In The Dolphins Wake by Harry Bucknall
How many times can you listen to or read a book before getting sick of it? Well, I can’t count the number of times I’ve listened to Harry Bucknall’s In The Dolphins Wake audiobook. Because if I’m missing travel, or missing Greece, or just kind of bored –In The Dolphins Wake gets put on. It has kept me company on a hellish 11 hour drive from Exeter to London – which by rights shouldn’t have taken any more than 4 hours at a leisurely pace, has kept me sane at my hideous office job, and has enhanced my “To Visit” list exponentially.
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Books Stats
Cost: £7.99 paperback or you can get the audiobook free when you sign up for a free trial with Audible – UK, US, AU
Size: 12.7 x 1.5 x 20.3 cm
Pages: 240
Weight: <300g
Hours to read: 6 hours (8 hours 27 on Audible)
What is it about?
Have you ever wanted to disappear for six months, go chill on a beach, eat delicious food and drink amazing wine? Well, Harry did exactly that.
Harry narrates his journey over 36 islands via 57 sea passages on 35 ferries, 4 landing craft, 3 hydrofoils, one caique, a sea plane, 11 buses, 2 trains, 1 Land Rover, and a 1961 Morris Oxford. We follow him though the ins and outs of that kind of long term but fast travel. The Greek ferry system, timetables and lack thereof, travel agents and ticket vendors. In short – everything that makes travel in Greece stressful, annoying, and innately wonderful. Not to mention that we seem to agree on Greek food – except I love seafood and Harry definitely does not – and that the best method of transport in Greece is without doubt the ferry.
Travelling the Mediterranean by boat is, as Harry states, the way it has been done for millennia and is superior to other forms of travel in many ways. It’s often cheaper (especially in summer),there’s decent food, you can wander about the deck, and look at the incredible scenery of Greece. My favourite thing on a ferry is just sitting back and enjoying the incredible colour of Herodotus’s wine dark sea.
The book addresses lots of things about travel in Greece: amazing restaurants and winerys to find when you visit, cautionary anecdotes about maps and cliff edges, things that some of us will never get to see like Mt Athos. Bucknall discusses history of the country, the church, and the people he meets – from the ancients to modern day conflicts. Additionally though In The Dolphins Wake covers some genuinely important issues that face modern Greece. While on Zakynthos the reader is educated about Caretta Caretta and the worthy work to help these lovely turtles by Archeleon. Bucknall does the maths – during a single summer season the local and tourist population will use and throw away over 16 million plastic water bottles – not including other beverages or fast food. He highlights that recycling is not a common practice in Greece and that this has a huge impact on the environment. Bucknall also talks about depopulation of the smaller islands, and lets us meet the small insular communities that live there. This is travel for me, not just lovely beaches and overwhelmingly delicious food but also the people and struggles they face.
Don’t worry though – it is definitely not all doom and gloom and there are plenty of laughs and unique characters to meet, food to be jealous of, and islands to write down on your “To Visit” list!
In The Dolphins Wake provides some of the best armchair travel in my library, only problem is it makes me hungry every time – and miss Greece all the more!
Did I like it?
Absolutely. Whether you have never been to Greece or are an avid yearly visitor, In The Dolphins Wake is an excellent choice.
Harry Bucknall’s writing is funny, sarcastic, and he is not afraid to poke fun at himself which makes him a perfect travel companion – even in book form. I know I keep talking about him like I know the man, I really don’t! I have mentioned him on twitter a few times and he sent me a reference for one of the historical anecdotes he tells in the book. But I, very weirdly, feel as if I know him because I feel like I’ve travelled with him along with The Spaniard, Jane and Lucinda, and Father Martinianos.
Recommended?
I am impressed by Harry Bucknall’s writing because he is able to communicate the scene and the atmosphere of a situation. He does tend towards overly descriptive introductions of people– “the voluptuous Maria at reception; the uniform blue that dazzled and sparkled with blinding passion; the ripped torso that was the DJ” – but you feel that he is being honest rather than judgemental –Maria was voluptuous, the light indeed passionate, and the DJ genuinely very muscular.
If you are an absolute perfectionist I recommend the book rather than the audio because there are a few editing issues – a few sentences repeated and a few self-corrections. Additionally if you have issues with accents I’d say go for the written book as Bucknall speaks with a crisp British lilt.
Buy In the Dolphin’s Wake: Cocktails, Calamities and Caiques in the Greek Islands
Have you read it? What did you think??
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Goodness. I have just read your review of The Dolphin. A book that was my great privilege and inordinate pleasure to write. I am grateful for your undeserved and kind words; that my work has brought and brings pleasure to others is reward enough. I am humbled and in your debt. Thank you so much.
Harry
I am blown away that you would take the time to not only read my review, but also to comment on it. Thank you so much!
In about 18 years when all the kids are finally grown up, my husband and I have a dream about traveling Greece and stayin for a while.
That sounds amazing, I visited for 2 weeks and accidentally stayed for 4 months – it does that!
Beautiful! I’ve watched a lot of videos on youtube and it seems like a lot of people are going to Greece for the summer. I want to visit Greece too. The beach is so wonderful, the sun, the road and the people there. Amazing! Thanks for sharing.
Greece really is wonderfully beautiful! I hope you visit and have an amazing time!
I have never been on a cruise so this would be really interesting to me. Looks like such a great read!
This actually isn’t a cruise, there are options to do so but Harry did it independently – that would definitely be my choice!
Ahhhh i’m being called there right now! I LOVE that his book details all of his adventures. This sounds like an amazing read.
It’s such an incredible adventure, I hope you read it and love it!!
What a fun way to get lost and the book indeed sounds very interesting. Reminds me of the adventures of Robinson Crusoe.
Oh I can see that! It’s definitely an adventure!
This seems like a nice way to get a little vacation through a book, if you can’t take one in real life! I think I’d want to take a trip to Greece after reading it though haha!
It is one of the best armchair travel books i’ve read, it always makes me want to go to greece!
This sounds like a great read! I love ocean-inspired novels, so I am sure I would love this one!
Bucknall has so much love for Greece, and Travel, and nature it really does evoke a strong response. I hope you read it and love it!
Sounds like an excellent read, I must hunt it down. I think it will take me a lot longer than 6 hours to read so it will be even better value.
It really is an excellent read – I hope you enjoy it!
Wow 36 islands… and so much more that is a lot of travel! This book sounds awesome. I love finding a good read.
Such an amazing journey – I have definite plans to emulate this trip asap!
I’ve been on a Mediterranean cruise, but we didn’t go to Greece. I would love to visit one day and this may be a good way to fulfill that wish until I can actually make it there.
Oh a Med cruise sounds lovely! I hope you get there one day, and the book is definitely going to fuel that desire!
Greece looks gorgeous. Visiting there is definitely on my bucket list.
It so should be, it’s such an incredible place!
Just this morning I told my guy that I have to get back to reading. For me, the books that I read, again and again, are Harry Potter. There’s something about reading something I read as a child that feels magical. But I absolutely love books that describe the world so the dolphin’s wake sounds great!
So, in this book the greeks constantly miss-hear “Harry Bucknall” as “Harry Potter” maybe it’s meant to be 😛 I love rereading books that felt magic aswell, thats why I have so many repeats and so few new reads!
Sounds like a really great read! I’ll have to add it to my ever growing list!
if the list isnt “ever growing” is it really a readers list? hahah good luck! I hope you love it 🙂
Sounds like it could be an interesting read if you are intrigued by a storyline with a slower pace.
It’s definitely a relaxing read, for those who love travel or Greece.