REVIEW
A DROP OF THE HARD STUFF by Peter Wright
"Reminiscent of some of the great English novels"
Reviewed by Denise Cassino
Reminiscent of some of the great English novels, this autobiography takes the reader on a journey that makes life look bland. Peter life begins in England after World War I. His father is a sea captain who dies at a young age, leaving Peter’s strong and capable mother to raise her two children. Determined to assure her children’s educations, she sends Peter to a Catholic boarding school where he is to become a priest. While the education was evidently excellent, the priesthood was not to be. Instead, Peter assumed his father’s role and went to sea.
He chronicles the many ships, ports and escapades of his seafaring life while he drifts slowly toward alcoholism. He tells about the regimen and levels one must reach through education and complex testing that eventually result in becoming a Master and then a Captain of his own ship. Peter sailed the Atlantic, delivered goods to many ports of call, moved to the USA in pursuit of a love affair and worked the Great Lakes. He finally landed in San Francisco where he truly left his heart. Alcoholism robbed Peter of happiness in his personal life, but Alcoholics Anonymous finally found him in the street and restored his sobriety and quality of life.
Few people have sated wanderlust as Wright has, traveling the world, in and out of scrapes, footloose and fancy free (well, almost). This book is a compelling read, very different from most modern biographies and something truly remarkable. His style is so pure and refreshingly concise that it makes us remember what the English language ought to be. Read a chapter or buy the book.
Peter Wright -
a Liverpool Sailor
