Barbarian Days: A Surfing Life (Pulitzer Prize Winner)
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Winner of the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Autobiography Included in President Obama’s 2016 Summer Reading List “Without a doubt, the finest surf book I’ve ever read . . . ” —The New York Times Magazine Barbarian Days is William Finnegan’s memoir of an obsession, a complex enchantment. Surfing only looks like a sport. To initiates, it is something else: a beautiful addiction, a demanding course of study, a morally dangerous pastime, a way of life. Raised in California and Hawaii, Finnegan started surfing as a child. He has chased waves all over the world, wandering for years through the South Pacific, Australia, Asia, Africa. A bookish boy, and then an excessively adventurous young man, he went on to become a distinguished writer and war reporter. Barbarian Days takes us deep into unfamiliar worlds, some of them right under our noses—off the coasts of New York and San Francisco. It immerses the reader in the edgy camaraderie of close male friendships forged in challenging waves. Finnegan shares stories of life in a whites-only gang in a tough school in Honolulu. He shows us a world turned upside down for kids and adults alike by the social upheavals of the 1960s. He details the intricacies of famous waves and his own apprenticeships to them. Youthful folly—he drops LSD while riding huge Honolua Bay, on Maui—is served up with rueful humor. As Finnegan’s travels take him ever farther afield, he discovers the picturesque simplicity of a Samoan fishing village, dissects the sexual politics of Tongan interactions with Americans and Japanese, and navigates the Indonesian black market while nearly succumbing to malaria. Throughout, he surfs, carrying readers with him on rides of harrowing, unprecedented lucidity. Barbarian Days is an old-school adventure story, an intellectual autobiography, a social history, a literary road movie, and an extraordinary exploration of the gradual mastering of an exacting, little-understood art. Read more
Publisher : Penguin Books
Publication date : April 26, 2016
Edition : Reprint
Language : English
Print length : 464 pages
ISBN-10 : 0143109391
ISBN-13 : 96
Item Weight : 13.2 ounces
Dimensions : 1.3 x 5.4 x 8.3 inches
Best Sellers Rank: #16,046 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #1 in Surfing #37 in Traveler & Explorer Biographies #187 in Memoirs (Books)
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Top Amazon Reviews
Format: Kindle
As a dedicated bodysurfer who has spent countless hours in the ocean, I found Barbarian Days: A Surfing Life an absolute masterpiece. William Finnegan’s memoir resonated deeply with me, capturing the essence of a life lived in pursuit of the perfect wave. From the very first page, Finnegan’s storytelling prowess hooked me. His vivid descriptions of waves, the ocean, and the diverse surfing spots around the globe transported me back to my own exhilarating experiences in the water. The way he recounts his harrowing adventures and the sheer beauty of the surf is nothing short of poetic. One of the aspects I appreciated most about this book is Finnegan’s unflinching honesty. He delves into the challenges, fears, and triumphs of a surfer’s life, painting a realistic picture that goes beyond the glamorous portrayal often seen in media. His reflections on the camaraderie among surfers, the environmental changes, and the personal growth that comes with the sport are thought-provoking and inspiring. What truly sets Barbarian Days apart is Finnegan’s deep understanding of the ocean. His respect for the sea and its unpredictable nature mirrors my own feelings as a bodysurfer. I found myself nodding in agreement as he described the sensations and instincts that come with being in the water, the thrill of catching a wave, and the respect for the immense power of the ocean. I couldn’t put this book down. It’s a compelling read that will resonate with anyone who loves the ocean, whether they surf, bodysurf, or simply appreciate the beauty of nature. Finnegan’s journey is not just about surfing; it’s about life, passion, and the relentless pursuit of dreams. Barbarian Days: A Surfing Life is a must-read for anyone who has ever felt the call of the sea. It’s a beautifully written, deeply personal memoir that captures the heart and soul of surfing—highly recommended!
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Reviewed in the United States on July 11, 2024 by San Diego Stoke
I've just purchased a CD audio-book copy of "Barbarian Days: A Surfing Life", by William Finnegan. The CD set I received is in great condition. Like new - with no marks or scratches on the discs or their packaging whatsoever. I do buy used CDs & DVDs from time-to-time and these discs are in the best condition I've ever found to date. The price was very reasonable and the packaging for the shipping was good. I LOVE this book and I'm so pleased to get ahold of an audio copy in such great condition. I can't wait to hear it read to me as I go about daily driving in traffic, walking, drinking coffee, etc. - - I will look forward to purchasing from this seller's Amazon store again in the future.
