Thursday, January 24, 2013

Nicholas Tomalin and Ron Hall, The Strange Last Voyage of Donald Crowhurst *** 1/2

The Strange Last Voyage of Donald Crowhurst relates the true story of an Englishman who, in 1969, faked a solo circumnavigation and disappeared as he approached the finish line. He left without sufficient preparation but felt compelled by circumstances to continue. He stayed in the Atlantic while reporting (vague) positions in the Southern Ocean, then started reporting his true position after other competitors had passed him. The sailors in front of him started having problems, leaving him as the apparent victor. The stress of his deception drove him mad.

It's a fascinating story, well told. The book was written just a few years after the events, so the authors expect readers to be familiar with the outlines of the story. As someone who didn't know the final outcome, I would have preferred for the story to build to its climax instead of revealing the ending in the prologue. I also think the authors overplay Crowhurst's ineptness in light of future events; a couple of short appendices reveal him to be a more capable sailor and designer than the authors give him credit for.

No comments:

Post a Comment