Simon Ships Out How One Brave Stray Cat Became a Worldwide Hero Based on a True Story (Audible Audio Edition) Jacky Donovan Stevie Zimmerman Books
Download As PDF : Simon Ships Out How One Brave Stray Cat Became a Worldwide Hero Based on a True Story (Audible Audio Edition) Jacky Donovan Stevie Zimmerman Books
When Simon, an orphaned young cat, is smuggled on board HMS Amethyst, his simple life amidst the streets of Hong Kong is transformed into an adventure fit for heroes.
Bringing joy and compassion to those on board, Simon is the only puss to have been awarded the PDSA Dickin Medal, the highest honour for animal gallantry in wartime.
Based on the true events of Amethyst's Yangtze Incident, Simon's quirky yet emotional cat's-eye narrative is sure to move and entertain all who listen to it.
Simon Ships Out How One Brave Stray Cat Became a Worldwide Hero Based on a True Story (Audible Audio Edition) Jacky Donovan Stevie Zimmerman Books
The little cat's story begins while sitting outside at the harbor on Hong Kong's Stonecutters Island, near fishermen who sometimes give it a little fish, in a harbor filled with giant ships. It's also telling of other cats (eg. JoJo, Uboat, Chairman) in the area, exchanging stories with each other - except for Chairman. Chairman is very territorial and gets angry at trespassers. The others are international travelers. And then something grabs his tail - it's a human (George) with warm hands, and he's soon carrying the little cat onto a ship, or rather sneaking the little cat on board. And soon afterwards, the little cat has a name - 'Simon.'George soon is asleep, snoring along with other humans nearby, and a bit later a furry dog (Peggy) appears - she's a regular on the ship and not like the mean dogs on shore that bark and chase cats. Simon then follows Peggy for a tour of the HMS Amethyst, a destroyer that had made it through WWII.
Peggy's friendship with Simon quickly convinces the Captain that Simon should be treated well, and the danger of being thrown overboard as an unwanted stowaway passes. He's then assigned the duty of 'rat catcher' and given the rank of Ordinary Seaman. And then everyone prepares for patrol duty to protect British interests around the Straits of Malaysia.
Simon quickly ingratiates himself with the crew, particularly through his skill at catching and killing rats. There was no doubt what was happening - Simon would often leave presents of dead rats in sailors' beds and sleep in the captain's cap.
Official orders than mandated that the Amethyst travel up the Yangtze River to Nanjing. Once there, Communist guns opened fire, with one round landing in the captain's cabin - killing the captain and seriously wounding Simon. Simon's burns and four pieces of shrapnel made his recovery unlikely, but with help from the surviving medical staff he did survive. Meanwhile, the ship had again become overrun with rats while anchored in the river. Simon was soon back to work.
Simon also became a celebrity, lauded in world news, presented with the 'Animal Victoria Cross,' the 'Dickin Medal,' and promoted to 'Able Seacat.' Thousands of letters were sent to him, and he was presented with additional honors at every port.
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Simon Ships Out How One Brave Stray Cat Became a Worldwide Hero Based on a True Story (Audible Audio Edition) Jacky Donovan Stevie Zimmerman Books Reviews
A fascinating and very little known story of Able Seaman Simon-the-Cat, one of the few pets who became formal members of ship's companies aboard Royal Navy warships, n this case - HMS Amethyst. It is also a very interesting approach to the subject since the book is written as Simon's own narrative, from his own, feline, point of view.
However, the book is not only about AB Simon, DM (Dickin Medal, the equivalent of the Victoria Cross awarded to animal heroes), but also about a ship, the ship’s company, and the event almost forgotten by all but those related to the Royal Navy - the escape of HMS Amethyst from the entrapment by the Communist forces on Yangtse River in1949. It is a splendid yarn, written with gusto and sympathy for Simon and the rest of the ship's company, and I am quite surprised that the book caught attention primarily among the cat lovers. The the book ought to be quite dear to all – those who love a good “sea story”, those who are interested in Royal Navy lore and tradition, those who are fond of animals (not only cats!), and those who find it extremely refreshing to see the world through the eyes singularly different from those of a hubristic human. I am sure Antrim – my forever argumentative cat named after HMS Antrim – agrees with those sentiments I have not received a single disapproving scowl from him while I read the book. On the contrary, just now he gave me a huge grin and a wink of a very hearty approval!
