—Recommended Reading—

Articles by Sherri Mertz:


Magazine Publications


If you need help locating and purchasing any of these books, I recommend that you check with my favorite local bookstore, Have Books-Will Sell, located in the Wind Lake Plaza, 7957 W. Wind Lake Road, Wind Lake, Wisconsin  53185.  I like to support local businesses, and this one usually offers very competitive prices, not to mention the owner has gotten titles for me from overseas and before the big bookstores were able to secure it.  You can check out the website or call 262-895-3508.

Books About Recreational Paddling (Canoe and/or Kayak)

  • Recreational Kayaking: The Essential Skills and Safety by Alex Matthews and Ken Whiting
  • Sit-on-Top Kayaking: A Beginner’s Guide by Tom Holtey
  • The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Canoeing and Kayaking by the Editors of Canoe & Kayak Magazine and Dennis O. Stuhaug


Books About Sea Kayaking Skills and Technique

  • British Canoe Union Canoe & Kayak Handbook by Ray Rowe
  • British Canoe Union Canoeing Handbook – (The British refer to kayaking as canoeing)
  • British Canoe Union Coaching Handbook
  • Complete Sea Kayak Touring by Jonathan Hanson
  • Extreme Sea Kayaking by Eric Soares and Michael Powers
  • Kayak Touring & Camping by Cecil Kuhne
  • Kayaking – American Canoe Association by Pamela S. Dillon and Jeremy Oyen
  • Kayaking: A Trailside Guide by by Krauzer, Hildebrand, and Viehman
  • Kayaking Made Easy by Dennis Stuhaug
  • Nigel Foster’s Sea Kayaking by Nigel Foster
  • Nigel Foster’s Surf Kayaking by Nigel Foster
  • Paddle Your Own Kayak by Gary & Joanie McGuffin
  • The Savvy Paddler by Doug Alderson
  • Sea Kayak by Gordon Brown
  • Sea Kayak Handling by Doug Cooper
  • Sea Kayak Strokes by Doug Alderson
  • Sea Kayaking by John Dowd
  • Sea Kayaking Illustrated by John Robison ***Sherri’s Top Pick***
  • Sea Kayaking Rough Waters by Alex Matthews
  • Sit-On-Top Kayaking: A Beginner’s Guide by Tom Holtey
  • The Coastal Kayaker’s Manual by Randel Washburne
  • The Complete Book of Sea Kayaking by Derek C. Hutchinson
  • The Complete Folding Kayaker by Ralph Diaz
  • The Complete Sea Kayaker’s Handbook by Shelley Johnson
  • The Essential Sea Kayaker by David Seidman
  • Woman’s Guide to Sea Kayaking by Shelley Johnson


Books About Sea Kayak Safety

  • Sea Kayak Rescue by Roger Schumann & Jan Shriner
  • Sea Kayaker – Deep Trouble by Matt Broze and George Gronseth, Edited by Christopher Cunningham
  • Sea Kayaker Magazine’s Handbook of Safety and Rescue by Doug Alderson and Michael Pardy
  • Sea Kayaking Safety & Rescue by John Lull


Books on Fitness for Paddlers

  • Fit to Paddle: The Paddler’s Guide to Strength & Conditioning by Rocky Snyder
  • Kayaking for Fitness by Jodi Bigelow
  • Sleeping Bag Yoga by Erin Widman


Books on Kayak Fishing

  • Kayak Bass Fishing by Chad Hoover
  • Kayak Fishing: The Ultimate Guide by Scott Null and Joel McBride
  • The Complete Kayak Fisherman by Eric B. Burnley
  • The Orvis Guide to Personal Fishing Craft: Fishing Effectively from Canoes, Kayaks, and Inflatables by Rickey Noel Mitchell


Books on Kayak Cooking and Camping

  • Kayak Cookery by Linda Daniel
  • Paddling Chef by Dian Weimer


Books on the History of Kayaks

  • The Aleutian Kayak by Wolfgang Brinck
  • Baidarka – The Kayak by George Dyson
  • Bark Canoes and Skin Boats of North America by Edwin Tappan Adney
  • Eastern Arctic Kayaks – History, Design, Technique by John D. Heath and E. Arima
  • Hooper Bay Kayak Construction by David W. Zimmerly
  • Instruction in Kayak Building (Qaanniornermut ilitsersuut) by H.C. Petersen
  • Kayak: Webster’s Timeline History, 1085-2007
  • Kayaks of Greenland by Harvey Golden
  • Qayaq – Kayaks of Alaska and Siberia by David W. Zimmerly
  • Skinboats of Greenland by H.C. Petersen
  • The Cockleshell Canoes by Quentin Rees
  • The Little Kayak Book by John Brand
  • The Little Kayak Book II by John Brand
  • The Little Kayak Book III by John Brand
  • The Little Kayak Book IV by John Brand


Books about Building Your Own Kayak/Canoe

For a list of books and more information on boat building, see the resources page on Building Your Own Kayak.


