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According to Dr Ian Spooner and others who knew Arthur in the early 1960's he had always said he was born aboard his father's tramp steamer off Tristan da Cuhna. That is not "a newpast", as claimed by Dalton, and, true or not, must have been the source of his later nom de plume and the naming of who-knows-how-many boy children by parents insipred by Jones' tales.
According to the same source/s a number of the events appearing in his books but questioned by Anthony Dalton did take place, albeit in a different location or sequence. Ian Spooner for one was present on several such occasions when sailing aboard "Cresswell" with Arthur.
He considers Anthony Dalton's research insufficiently rigorous and regrets that Dalton did not make a greater effort to contact those who knew Jones, such as through the Tristan Jones website. Several events and aspects of Arthur Jone's' life known to him were shared with Dalton, but did not appear in the book because of that lack of effort to find contacts, imminent publication and perhaps because they were more favourable to Jones'legacy.
Arthur Jones,like Laurens van der Post, Joshua Slocum, Burton and perhaps most adventurer raconteurs, did exaggerate and "gild the lily"; that is the way of real seamen on the waterfront. Nonetheless,his stories were based on real experience, he wrote richly and fluently and the ideas and sentiments he expounded throughout his books were noble and beneficial to mankind and the planet.
It is unfortunate the reputation of this exceptional man, an inspiring wordsmith and example to so many, has been destroyed. A towering character has been tumbled from the firmament and humanity is poorer for losing the inspiration he provided to so many. Quillian43 (talk) 06:30, 6 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
