The last section is quite a tease, as I was left wanting to know more of his time there, but thankfully his first book Islands Under Fire includes some of his time there.
Throughout the memoir, McCarey includes the historical context of each ship he boards, and each chapter begins with a reflective quote to draw the reader in to each moment of his saga. While the story is interesting in and of itself, McCarey’s writing style draws you in, as though you are standing next to him on his expedition. I would highly recommend this memoir to anyone interested in maritime history, a sense of adventure and the human condition.
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