Synopses & Reviews
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 Atlantics transatlantic racing record has remained unbeaten for nearly a centuryand 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, Americas 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 Americas 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, Americas Cupwinning tactician on Ted Turners 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 (19992001)
Review
"Mr. Cookman has turned an extraordinary story into a rollicking good read.... This is a book that will appeal to land-lubbers and sailors alike..." (Wall Street Journal, May 3, 2002)
Review
'\"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\"Atlanticis 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'
Synopsis
Cookman presents a dazzling account of a great American yachting victory overthe Germans in the 3,000 mile 1905 Kaiser Cup Transatlantic race.
Synopsis
Delineating a glorious era in maritime history, Atlantic is the first comprehensive account of the legendary 1905 Kaisers Cup Transatlantic Race and the internationaland individualintrigue that fueled it. In the hands of master storyteller Scott Cookmanwith characters no fiction can duplicatethis 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 himamong them the 26th Earl of Crawford, one of the richest peers in the British Empire; American steel heir Edward Coleman, son of Andrew Carnegies business partner; and Allison Armour, heir to the vast meatpacking fortune. They hired the greatest yacht racing skippers in history to do itthree-time Americas 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 watchedenthralled 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 worlds 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 heardand none will forget.
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 the Author
SCOTT COOKMAN, a nonfiction writer, is the author of Ice Blink: The Tragic Fate of Sir John Franklins Lost Polar Expedition (Wiley). He is a regular contributor to Field & Stream. Cookmans historical features have appeared in Army, Atlanta magazine, Boundary Waters Journal, and Civil War Times. Cookmans interactive Man & Mission videos, which chronicle Americas Mercury 7 astronauts, are a primary attraction at the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame (Cape Canaveral, Florida). He lives in Atlanta, Georgia.
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments.
1. The Great Ocean Race.
2. The World of 1905.
3. Land Fading in the West.
4. Death Race.
5. Third Day at Sea.
6. Sore Hearts and Heads.
7. Fourth Day at Sea.
8. Another Kind of Race.
9. The Man Nobody Liked.
10. Fifth Day at Sea.
11. Spoiled Sports.
12. Clubs and Kings.
13. Sixth Day at Sea.
14. Contests of Will.
15. The Germans.
16. The British.
17. Crown Princes of Capitalism.
18. Hired Guns.
19. Greatest of All Yacht Captains.
20. Too Many Cooks.
21. A World in Waiting.
22. Starting Gun.
23. In for a Fight.
24. "You Hired Me to Win".
25. "Are We First?"
26. The Empty Cup.
27. End of an Age.
Appendix I: Entries: 1905 Kaiser's Cup Transatlantic Race.
Appendix II: Summary: 1905 Kaiser's Cup Transatlantic Race.
Appendix III: Winning Finishes: Transatlantic Races 1866-1905.
Notes and Sources.
Credits.
Index.