You can use your Hamilton Public Library card to borrow titles from these partner libraries:
1 of 1 copy available
They were following in the wake of pioneers. In 1896, a pair of Norwegian fisherman crossed the 2,500 miles in a wooden fishing dory—and their record stood for 114 years. John Fairfax, a smuggler, gambler, and shark hunter, was the first to complete the feat single-handedly in 1969. Others have followed; some have not survived the attempt. This is their story, too.
-
Creators
-
Publisher
-
Release date
October 21, 2014 -
Formats
-
OverDrive Listen audiobook
- ISBN: 9781494524425
- File size: 239386 KB
- Duration: 08:18:43
-
-
Languages
- English
-
Reviews
-
An ode to eating jelly beans isn't the opening you'd expect from Adam Rackley's account of his 76-day Atlantic row. Still, it shines a light on the simple pleasures of everyday life in a rowboat, especially as delivered by narrator Ralph Lister. The opening is intriguing enough to involve listeners immediately as he tells how Rackley formed a team for the 2009 Woodvale Atlantic Rowing Race. Switching between accounts of past crossings dating back to a famous 1896 trip and Rackley's own preparations, the stories are fascinating. With Lister's emotional narration, listeners will feel everything from the gradual adjustment to the sea to the astonishment of accomplishment. Even listeners who would never try an ocean crossing could find themselves feeling more energetic. J.A.S. © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine -
July 28, 2014
Rackley’s first book offers a personal and historical account of one of the world’s most grueling competitions, the little-known Atlantic Rowing Race. Beginning with Norwegian fishermen George Harbo and Frank Samuelson, who in 1896, aboard the 18-foot Fox, successfully navigated the first safe dory passage across the Atlantic from New York to France in a mere 55 days, endurance enthusiasts have logged more than 300 successful ocean crossings. Still, 10 times as many people have climbed Mount Everest than rowed an ocean, and Rackley’s no-holds-barred portrayal of his own harrowing journey from Spain to Antigua helps explain why. By alternating between his own story and those of ocean-rowing pioneers, he effortlessly builds suspense and humor into what could have been a dry retelling of monotonous days at sea rowing naked, rationing food, and eluding storms and much larger vessels. Rackley writes with brutal candor and a storyteller’s flair—providing readers memorable on-board views of a world most will never see. Agent: Alex Christofi, Conville & Walsh (U.K.).
-