Books About Maintaining and Repairing Your Kayak/Canoe

  • The Optimum Kayak by Andy Knapp
  • Outfitting Your Canoe or C-1 by Charlie Walbridge
  • Outfitting Your Kayak by Charlie Walbridge


Books About Kayak Navigation and General Seamanship

  • Boating Magazine’s One Minute Guide to the Nautical Rules of the Road by Charlie Wing
  • Fundamentals of Kayak Navigation by David Burch
  • Emergency Navigation by David Burch
  • How to Read a Nautical Chart by Nigel Calder
  • Knots by Peter Owen
  • Sea Kayak Navigation by Franco Ferrero
  • Sea Kayak Navigation Simplified by Lee Moyer
  • Simple Kayak Navigation by Ray Killen
  • Waves and Beaches by Willard Bascomb


Books About Cold Weather and Paddling

  • Hypothermia, Frostbite and other Cold Injuries – Prevention, Survival, Rescue, and Treatment by Gordon G. Giesbrecht, Ph.D. and James A. Wilkerson, Ph.D.


Books About Canoeing Skills and Technique

  • Basic Canoeing by John Rounds, editor
  • The Basic Essentials of Canoeing by Cliff Jacobson
  • The Basic Essentials of Solo Canoeing by Cliff Jacobson
  • Canoe Camping: An Essential Guide by Mark Scriver
  • Canoeing – American Canoe Association by Pamela S. Dillon and Jeremy Oyen
  • Canoeing – A Trailside Guide by Gordon Grant
  • The Complete Book of Canoeing by I. Herbert Gordon
  • Expedition Canoeing: A Guide to Canoeing Wild Rivers in North America by Cliff Jacobson
  • Freestyle Canoeing by Lou Glaros and Charlie Wilson
  • Open Canoe Technique by Nigel Foster
  • Paddle Your Own Canoe by Gary & Joanie McGuffin
  • Path of the Paddle by Bill Mason
  • Solo Canoeing on Quietwater by Lou Glaros
  • The Outward Bound Canoeing Handbook by Paul Landry and Matty McNair
  • Thrill of the Paddle by Paul Mason and Mark Scriver
  • Woman’s Guide to Canoeing by Laurie Gullion


Books About the History of Canoeing

  • Birchbark Canoes of the Fur Trade (Volumes 1 & 2) by Timothy J. Kent
  • Idleness, Water, and a Canoe – Reflections on Paddling for Pleasure by Jamie Benidickson
  • Noah’s Last Canoe: The Lost Art of Cree Birch Bark Canoe Building by Doug Evams
  • The Canoe – A Living Tradition by John Jennings
  • The Canoe – An Illustrated History by Jim Poling, Sr.
  • The Survival of the Bark Canoe by John McPhee


Books About Canoeing Safety

  • Canoeing Safety & Rescue by Doug McKown
  • Up The Creek – True Stories of Canoeists in Trouble by Doug McKown


Books About Whitewater Kayaking

  • The Basic Essentials of Kayaking Whitewater by Bill Kallner & Donna Jackson
  • Catch Every Eddy…Surf Every Wave by Tom Foster and Kel Kelly
  • The Essential Whitewater Kayaker by Jeff Bennett
  • Kayak-The New Frontier (2nd Edition) by William Nealy
  • Kayaking – American Canoe Association by Pamela S. Dillon and Jeremy Oyen
  • Kayaking on the Edge by Ben Solomon
  • Squirt Boating & Beyond by James E. Snyder
  • The Playboater’s Handbook II by Ken Whiting
  • The Ultimate Guide to Whitewater Kayaking by Ken Whiting and Kevin Varette
  • Whitewater Paddling – Strokes & Concepts by Eric Jackson


Books About Whitewater Safety

  • River Rescue by Les Bechdel & Slim Ray
  • Swiftwater Rescue by Slim Ray
  • Swiftwater Rescue Field Guide by Slim Ray
  • Whitewater Rescue Manual by Charles Walbridge & Wayne A. Sundmacher Sr.
  • Whitewater Safety & Rescue (2nd Edition) by Franco Ferrero


