Atlantic: The Last Great Race of Princes (Hardcover)

by Scott Cookman (Author) "It was the final, privileged tournament of a gilded age: the last great race of princes, whether titled by birth in the Old World or..." (more)
Key Phrases: great ocean race, open ocean race, transatlantic yacht race, New York Yacht Club, Sandy Hook, North Atlantic (more...)

Editorial Reviews

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

"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

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 21 edition (March 29, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471410764
• ISBN-13: 978-0471410768
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #462,753 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Atlantic: The Last Great Race of Princes, April 11, 2002

By A Customer

This fascinating book transported me back into the Gilded Age through one of my favorite topics- sailing. If you haven't read before about the 1905 Kaiser's Cup Transatlantic Race, do so now with Cookman's exciting narrative. This is one of the most dramatic stories I've ever read; it's hard to believe that it's non-fiction.

16 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Twelve days, four hours, one minute, and nineteen seconds, May 26, 2002

By	"michaeleve" (Miami, Florida) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

Mention this time to any serious sailor you know and they'll usually respond it's the schooner Atlantic's time across its namesake ocean in the 1905 Kaiser's Cup race. Well maybe they won't remember the name and date of the race and that it was from Sandy Hook, New Jersey to Lizard Point in Cornwall, England, but it's a fair bet that they will know that it was an incredible race and remains a remarkable yachting accomplishment.

Indeed Atlantic set a crossing record and while the time has since been bested, it's only a few that have done so and only fairly recently, and most significantly, only with custom-built boats designed specifically for that purpose. It required a carbon-fibre, hydrofoil trimaran to first beat the record in 1980. The Atlantic was a 185-foot-long steel three-masted schooner weighing 206 tons. The best compliment still paid to her is that every few years yachtsmen hold the Atlantic Challenge Cup. This is not named in recognition of the ocean on which they race, but instead is a nod to the still formidable challenge this yacht of yore holds for modern racers.

Scott Cookman does an excellent job giving us a feel for the Atlantic and the thrilling race. He also brings alive the times, the places, and the people involved. Kaiser Wilhelm II suffused in Germany's imperial glow was the one who proposed an open race across the Atlantic. The German cruiser Pfiel would be stationed at the finish line ready to fete the winner and award a gold cup. The Kaiser could afford to be so magnanimous because with his own personal yacht - the 143 ton schooner Hamburg - in the race, he was certain of victory.

Cookman vividly describes the racing conditions during this 11 yacht race. Quickly a smaller yawl Ailsa, the Atlantic, and the Hamburg established themselves in the lead. Fog had initially delayed the start but once underway and at sea, freshening winds sped the contestants along. Cookman reports that the logbooks indicated strengthening winds as the race progressed but it is to a famous story the he turns to give us a true glimpse of what it was like on deck. Atlantic was owned by millionaire Wilson Marshall and he had invited a few guests on board for the race. The hired skipper was a dour Scotsman named Charlie Barr who as an experienced sailor, relished the opportunity afforded him by this splendid yacht and took full measure of it, mercilessly pushing the Atlantic onward. During the height of a storm and supposedly fearing a catastophe, Marshall came up on deck to demand his boat be reigned in by shortening sail. Captain Barr shouting above the noise of the storm told Marshall "you hired me, sir, to win this race, and by God, that's what I am going to do". He promptly ordered the owner below.

The Atlantic did win, beating Hamburg by almost a day. With her nearly 19,000 square feet of sail she completed the 3,000 mile race at an average speed of over 10 knots. On her best days she covered over 350 miles at close to 15 knots. In addition to the splendor of ATLANTIC and it indeed being "The Last Great Race of Princes", Cookman's book tells us a little about the owners of these boats. We learn about the sailing lives of those princes of industry: J.P. Morgan, Thomas Lipton, and Alexander Belmont. All had entries in the race.

This is a well written and thrilling tale of a fantastic yacht race. It will obviously be appreciated by sailors but it has a much broader appeal. Anyone with interest in not just maritime history, but history in general, will enjoy the descriptions of the people and times of Victorian England and our own age of big industry egos.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The greatest book I've read in years ..., January 7, 2005

By	Eric Lindstrom (Central New York) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

To those few who actually didn't like this book (some of whom wrote reviews on this site), please send me your copy at 101 East State Street, Ithaca, NY 14850 as I could never have enough copies of this incredible book.

It helps I am an avid sailor and have often dreamt (and am somewhat planning) a crossing of the Atlantic in my own sailboat (the inspiration for this was the book "Tinkerbelle"). My wife bought me "Atlantic" for Christmas and I read this book non-stop during our recent vacation in Mexico. The way Cookman (the author) toggles between the Kaiser Cup race and the historical aspects of NY/NJ during the turn of the century is amazing. Just when we get DEEP into the history of the people involved (and their lavish lifestyles), you suddenly find yourself back on the water in the race. It is compelling and a great way to fill in the entire picture of this point in time.

I wouldn't be at all surprised (based on the real-life characters and their antics) if Hollywood doesn't pick up on this and make a movie to follow the book. When you get to the part about the Germans exploding and setting fire to potential competitors' boats in NYC and Brooklyn, you realize just how important this race was on an International scale.

I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in: sailing, New York City, New Jersey (Sandy Hook and Sea Brite), Germany and American history.