Dec 27, 2009

Carry on, Mr. Bowditch | Overview

A fictionalized biography of a great American navigator and astronomer, Carry On, Mr. Bowditch authentically portrays the life of a unique individual. Latham depicts the boyhood and young adult life of Nathaniel Bowditch, who lived from 1773-1838. The account ends with his fifth voyage, which takes place when Nat is in his early thirties.

Brilliant in mathematics, Bowditch wanted to study at Harvard, but his family could not afford the cost. At the age of twelve, he was indentured for nine years to a firm of ship chandlers in Salem, Massachusetts, so he diligently studied...