'A thrilling, beautifully written, fast-paced adventure full of intriguing historical detail, brilliant characters and boat-loads of laughs - I LOVED it!'-Pauline McLynn; 'Smith is a good writer, with a funny sensibility.'-Publishers Weekly; '...he spins a good story, whether describing the savage sea, the horrors of primitive surgery or a 'holiday camp cacophony' of seals. It's a pleasant jaunt that mixes nostalgia for the age of exploration with the odd dash of social commentary.'-The Guardian; 'Like JP Donleavy with a twist of Kingsley Amis. '-Irish Examiner; 'As Dublin recedes and the Dolphin becomes their world, the crew's view of life becomes almost lyrical and their days are interspersed with moments of deep reflection.'-Irish Independent; 'A good old seafaring jaunt buoyed up with plenty of humour, Smith's novel is a riot.'-The Irish Times; '...inventive and heart-warming.'-The Irish Independent; 'The story is thoroughly engaging, and amusing, whilst also being deep and intelligent, reflecting upon the challenges that face men and women throughout their lives - both in situations of immediate peril and the quotidian stuff of everyday life.'-The Historical Novel Society; 'Northern Irish writer Kevin Smith wowed us with Jammy Dodger, a post-university coming of age novel set in the 1980s. Now he's all set to do it again with a tale of exploration and the endearing bravado borne of Edwardian indomitability and well-meaning, utter ignorance.'-The Bookbag