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Barbarian Days: A Surfing Life

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Description

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 Press


Publication date ‏ : ‎ July 21, 2015


Edition ‏ : ‎ Illustrated


Language ‏ : ‎ English


Print length ‏ : ‎ 464 pages


ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1594203474


ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 73


Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.53 pounds


Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.3 x 1.42 x 9.49 inches


Best Sellers Rank: #21,181 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #1 in Surfing #46 in Traveler & Explorer Biographies #197 in Memoirs (Books)


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Top Amazon Reviews


  • Must Read for Every Wave Rider!
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! ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on July 11, 2024 by San Diego Stoke

  • THRILLED!... I've received my AUDIO copy of a favorite book :-)
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. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on March 12, 2026 by Michael T Fletcher

  • A Very Entertaining Ride
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. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on April 14, 2016 by Nona

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