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The Strange Last Voyage of Donald Crowhurst

Now Filmed As The Mercy
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( 1,614 ratings, 145 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
The Strange Last Voyage of Donald Crowhurst by Nicholas Tomalin and Ron Hall is a gripping biography and memoir about the daring yet ultimately tragic circumnavigation attempt by Donald Crowhurst in 1968. It explores Crowhurst’s ambitious attempt to win the Sunday Times Golden Globe Race, his struggles at sea, and the psychological pressures that led to a surprising and mysterious conclusion. This compelling narrative shines a light on human tenacity, ambition, and the profound challenges faced in isolation.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this biography if you're interested in tales of adventure and human psychology as it explores the mysterious and tragic journey of a man attempting to sail solo around the world. This story delves into themes of ambition, isolation, and the unraveling of a fascinating character under extreme pressure, offering both gripping insights and a poignant reflection on the human spirit.

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The classic bestseller, the great sailing adventure story of Donald Crowhurst.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

In 1968, Donald Crowhurst was trying to market a nautical navigation device he had developed and saw the Sunday Times Golden Globe round the world sailing race as the perfect opportunity to showcase his product.

Few people knew that he wasn't an experienced deep-water sailor. His progress was so slow that he decided to short-cut the journey, while falsifying his location through radio messages from his supposed course.

Everyone following the race thought that he was winning, and a hero's welcome awaited him at home in Britain. But on 10 July 1968, eight months after he set off, his wife was told that his boat had been discovered drifting in mid-Atlantic. Crowhurst was missing, assumed drowned, and there was much speculation that this was one of the great mysteries of the sea.

In this masterpiece of investigative journalism, Nicholas Tomalin and Ron Hall reconstruct one of the greatest hoaxes of our time. From in-depth interviews with Crowhurst's family and friends and telling excerpts from his logbooks, Tomalin and Hall develop a tale of tragic self-delusion and public deception, a haunting portrait of a complex, deeply troubled man and his journey into the heart of darkness.

The Strange Last Voyage of Donald Crowhurst offers a gripping look at an extraordinary human drama that continues to captivate readers and remains an enduring story of challenge and mystery.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

The Strange Last Voyage of Donald Crowhurst is lauded as a powerful and riveting account, praised for its detailed research and gripping narrative. It's considered a masterpiece that delves meticulously into the tragic tale, offering fascinating insights and proving to be an essential document of its era.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781473635364

Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 29 December 2016

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Hodder Paperback

Audience: General / adult, Tertiary education, Professional and scholarly

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 20.0mm

Width: 128.0mm

Height: 196.0mm

Weight: 220g

Pages: 272

About the Author

Nicholas Tomalin (Author)

Nicholas Tomalin studied English literature at Trinity Hall, Cambridge. He was a featured columnist for the Daily Express, the Sunday Times, and the Evening Standard, before becoming literary editor of the New Statesman. He was nominated for Reporter of the Year for his coverage of the war in Vietnam. Tomalin was killed in Israel in 1973 while reporting on the Yom Kippur War.

Ron Hall (Author)

Ron Hall studied mathematics and statistics at Pembroke College, Cambridge. He was co-founder of the Sunday Times' investigative unit 'Insight', where he was editor from 1964-66, and became managing editor of the Sunday Times in 1969. He died aged 79 in 2014.

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