Customer Reviews

At Any Cost: Love, Life and Death at Sea

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Peter Tangvald was a man with great courage and a true seaman. I could not put "At any cost" down, and would wonder from chapter to chapter what Peters fate would be from port to port. He had much heartbreak in life loosing his wives and yet bringing up his children and putting their welfare first made you understand how all the women in his life must have seen the wonderful qualities in him, as a man as a father and husband. He definately was supplimented with his wives being very strong and determined women. It was shocking to learn that he and his daughter perished at sea and we will never know what or how it even happened. I am wondering how Thomas Tangvald survived and what he went on to do with his life and how it was he found his fathers writings. Did he ever see his step mother Florence and sister Carmen? It was wonderful that he did and a great tribute to his father to have them published.

Having shared student accommodation with Thomas Tangvald, son of the author, I was fortunate enough to read this book. Thomas studied Mathematics at Leeds University from 1994-1997. Living next door to him, I learnt lots about his life and I was able to read his copy of this epic book. Thomas was one of the most popular characters at University and was a genius. I lost contact 3 years ago but I have a feeling he might be with his guardians in Andorra. On the other hand, he may have ventured back to the seas. Who knows ?

Like my friends who also knew Peter's son, Thomas, at university, I feel very lucky to have had the enlightening experience of knowing Tom at least for a few years. It is obvious from reading their reviews of Per's book and their comments about Tom and what we knew of his life that he is an inspirational character.
From what I know of Tom, I think he'd find the fact that all these people had written about him vaguely bizarre - although to use a word like bizarre in this case is hardly appropriate. Normality and the challenging of social "norms" are, in a way, exactly what Peter, and Thomas, and indeed the wider sailing fratenrnity are all about.
Having met Tom at university (a time traditionally associated with breaking away from the norms) it was he, more than anyone or anything, who prompted me to look around me and try at least to experience the world in a different way. As far as Tom was concerned, right and wrong, real and imaginary, even up and down, were matters for debate and challenge. I tihnk this is because, as a community, sailors are not subject to the same, downward-grinding restrictive elements of modern, land-based society. The dislocation they experience allows for true objectivity to permeate their experiences and, therefore, for real progress to be made on the quest for truth.
I read Peter's books and also some other recommendations from Tom - Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance as well as some of the works of the Shamanistic Carlos Cantaneda are two in particular which would highlight the comments I've already made.
Some people would argue that, without a more solid frame of reference or grounding for one's beliefs and value systems (land based, profit centred society) the 'search for truth' is meaningless - after all, what is truth if you don't have a context for it? I would disagree. I think that courage, adventure and independence of thought are a prized asset nowadays and would love to be able to exercise them myself in greater measure, to experience the freedom of the sea-gypsy.
Anyway, my lunch hour is up now so it's back to tele marketing cold calls!!!

Peter Tangvald was very unique and very much of an individual. He did not adhere to the rest of the world's usual guidelines and ideas and lived his remarkable life as he wanted. I had the very fortunate experience of meeting Peter years ago when he was anchored a distance off the beach in Puerto Rico. He was rowing a very small Thomas in to shore, and my husband felt compelled to give them a free ride with our motored dinghy. Peter thanked my husband and walked off with Thomas. I was so very sad to hear of the unfortunate incident later that took his life, as well as his daughter's, but luckily, Thomas managed to survive. Though Peter's life had a very sad end, it was good to hear that Thomas now lives in Vieques, Puerto Rico, is married, and has a son of his own. "At Any Cost" is a well-written account of one man's quest to live on the sea---even though he and members of his family did not survive it. This is a story not to be missed.

For anyone who has not had any kind of personal contact with Peter or Thomas Tangvald, I must start by explaining that they were/are truly extraordinary men and that this book is absolutely worth purchasing. They were the kind of people and lived the kind of lives that can shake you from your day-to-day slumber and acceptance and make you try and seize every element of vitality and wonder that you can.

Reading the two reviews below and the memories and images of Tom and Leeds University that they have conjured up, makes me feel a little wistful. And old. And reflective. But not in a bad way. I have just ordered this book and Penno and Blackie (as I remember you) you may or may not also know that there exists a previous book by Peter Tangvald as well, entitled Sea Gypsy (out of print and not currently listed on amazon).
I read both of these revelatory books in the third year, after late night chats with Tom about sailing, the stars, mushrooms, the mathematics of liquid dynamics, music, drawing, knots, boats etc. I wish that I was eloquent enough to describe the enormous range of ideas, inventions and the sheer original ways of seeing the world, that Tom had. One shouldn't forget that there was something of a dark side to his nature, as well.
When I last heard of his whereabouts, he had been on an island that forms part of Puerto Rico, for quite a while.
I would love to catch up with any of the Setonians from our year, and am still in infrequent contact with Jaime Sullivan, Dan Barton, Joel Lazarus, Dan Israel and Darren Kaye.
Not said it for years and it hasn't really applied to my lifestyle for quite a while, but I wonder if anyone remembers an oafish Mr Briggs roaring "Tutorials - Ringpiece, ***** Great".
Briggsy

I cannot describe how thrilled I am to have arrived at the Amazon online reader review site. My name is Matthew Pennington, the book I was searching for is Peter Tangvald's "At any Cost" which I did read in a frantic fashion in 1994. I was not able to read at leisure since it was the only copy available and its owner "Thomas Tangvald" would be setting off on his modern day adventures within a week of my first page. Not only was I able to sit back and imagine the adventures of a certain Peter Tangvald but I was amongst few who could enjoy the stories told from experience by his son Thomas. I had never been inspired by the knowledge and approach to life by any other person to such an extent and doubt that I ever will again. It was a truly remarkable first year at Leeds University.
What a delight! A work lunchtime, during which I enquired via the Amazon web site with regard to the book, revealed that it was now available through this facility but also that my room mate of 1994/1995 had actually written a review on this site. Indeed, many mornings I would wake less than an arms length from Mark Blackburn in our twin room at the Bodington Hall of Residence to see Thomas walking past the window on stilts, climbing the 60 foot building in bare feet or playing his didgeridoo amongst other activities which other students could only mimic in an effort to appear different to the rest of society. Thomas really was different. He was and probably still is a one in a million "Geezer", friendly, understanding, incredibly clever but most of all eye opening in his "genuinely" unique charisma.

Since leaving University I have not seen or heard from Thomas or Mark Blackburn as both left with ambitions of travelling the world, Mark by plane and foot, Thomas by one man yacht. I did read an article in a National Newspaper which concerned Thomas leaving his yacht and swimming to shore through 15 foot waves during a storm in the River Humber. Believed dead, Thomas was later found by the coast guards to their amazement. Since then he has phoned my parents' house when he reported to my mother that he was in a phone box in the Isle of Man. I am quite sure that he will now be much further afield possibly the bahamas or other distant waters which he spent many hours recollecting tall stories to myself and Mark. I hope he is safe and that one day we will be able to meet again!

As for Mark, through Amazon I now hope to at least obtain an e-mail address and look forward to resuming a long lost friendship without the dirty socks and University studies!