Ashland, Oregon author Dennis M. Powers’ newest maritime offering is Tales of the Seven Seas: The Escapades of Captain Dynamite Johnny O’Brien. It is a biographical work documenting the expansive career of Captain Dynamite Johnny O’Brien, covering the times of sailing ships to container ships, voyages from Hong Kong to Nome, and from romancing a Tahitian princess to pursuing Portland, Oregon woman Emily Showers, who became his wife, and mother of his children. Inimitable Captain O’Brien died in 1931 at the age of 80, in Seattle, Washington.

Born in Ireland, 16-year-old Johnny O’Brien ran off to sea and never looked back. Making captain at the young age of 25, he faced continual challenges to his authority, partly due to his age, partly due to his short stature—5 foot 5 inches, and partly due to the wild-and-wooly times. He was unafraid to make his point with fists or pistols if necessary. His bravado and intimate knowledge of seafaring, awareness of a ship’s capabilities, plus common sense and understanding of human nature, earned him respect from fleet owners, fellow mariners, passengers, customers, and citizens at large.

Powers’ chronicle understandably focuses on O’Brien’s career, providing detailed accounts of his seadog days, as well as the mining and shipping industries. Curiously, O’Brien’s personal life receives scarce mention, while episodes of tedious minutiae make for boggy reading at times. Nevertheless, Powers captures the force that was Captain O’Brien and offers readers a well-researched, enjoyable account of one man’s romantic seagoing legacy.