There are few great books about sailing on pleasure boats, but this is one of them. This is the story of Maupassant’s voyage around the Mediterranean coast aboard his yacht, the Bel-Ami. It is not only the record of a voyage, but a portrait of a life at sea and of French provincial life on the land. It is also a confession: Maupassant reflects frankly on literary life, society, women, and politics and his intimate thoughts are accompanied by the rhythms of the sea and the wind. This edition also includes previously unpublished translations of three articles by Maupassant.