Daring the Sea [Mass Market Paperback]

David W. Shaw (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Norwegian immigrants George Harbo and Frank Samuelson found that life in America toward the end of the 19th century did not lead to riches; rather they learned that it was a struggle to survive as fishermen and clam diggers off the New Jersey coast. Thus in 1896 they determined to utilize their experience and skills as seamen to row across the Atlantic. They secured the lukewarm backing of Richard Fox, editor of the Police Gazette, who was always on the lookout for unusual stories, and set out from New York Harbor on June 6, bound for Le Havre, France. This account of their voyage, based in part on Harbo's journal, is a stirring adventure story, as the pair in their 18-foot-long craft narrowly escaped being hit by other ships, threaded their way through a school of whales, missed an iceberg and encountered severe storms with mountainous waves, one of which capsized them and dumped part of their meager food supply. Finally, after 55 days they arrived at Britain's Scilly Islands. Although they received considerable publicity, the public saw their achievement as a stunt. Returning to America they picked up their lives, married, had children and enjoyed some prosperity working on the sea. Harbo died in 1908, Samuelson in 1911. Readers who enjoy tales of humans pitted against the elements will find this work by freelancer Shaw thrilling. Photos not seen by PW.

Copyright 1998 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Library Journal

Shaw, a writer for Cruising World, Sail, and Offshore Magazine, has reconstructed the voyage of two Norwegian immigrants who rowed across the Atlantic in 1896. George Harbo, a surfboat fisherman, and Frank Samuelsen, a merchant seaman in the age of sail, met while fishing off the Jersey coast and became clamming partners. Each day they would row out several miles to rake clams to sell at market. One day they decided that if they could row all the way to France, they would set a new world record and become famous, and people would pay to hear them lecture. They had a local builder construct an 18' double-ended boat patterned after a Jersey surfboat with two watertight compartments and special rails on the bottom of the hull so that they could right the boat if it were capsized. Working from the log book as well as a journal dictated by Harbo, Shaw reconstructs the 55-day voyage and the many storms the pair endured. This amazing story is a good purchase for public and maritime libraries.AJohn Kenny, San Francisco, P.L.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 303 pages
• Publisher: Pinnacle Books (August 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786014067
• ISBN-13: 978-0786014064
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #471,315 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #38 in Books > Sports & Outdoors > Outdoor Recreation > Sailing > Narratives

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Retro-adventure story worth reading!, November 25, 2000

By 

Brian Leverenz - See all my reviews

This review is from: Daring the Sea (Mass Market Paperback)

With all the adventure stories out there, this one from the late 1800's has been lost or forgotten until revived by the author. THis is a disservice, because the two men who rowed across the Atlantic in this story from New YOrk to FRance in an open rowboat have yet to have their time of 55 days equaled. In an age of GPS tracking systems, fancy boat materials and Olympic type training regimens, two clamdiggers from New York did what no one has done before or since.THe author gives us a little background on their lives, and reconstructs their voyage from the original journals. What these men went through in an open boat across the Atlantic rivals the voyage of Shackleton from the Antarctic. Though one could argue that the two men did the deed for less than honorable reasons (they hoped for fame and fortune), both men were so low key that we quickly forgive them. And because it takes place in the 1890's we realize that they were not adrenaline seekers, just men who sought a little better position in the world for themselves and their families.

THe book is a fast 300 page read that sucks you in and has you on the edge of their seat as the two men withstand storms, capsizing, sharks encircling their boat and of course, their own doubts and those of their families.

A thrilling ride!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hard to believe it's true, October 22, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Daring the Sea (Hardcover)

It's hard to believe that this is a true story and even harder to understand why this story (and this book) are such well kept secrets. David Shaw has done an excellent job of telling not just the incredible story of their row across the Atlantic, but he effectively tells us the life stories of the 2 subjects while skillfully weaving in what American life at the turn of the century was all about. Great story, great book, easy read, about two men who lived incredibly difficult lives...this book puts things in perspective.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Pretty good true adventure story; excellent use of historical context, February 20, 2008

By 

Nina M. Osier (Randolph, ME USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Daring the Sea (Hardcover)

George Harbo and Frank Samuelson are drawn to each other as Norwegian immigrants to late 19th Century America, both by their shared background and their common love for the sea on which they make their living. It's a spare living at best, though, despite the opportunities the U.S. offers that Norway does not. After years of trying to build financially successful lives, George finds himself separated from his growing family because his wife is better able to care for their children by returning to Norway; and Frank worries over his younger siblings who arrive in New York expecting to find miracles there. The friends come up with a plan to win fame, and with it (hopefully) fortune, by setting a world record. Under the sponsorship of a New York tabloid, they will row across the Atlantic Ocean. No one's ever done that before; and as New York prepares to see them off, just about everyone else seems sure they're heading to their deaths.

This clearly wasn't an easy story to tell engagingly, and I give its author plenty of credit for handling it as well as he did. The first chapters, which provide the background for the crossing itself, presented a bit of a slog for me; but the crossing was harrowing reading, the kind that kept me turning pages because knowing the ending already did nothing to allay the suspense. The tale is based solidly on documentation, despite the author's use of dialog that had to be fabricated, and the historical context provided goes a long way toward making the voyage's ironic aftermath both understandable and touching. Not the best written true adventure I've read, but a pretty good one overall.