Voyage For Madmen, A
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4.7 • 16 Ratings
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- $12.99
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- $12.99
Publisher Description
"An extraordinary story of bravery and insanity on the high seas. . . . One of the most gripping sea stories I have ever read." — Sebastian Junger, author of The Perfect Storm
In the tradition of Into Thin Air and The Perfect Storm, comes a breathtaking piece of maritime history and an oceanic adventure about an obsessive desire to test the limits of human endurance.
In 1968, nine sailors set off on the most daring race ever held—the Sunday Times Golden Globe Race—and never before completed: to single-handedly circumnavigate the globe nonstop. Ten months later, only one of the nine men would cross the finish line and earn fame, wealth, and glory. For the others, the reward was madness, failure, and death.
Gorgeously written and meticulously researched by author Peter Nichols, this extraordinary true story of survival chronicles the contest of the individual against the sea, waged at a time before cell phones, satellite dishes, and electronic positioning systems. A Voyage for Madmen is a tale of sailors driven by their own dreams and demons, of horrific storms, and of those riveting moments when a decision means the difference between life and death.
This definitive account of the legendary Golden Globe Race goes inside each boat to chronicle the harrowing truth of what happened on the high seas.
The Daring First Golden Globe: In 1968, nine men set off on a challenge thought impossible—to sail alone, nonstop around the world.Nine Sailors, One Survivor: Ten months later, only one would cross the finish line. For the others, the race ended in madness, failure, and death.Desperate Conditions at Sea: A riveting account of horrific storms and life-or-death decisions in the age before GPS, satellite phones, or electronic positioning systems.A True Story of Obsession: Gorgeously written and deeply researched, this is the unforgettable story of the dreams and demons that drove each man to his fate.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In the psychedelic summer of 1968, as Apollo 8 soared toward the moon and the Democratic Convention crashed in Chicago, nine men tried finally to accomplish the sailor's age-old ultimate goal: a solo, nonstop circumnavigation of the world. Nichols (Sea Change) deftly introduces myriad aspects of a voyage that promised "dubious, unquantifiable" rewards. He insightfully contextualizes the endeavor as an offshoot of Sir Francis Chichester's famous 1967 solo circumnavigation (with one stop), which represented to England a "longed-for" heroism. Detailing the British media's successful exploitation of the so-called race, he approaches the voyage as the remarkable result of nine men wishing to outdo Chichester. Nichols painstakingly describes the enormous difficulty of solo navigation in the pre-global positioning system of the 1960s. These "hardcase egomaniacs driven by complex desires and vainglory to attempt an extreme, life-threatening endeavor" used only rudimentary equipment and their wits. Nichols is at his liveliest when describing the only two participants who "were really happy aboard their boats": the French-Asian Bernard Moitessier, the most skilled sailor, whose mystical seamanship brings surprises, and the British Robin Knox-Johnson, who was energized during his journey by the memory of "the Elizabethan sea heroes of his youth." Nichols also delivers a compelling portrait of English Donald Crowhurst, an electronics engineer whose "supercharged personality" wreaked havoc on the entire race. While Nichols's pace is neither breakneck nor suspenseful, his careful details and psychological insight make for a riveting account of the triumphant human spirit. 16-page photo insert, 8 maps.
Customer Reviews
Greg
Absolutely riveting. The book gets into the hearts and minds of these courageous, yet flawed seaman. Its description of the boats and conditions in the race, of the incredible task of sailing around the world is spell-binding.
It makes me wonder if I am brave enough and mad enough to try something similar. I can only hope that I'm not