Two Years Before the Mast (book)

"Two Years Before the Mast" is a semi-autobiographical memoir by author Richard Henry Dana Jr., published in 1840. It recounts his two-year maritime voyage in the 1830s aboard a merchant ship to California. The book offers a detailed, firsthand look at life at sea, including the hardships sailors faced, such as tough working conditions, dangerous storms, and the social hierarchies aboard ships. It also provides insights into early California and the American maritime industry. The memoir has become a classic, appreciated for its vivid storytelling and its contribution to American literature and maritime history.