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Reviewed in the United States on March 12, 2026 by Michael T Fletcher
Format: Kindle
I just finished reading Barbarian Days: A Surfing Life, an excellent book by William Finnegan A friend recommended it and compared it H is for Hawk. While both are memoirs, they are very different and in my opinion Barbarian Days: A Surfing Life is much better. Barbarian Days tells the story of Finnegan’s surfing. The details of this life fill in the background, but are not the focus of the story, because this is really a story about waves and surfing and one person’s adventures in search of the repeated, excellent waves. Finnegan’s continued deprecation of his surfing skills and wave size gets a little annoying.. Finnegan is an excellent surfer, as anyone who has devoted the time and effort to the ocean can tell. His continual minimization of his own skills and his descriptions of double overhead waves as 5 foot surf may mislead the reader from Kansas about the giants that Finnegan repeatedly rides. The untutored may miss the point that when an expert like Finnegan is afraid to go out, the surf is really, really big and really, REALLY dangerous, and that the two are not necessarily correlated. Finnegan, who wrote the New Yorker profile of Doc Renneker several years ago, knows both the waves and the English language. His prose flows easily and contains facts that will help apprentice surfers perform better and the general reader understand the incredibly complex task of riding a board on top of a moving, changing, challenging wave and the stoke almost any ride can bring to the rider. While no book can compare to the feel you get riding a wave, Finngan’s book is an enjoyable experience in its own right and reading it will be a great experience when the waves are flat or the ocean is distant.
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Reviewed in the United States on April 14, 2016 by Nona
Format: Kindle
A terrific book on waves written by a professional reporter, Barbarian Days smashes the stereotype of the inarticulate surfer. The watery descriptions are so vivid you can taste the salt, even when the going gets so tough, its hard to understand why the hell anything but a fish would be out in such major surf. While many tails about summiting mountains, distance swimming in open oceans or surfing waves "three refrigerators high" seem rather tall, Barbarian Days stays grounded in factual detail. The in-depth descriptions approach meditations on ocean currents, winds, reefs, surfing technique and surf board models, and yet fails to explain the question why. Certainly not the pursuit of glory, the author makes clear. Despite popular misconceptions, in the early days, the original surf culture downplayed heroics; boasts were bad form and showing off on a wave was as uncool as scoring points in a contest. In a sort of "right stuff" tone, Barbarian Days captures the authentic experience, without romance or glamour and portrays surfing as a cold, solitary test of courage. Though the author tells all, starting with his teenage addiction to waves, a mystery hangs over the book. Why freeze in stormy waters for eight hours, or summit peaks or struggle with a terminal disease against insurmountable odds? Is it human or superhuman to push the limits of tolerance when agony seems prevalent and ecstasy elusive? I once asked a three-time channel swimmer what kept him going in the cold dark ocean for 13 hours and he said "Beatle songs mostly, they just run though my head. I could almost hear the author humming in Barbarian Days, pretending the adventures are normal, though some accounts include an implicit "don't try this at home" caveat cause maybe it wasn't so smart to take such risks. In some instances, he confesses that he can't believe he came out alive. This is not a dull memoir. The childhood sections were so touching I wished my teenage son would read the book. On the other hand, I am relieved that my son doesn't read because he is growing up in a very different world. Though the quest to discover unknown waves in remote corners of the globe took knocking about to extremes, in the 1960's -1980's, traveling around was a coming of age ritual. Sadly, in this day and age, the world is not nearly as safe and faced with school and career pressures most kids won't have the luxury of an extended time out. One theme of the book concerns change. The author returned some early haunts later in life to find a remote island transformed into a luxury resort, or a coastal fishing village overrun by tourists. Lives and places change. The author aged, married, became a war correspondent, but chasing big surf remained a constant. The interplay took on a rhythmic symmetry, the more things changed the more the waves stayed the same. Like climbers with their mountains, and swimmers with their channels, for surfers the waves serve as a measure, a proving grounds, a retreat, a source of friends and a challenge that never stops calling.
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Reviewed in the United States on October 2, 2015 by adel
Format: Kindle
My partner has been surfing since before we started dating, more than 15y ago. Through him, I’ve learned quite a lot about surfing over the years, yet I never fully understood the deep, almost instinctive attraction to waves and the profound connection with the sea that surfers often describe. This book finally made that clear. Throughout the narrative, the book touches upon surfboards, wave types, swells, spot hunting, and the unspoken rules shaped by locals, all in a kind of hidden way, so you actually learn about surfing, and also - the most interesting part - it explores a much more personal and intimate dimension of surfing. It gives words and meaning to something I had long sensed in my partner but hadn’t fully grasped. I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone who is even tangentially connected to the world of surfing.