Children’s Books

  • A Cat in a Kayak by Maria Coffey, illustrated by Eugenie Fernandes
  • A Small Tall Tale from the Far Far North by Peter Sis
  • Kayak Anna and the Palindrome Creek by Linda Lukashevich
  • Kayak Combat (Sports Stories Series) by Eric Howling
  • Mama, Do You Love Me? by Barbara M Joosse, illustrated by Barbara Lavallee
  • Paddle to the Sea by Holling Clancy Holling
  • The Little Eskimo by Katheryn Jackson, illustrated by Leonard Weisgard (A Little Golden Book)
  • Voices of the Wild by Jonathan London


Canoe & Kayak Games

  • 101 Games and Activities for Canoes & Kayaks by Diane Tyrrelll
  • The American Canoe Association’s Kayak & Canoe Games by Laurie Gullion
  • Canoe Games by Dave Ruse
  • Canoe & Kayak Games: 250 best paddle sport games by Dave Ruse & Loel Collins


Canoe/Kayak Expeditions and Travel Narratives

Alaska/West Coast of Canada

  • A Land Gone Lonesome – An Inland Voyage Along the Yukon River by Dan O’Neill
  • Aone in My Kayak by Agnes Rodli
  • Birthplace of the Winds – Adventuring in Alaska’s Islands of Fire and Ice by Jon Bowermaster
  • Coming Into The Country by John McPhee
  • Day of Two Sunsets – Paddling Adventures on Canada’s West Coast by Michael Blades
  • Gathering Paradise – Alaska Wilderness Journeys by Larry Rice
  • Harvest of Light by Stephanie Quainton Steel
  • Homelands – Kayaking the Inside Passage by Byron Ricks
  • Paddle ‘Til Dark: A Yukon River Journey by Raimonds Zvirbulis
  • Paddling Through Time – A Kayaking Journey through Clayoquot Sound by Joanna Streetly
  • Reading the River – A Voyage Down the Yukon by John Hildebrand
  • Spirited Waters – Soloing South Through the Inside Passage by Jennifer Hahn
  • The Only Kayak – A Journey into the Heart of Alaska by Kim Heacox
  • Tide, Feather, Snow: A Life in Alaska by Miranda Weiss (only marginally involves kayaking)
  • Two in a Red Canoe – Our Journey Down the Yukon by Megan Baldina & Matt Hage
  • Visions of the Wild – A Voyage by Kayak around Vancouver Island by Maria Coffey & Dag Goering

Africa/Middle East

  • Around Madagascar on my Kayak by Riaan Manser
  • At the Mercy of the River by Peter Stark
  • Kayaks Down the Nile by John Goddard
  • Mystery of the Nile by Richard Bangs and Pasquale Scaturro
  • The Rob Roy on the Jordan by John MacGregor
  • The Rob Roy on the Nile by John MacGregor
  • To Timbuktu – A Journey Down the Niger by Mark Jenkins

Antarctic

  • The Frozen Coast – Sea Kayaking the Antarctic Peninsula by Charles, Jones, and Waters with Sarah Moodie
  • Unclaimed Coast: The first kayak journey around Shakelton’s South Georgia by Charles, Jones, and Waters

Anthologies of Paddling Stories/Trips

  • A Speck on the Sea – Epic Voyages in the Most Improbable Vessels by William H. Longyard
  • Alone Against the Sea – and other true adventures by Jon Bowermaster
  • One Inch above the Water – Running away on America’s rivers by Jim Payne
  • Raging Rivers, Stormy Seas by Terry Storry, Marcus Bailie & Nigel Foster
  • Seekers of the Horizon edited by Will Nordby
  • Travels With a Kayak by Whit Deschner

Arctic/Northwest Passage

  • Arctic Crossing – A Journey Through the Northwest Passage and Inuit Culture by Jonathan Waterman
  • Cold Oceans by Jon Turk
  • Greenland Expedition – Where Ice Is Born by Lonnie Dupre
  • Into the Great Solitude – An Arctic Journey by Robert Perkins
  • Kabloona in the Yellow Kayak by Victoria Jason
  • Paddle to the Arctic by Don Starkell
  • Rowing to Latitude – Journeys Along the Arctic Edge by Jill Fredston
  • Stepping Stones: of Ungava and Labrador by Nigel Foster

