Atlantic: The Last Great Race of Princes - Hardcover

Cookman, Scott

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0471410764 ISBN 13: 9780471410768

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons Inc, 2002

Synopsis

Advance praise for ATLANTIC

"Atlantic is a stirring story that illuminates a magical period in our maritime history. Scott Cookman weaves the compelling plot in a manner that will fascinate both the landlubber and the sailor alike. The schooner Atlantic's transatlantic racing record has remained unbeaten for nearly a century-and the story behind the race makes that achievement even more impressive. Cookman has done his homework well and unfolds that story page by page . . . the reader can just about feel the icy lash of a North Atlantic swell crashing aboard as the massive sailing craft are driven toward their destination by men and women whose dreams and goals (and even the pride of their countries) hang in the balance."
-Peter Isler, America's Cup veteran, author of the bestselling Sailing for Dummies, and Editor at Large for Sailing World

"Outstanding. Cookman is equally adept at depicting the gut-wrenching tension of ocean racing; the politics, intrigues, and skullduggery of billionaires, society snobs, and sailors who make Captain Ahab seem the model of restraint; and a gilded, vanished era under the gathering storm clouds of war."
-Neil Hanson, author of The Custom of the Sea

"In 1905, the key to unlocking America's economic potential was swift travel across the Atlantic. Scott Cookman recounts in meticulous detail the fanatical race for maritime supremacy. Scions and captains of industry took the challenge by racing across the ocean."
-Gary Jobson, America's Cup--winning tactician on Ted Turner's Courageous (1977) and ESPN sailing analyst

"Anyone who has ever been to sea, or dreamed of a sailing adventure, will be captivated by this extraordinary seafaring story. It is a perfect balance of history, intrigue, and period personalities that will make your palms sweat as you rush headlong through storm and fog to the finish."
-Rockwell B. Harwood, Commodore, Stamford Yacht Club (1999--2001)

About this title

From the Publisher:

"Outstanding. Cookman is equally adept at depicting the gut-wrenching tension of ocean racing, the politics, intrigues and skullduggery of billionaires, society snobs and sailors who make Captain Ahab seem the model of restraint, and a gilded, vanished era under the gathering storm clouds of war." —Neil Hanson, Author of Custom of the Sea

"Atlantic is a stirring story that illuminates a magical period in our maritime history. Scott Cookman weaves the compelling plot in a manner that will fascinate both the landlubber and the sailor alike. The schooner Atlantic'stransatlantic racing record has remained unbeaten for nearly a century -- and the story behind the race makes that achievement even more impressive. Cookman has done his homework well and unfolds that story page by page...the reader can just about feel the icy lash of a North Atlantic swell crashing aboard as the massive sailing craft are driven toward their destination by men and women whose dreams and goals (and even the pride of their countries) hang in the balance." —Peter Isler, America's Cup veteran, author of the best-selling Sailing for Dummies, and Editor at Large for Sailing World

From the Inside Flap:

Delineating a glorious era in maritime history, Atlantic is the first comprehensive account of the legendary 1905 Kaiser’s Cup Transatlantic Race and the international–and individual–intrigue that fueled it. In the hands of master storyteller Scott Cookman–with characters no fiction can duplicate–this dazzling chronicle vividly recounts one of the most dramatic long-distance yacht races in history.

Kaiser Wilhelm II, seeking to prove German maritime superiority and win funding for his massive naval buildup, challenged the world to a no-holds-barred ocean race, without handicaps or time allowances. Ten of the wealthiest men in Britain and America were determined to stop him–among them the 26th Earl of Crawford, one of the richest peers in the British Empire; American steel heir Edward Coleman, son of Andrew Carnegie’s business partner; and Allison Armour, heir to the vast meatpacking fortune. They hired the greatest yacht racing skippers in history to do it–three-time America’s cup winner Charlie Barr, transatlantic record-holder Jimmy Loesch, triple-crown ocean racer Lem Miller, and legendary Gloucester fishing captain Tommie Bohlin. Embarking celebrity guests, master chefs, and the first woman to participate in an ocean race, they crossed the starting line off Sandy Hook, New Jersey, in the spring of 1905. For two weeks, the whole world watched–enthralled and appalled.

Neither the winners nor losers knew what awaited them after the finish. With the coming of World War I, the stock market crash, and the Great Depression, the last of the world’s gilded princes would see their privileged lives change forever with the collapse of an age that had once seemed timeless.

Rich in detail of an era of yacht racing on a grand scale, Atlantic is a remarkable story of wealth, privilege, and power that few have heard–and none will forget.

About this edition

• Publisher: John Wiley & Sons Inc
• Publication date: 2002
• ISBN 10: 0471410764
• ISBN 13: 9780471410768
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 304