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Reviewed in the United States on January 7, 2026 by C L
Format: Hardcover
I thought this book was a masterpiece. I enjoy the genre of "adventure memoirs," of which this is definitely a lead member. Though it is not as thrilling as Lansing's Endurance, or as compelling as Krakauer's Into Thin Air, this book is an intense meditation about surfing and how it shaped William Finnegan's life. Reviews talk about how Finnegan explores themes like family. I did not think so. I think Finnegan explores surfing. In Hawaii. In Southern California. In Portugal. In Australia. In Northern California. In New York. As he learns to appreciate the breaks, currents and tides of each locale, he invariably meets friends, lovers and forms a relationship to his world. In his case, Finnegan's world is at once very large (he travels around the world for several years) and small (he is driven by surfing. That is IT.) The narrative meanders, but compellingly so. I could FEEL the waves with him. Finnegan's writing is excellent, and he is a well-read fellow, sprinkling many literary references throughout. These, in my opinion, added a depth of deliciousness to an already very enjoyable book. If you are from Hawaii, you have to read the first chapter; it is hysterical. If you are from Santa Cruz, or surf Ocean Beach, you must read about his SF days - they are... interesting. If you are from New York, you must read about his discovery of awesome surfing on Long Island and the Sound. That I read this book during the summer months, that I am from Hawaii, live in the Bay Area and have a deep connection to Manhattan only served to expand this book's dimensional delightfulness further for me. Even without these personal connections, this book deserves the attention it is getting. My only thought is I wonder how Finnegan feels about the popularity of this book and how it compares to the popularity and reach of his political publications. Either way, read this book. It is excellent.
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Reviewed in the United States on September 17, 2015 by Kaui
Format: Hardcover
I wasn't sure what to expect but I ended up enjoying this book. Starting off with Finngan at age 13 as a white boy bullied in Hawaii's public schools, the book flip flops back and forth between Hawaii and California. Finngan spends some time on Maui surfing Honolua after graduating from high school, then traverses the world in search of his endless winter (big swells are usually in the winter, not summer, Finnegan tells us). He ends up in San Francisco where he meets another burgeoning surf community, very different from Hawaii or Southeast Asia. Then he ends up in New York, married, and middle aged. The book ends with some reflections on life and aging and surfing. Finnegan might be humble bragging a little, but at the end of the day, age or fitness aside, the author is a *really* good surfer who got into it before the waves got too crowded and also lucked out a little professionally where he found himself in the right place at the right time (South Africa in the 80s) and eventually found a passion that fit his talents. I read the beginning part with interest: how is all this going to lead him to landing a job at the New Yorker? And the latter part I read as a reflection on aging. But mostly I read the book as a reflection on Finnegan's pursuit of meaning and love (a girl) and surf. The surf descriptions imbue the whole book was a certain searching mystique, but I agree with the New York Times review that the characters, including Finnegan himself remain a little submerged. His parents are perfect. He himself encounters very little difficulty in life beside a little delay in his professional life as he pursues the thoroughly awesome adventure of surfing the world's finest waves. Reading the book, especially the section about his circumnavigating the globe and almost dying in his 20s, I found myself reflecting on my own life decisions and how I spent my 20s. And, well, I got something out of it. I have to admit, although the descriptions of the waves were gorgeous, I did skip some of these. I'm pretty sure Finnegan has now exhausted all possible descriptions of a wave for all other surf writers. This four is actually a 4.5/5--come on, the writing's good--but I feel like some of it could have been edited down. It's great that he was able to publish all these extensive descriptions of waves, because they are gorgeous, but for the average reader, it doesn't really add to his story.
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Reviewed in the United States on August 17, 2015 by Jacquelyn
Format: Hardcover
I took over a year to read this. Not because it was bad at all. I'm just not a great reader, and it feels like a book that you have the freedom to read at your own pace, largely because it covers many decades in the author's life. I read a few pages before bed every night. It is a calming book. It also raised some questions for me. The author mentions writing to friends, including male friends. That seemed really nice. It also reminded me of how I don't really keep in touch with friends like that. We have overly romanticized actual letters in this era, and so texting, despite being more immediate, feels less in your face and less like a declaration. That seems sad. It was nice to read about that. Maybe he wouldn't have written if he were just a few states away instead of a world away. But back then when there was no internet and long-distance calling wasn't a fun expense, maybe so. This just made me think a lot about how our technology has changed our communication and our levels of intimacy and what we like. I was not alive in the 70s and barely the 80s, but it is strange to think how unimaginable it is currently. The author also mentions how friends that he traveled with wanted to go see something else nearby, so he just stayed in that little town halfway across the world while he waited for them to return in a few days. It's clear that there's no internet at that time, obviously, and likely no New York Times. So he had to pass the time just by surfing by himself and talking with whatever locals or other travelers that he met in the moment. I can't imagine that. We need news and entertainment now all the time. There were just a few little things like that that made me think. This author's style seems very straightforward but not boring. I want to say like Hemingway, but I don't like Hemingway, so that's not at all helpful.
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Reviewed in the United States on December 18, 2020 by cmdodd11