Asia

  • Courting the Diamond Sow – A Whitewater Expedition on Tibet’s Forbidden River by Wickliffe W. Walker
  • Hell or High Water – Surviving Tibet’s Tsangpo River by Peter Heller
  • The Last River – The Tragic Race for Shangri-La by Todd Balf

Atlantic Ocean

  • Alone At Sea by Dr. Hannes Lindemann
  • Kayak Across the Atlantic by Peter Bray

Australia

  • Crossing the Ditch by James Castrission
  • Fearless: One Woman, One Kayak, One Continent by Joe Glickman
  • Keep Australia on Your Left by Eric Stiller
  • SOLO: A Man, A Kayak, An Ocean by Vicki McAuley
  • The Dreamtime Voyage – Around Australia Kayak Odyssey by Paul Caffyn

Boundary Waters Canoe Area

  • A Season for Wilderness – The Journal of a Summer in Canoe Country by Michael Furtman
  • Canoeing the Boundary Waters – The Account of One Family’s Explorations by Marion Stresau
  • Crossing Boundary Waters – A Spiritual Journey in Canoe Country by Andrew Rogness

British Isles/Scotland

  • Argonauts of the Western Isles – Sea Kayaking off Scotland’s West Coast by Robin Lloyd-Jones
  • Blazing Paddles – A Scottish Coastal Journey by Brian Wilson
  • The Canoe Boys – The First Epic Scottish Sea Journey by Kayak by Alastair Dunnett

Canada

  • A Woman’s Way Through Unknown Labrador by Mina Benson Hubbard
  • Around the Rock – A Newfoundland Sea Kayak Journey by Ken Campbell
  • Canoeing a Continent – On the Trail of Alexander Mackenzie by Max Finkelstein
  • Canoeing With the Cree by Eric Sevareid
  • Cold Summer Wind by Clayton Klein (Rivers of the Northwest Territories)
  • Dangerous River by R.M. Patterson (South Nahanni River)
  • Daughter, Father, Canoe – coming of age in the sub-arctic by Rob Kesselring
  • Distant Fires by Scott Anderson
  • Down the Wild River North by Constance Helmericks
  • Freshwater Saga – Memior of a Lifetime of Wilderness Canoeing in Canada by Eric W. Morse
  • In The Footsteps of Grey Owl – Journeys Into the Ancient Forest by Gary & Joanie McGuffin
  • Kayaks to the Arctic by E.B. Nickerson (Mackenzie River)
  • Lonely Voyage – By Kayak to Adventure and Discovery by Kamil Pecher
  • One Incredible Journey by Clayton Klein & Verlen Kruger
  • Stepping Stones of Ungava and Labrador by Nigel Foster
  • The Long Labrador Trail by Dillon Wallace
  • The Lure of Labrador Wild by Dillon Wallace
  • This Water Goes North by Dennis Weidemann
  • Water and Sky – Challenging the Northern Wilderness by Alan S. Kesselheim
  • Where Rivers Run – A 6,000-mile Exploration of Canada by Canoe by Gary & Joanie McGuffin

Central/South America

  • Amazon Extreme by Colin Angus with Ian Mulgrew
  • Baja to Patagonia – Latin American Adventures by Larry Rice
  • Running the Amazon by Joe Kane
  • The River of Doubt – Theodore Roosevelt’s Darkest Journey by Candice Millard

Europe

  • A Thousand Miles in the Rob Roy Canoe by John MacGregor
  • The Rob Roy on the Baltic by John MacGregor

Florida

  • New Dawn for the Kissimmee River: Orlando to Okeechobee by Doug Alderson
  • Without a Paddle by Warren Richey

Global

  • A Boat In Our Baggage – Around the World With A Kayak by Maria Coffey

Great Lakes

  • Deep Water Passage – A Spiritual Journey at Midlife by Ann Linnea (Lake Superior)
  • Superior – Journeys On An Inland Sea by Gary & Joanie McGuffin
  • Wild Shore – Exploring Lake Superior by Kayak by Greg Breining

Hawaii

  • Paddling My Own Canoe by Audrey Sutherland

Ireland

  • Commitment and Open Crossings by Bill Taylor
  • Dances With Waves by Brian Wilson
  • On Celtic Tides by Chris Duff

Mexico

  • Enchanted Vagabonds by Dana Lamb
  • Kayaking the Vermilion Sea – Eight Hundred Miles Down the Baja by Jonathan Waterman
  • Keep It Moving – Baja by Canoe by Valeria Fons
  • We Survived Yesterday by John Reseck, Jr.
  • Wind.Water.Sun – A Solo Kayak Journey along Baja California’s Desert Coastline by Ed Darack