However, the book is not quite free of flaws that will be immediately apparent to those familiar with life aboard HM ships. The general reader will most likely not even notice the problems, but the RN purist WILL be annoyed the portrayal of the lower deck, its interactions with the officers, and among officers themselves is, despite occasional intercalation of “Jack-speak,” more the depiction of the US Navy (a VERY loose one, since alcohol is NOT part of the USN shipboard life!) rather than of the life aboard an RN ship. The impression is reinforced by the pictures, in which seamen are dressed in USN dress uniforms rather than, as would be expected in a British warship, the working rig" that in smaller vessels (like the Amethyst), could often be quite imaginative when at sea. I am, therefore, a little surprised the editor failed to catch the discrepancies that so intrusively crept into the otherwise superb narrative.
Thus, five stars for the story of Able Seaman Simon, DM, BC (Blue Cross) - buried in 1949 with full Naval Honours in East London's Ilford Cemetery, and the most worthy contributor to the splendid tradition of Royal Navy. Only two stars, however, for the portrayal of the incomparable, often boisterous, at times quite eccentric, and almost always incomprehensible to the outsiders, life on the lower deck of HM Ships.
Altogether READ IT!
An amazing story of an accidentally adventurous cat. No longer resigned to only hearing about the adventures of his fellow cats, Simon is smuggled aboard an ocean going ship by a lonely sailor and his new life begins when he meets the ship's dog and they become friends. Exploring the ship is an adventure in itself and he soon adapts to a sailors' life; however when they are shelled by communists and are stranded, life becomes terrifying. But Simon rises to the occasion and becomes the inspiration for the wounded and battling sailors to the point of becoming their hero.
Well written, the author's manner of speaking through Simon is captivating and believable and Simon becomes my hero too. Do yourself a favor and delve into Simon's adventures.
The little cat's story begins while sitting outside at the harbor on Hong Kong's Stonecutters Island, near fishermen who sometimes give it a little fish, in a harbor filled with giant ships. It's also telling of other cats (eg. JoJo, Uboat, Chairman) in the area, exchanging stories with each other - except for Chairman. Chairman is very territorial and gets angry at trespassers. The others are international travelers. And then something grabs his tail - it's a human (George) with warm hands, and he's soon carrying the little cat onto a ship, or rather sneaking the little cat on board. And soon afterwards, the little cat has a name - 'Simon.'
George soon is asleep, snoring along with other humans nearby, and a bit later a furry dog (Peggy) appears - she's a regular on the ship and not like the mean dogs on shore that bark and chase cats. Simon then follows Peggy for a tour of the HMS Amethyst, a destroyer that had made it through WWII.
Peggy's friendship with Simon quickly convinces the Captain that Simon should be treated well, and the danger of being thrown overboard as an unwanted stowaway passes. He's then assigned the duty of 'rat catcher' and given the rank of Ordinary Seaman. And then everyone prepares for patrol duty to protect British interests around the Straits of Malaysia.
Simon quickly ingratiates himself with the crew, particularly through his skill at catching and killing rats. There was no doubt what was happening - Simon would often leave presents of dead rats in sailors' beds and sleep in the captain's cap.
Official orders than mandated that the Amethyst travel up the Yangtze River to Nanjing. Once there, Communist guns opened fire, with one round landing in the captain's cabin - killing the captain and seriously wounding Simon. Simon's burns and four pieces of shrapnel made his recovery unlikely, but with help from the surviving medical staff he did survive. Meanwhile, the ship had again become overrun with rats while anchored in the river. Simon was soon back to work.
Simon also became a celebrity, lauded in world news, presented with the 'Animal Victoria Cross,' the 'Dickin Medal,' and promoted to 'Able Seacat.' Thousands of letters were sent to him, and he was presented with additional honors at every port.
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