Recollections The Reminiscences of the Busy Life of One Who Has Played the Varied Parts of Sailor, Author & Lecturer

"Recollections" by Frank Thomas Bullen is a memoir written in the early 20th century. The book offers an intimate exploration of Bullen’s life, focusing on his experiences as a sailor, author, and lecturer. It dives into themes of nostalgia and personal reflection, as the author recounts formative moments and various adventures that shaped his path. The opening of "Recollections" sets the stage for a reflective journey through the author's early memories. Bullen begins by sharing his childhood recollections, primarily centered around his upbringing in a modest household and the challenges faced after being separated from his parents. The narrative details his experiences with family, education, and the whimsical explorations of childhood, illustrating both fond and difficult memories. Through these recollections, Bullen lays the groundwork for a larger narrative that will encompass his adventurous life at sea and his transition into a successful career as a lecturer, hinting at the richness of his forthcoming storytelling. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Frank Thomas Bullen, British novelist, was born of poor parents in Paddington, London, on 5 April 1857, and was educated for a few years at a dame school and Westbourne school, Paddington. At the age of 9, his aunt, who was his guardian, died. He then left school and took up work as an errand boy. In 1869 he went to sea and travelled to all parts of the world in various capacities including that of second mate of the Harbinger and chief mate of the Day Dawn, under Capt. John R. H. Ward jun in 1879 when she was dismasted and disabled. Having spent 15 years of his life at sea, since the tender age of 12, he would later describe the hardships of his early life thus: I have been beaten by a negro lad as big again as myself, and only a Frenchman interfered on my behalf. Those were the days when boys in Geordie colliers or East Coast fishing smacks were often beaten to insanity and jumped overboard, or were done to death in truly savage fashion, and all that was necessary to account for their non returning was a line in the log to the effect that they had been washed or had fallen overboard. A parallel may be drawn with Joseph Conrad's career at sea aboard Torrens 1891–1893. He was a clerk in the Meteorological Office from 1883 to 1889. His reputation was made over the publication of The Cruise of the "Cachalot" (1898); and he also wrote, amongst other books, Idylls of the Sea (1899); Sea Wrack (1903); The Call of the Deep (1907) and A Compleat Sea Cook (1912), besides many articles and essays. He lectured extensively and was highly critical of Australasia's lack of defences against what he saw as imminent naval threats from Germany and Japan. He died at Madeira on 1 March 1915.