Midwestern United States

  • Down Historic Waterways: Six Hundred Miles of Canoeing Upon Illinois and Wisconsin Rivers by Reuben Gold Thwaites
  • Our Wisconsin River: Border to Border by Nels Akerlund & Joe Glickman
  • The Kayak Lady: One Woman, One Kayak and 1007 Lakes by Mary Shideler

Mississippi River

  • Bluffs to Bayous by Byron Curtis
  • By Canoe by Kristin & Nigel Law
  • Mighty Miss by Gary Hoffman
  • Mississippi Solo by Eddy L. Harris
  • One Good Story – A Mississippi Kayak Journey by Ron Severs
  • Paddle To the Amazon – by Ron Starkell
  • Ripples of Wisdom: A Journey Through Mud and Truth by Nancy Scheibe and Rikka Wommack
  • Water, Women, Wisdom: Voices from the Upper Mississippi by Nancy Scheibe

New Zealand

  • Cresting the Restless Wave – North Island Kayak Odyssey by Paul Caffyn
  • Dark Side of the Wave – Stewart Island Kayak Odyssey by Paul Caffyn
  • Southern Exposure by Chris Duff

North Eastern United States

  • An Adirondack Passage – The Cruise of the Canoe Sairy Gamp by Christine Jerome
  • A Kayaker’s Guide to the Hudson River Valley: The Quiter Waters – Rivers, Creeks, Lakes, & Ponds by Shari Aber
  • The Survival of the Bark Canoe by John McPhee

Pacific Islands

  • Beyond Fear – A Journey Across New Guinea by Joel P. Kramer
  • The Happy Isles of Oceania by Paul Theroux

Pacific Northwest

  • Sea Kayaking from Mountains to Ocean by Dan Baharav

Russia

  • Brother’s on the Bashkaus – A Siberian Paddling Adventure by Eugen Buchanan
  • In the Wave of the Jomon – Stone Age Mariners and a Voyage Across the Pacific by Jon Turk
  • River of No Reprieve by Jeffrey Tayler (Lena River)

Southeast Asia

  • Descending the Dragon – My Journey Down the Coast of Vietnam by Jon Bowermaster

Western United States

  • Kayaking Alone – 900 miles from Idaho’s Mountains to the Pacific Ocean by Mike Barenti
  • Paddling the Gate: A Kayak Trip on San Francisco Bay by Paul D. Kaufmann
  • River – One man’s journey down the Colorado, source to sea by Colin Fletcher
  • Sunk Without a Sound – The Tragic Colorado River Honeymoon of Glen and Bessie Hyde by Brad Dimock
  • The Doing of the Thing – the Brief Brilliant Whitewater Career of Buzz Holmstrom by Welch, Conley, and Dimock
  • The Exploration of the Colorado River and Its Canyons by John Wesley Powell
  • The Hidden Coast – Kayak Exploration from Alaska to Mexico by Joel W. Rogers
  • Watertrail – The Hidden Path Through Puget Sound by Joel W. Rogers

Yellowstone River, Montana

  • Kayaking the Full Moon by Steve Chapple


Biographies

  • All Things are Possible – The Verlen Kruger Story: 100,000 Miles by Paddle by Phil Peterson, Sr.
  • Beyond Black Bear Lake by Anne LaBastille
  • Breaking into the Current – Boatwomen of the Grand Canyon by Louise Teal
  • Confessions of a Wave Warrior by Eric Soares
  • Diary of a Wilderness Dweller by Chris Czajkowski
  • Fire in the Bones – Bill Mason and the Canadian Canoeing Tradition by James Raffan
  • Grey Owl – The Many Faces of Archie Belaney by Jane Billinghurst
  • Root Beer Lady – the story of Dorothy Molter by Bob Cary
  • The Starship & the Canoe by Kenneth Brower
  • The Watkins Boys by Simon Courtauld
  • Water’s Edge – Women Who Push the Limits in Rowing, Kayaking & Canoeing by Linda Lewis
  • Woman of the Boundary Waters – Canoeing, Guiding, Mushing and Surviving by Justine Kerfoot
  • Woodswoman by Anne LaBastille
  • Woodswoman III by Anne LaBastille





Home / About SherriKayaks / “Sherri Yaks” / Classes & Trips, etc. / Resources / Photo Gallery / Contact Us