Does what it says on the tin, 29 Sep 2006
A very good book for the beginner. As a resutl of this book we have won few races

Does what it says on the tin, 29 Sep 2006
A very good book for the beginner. As a resutl of this book we have won few races

Chilling , 28 Dec 2008
I read this in less than a day. I just couldn't put it down. It is an amazing survival story, from which Nick should not have survived. But the fact that it is a story that remained untold for 25 years shows the courage it must have taken to relive those days and write the book. The descriptions of the seas and the emotions make it seem incredibly real and allows you to follow the highs and lows of the events as they unfold. The paperback version includes more information and photos. I found the book quite chilling not only because of the power of the sea but the survival story itself. A story I won't forget easily.

Left for dead 1979 Fastnet Disaster, 20 Dec 2008
I was loaned this book by a friend & decided to read a few chapters before going to bed. I couldn't leave it down & got to bed at around 02.30 next morning. I then purchased my own copy via Amazon & then another one for a friend. Nick Ward was very gracious to the crew members who left him behind, I doubt if I would have interpreted their actions in the same way. An excellent read & a book well worth having in one's library

as it is, 10 Dec 2008
I am a humble dinghy sailor, but was gripped by this account of disaster in a bigger boat. Although jointly written with Sinead O'Brien you can't see the join, and apart from a few minor subediting glitches it's well written.
The account of mountanous seas really (and frighteningly) puts you there. But the insight into his resentment - and later, understanding - of the three shipmates who abandoned him makes the book more profound than just the average disaster story.

A triumph of writing, 27 Oct 2008
Walking on Water: A Voyage Around Britain and Through Life

Having had the pleasure of meeting Nick, actually reading this harrowing account, made the story all the more real. I was only 13 when the tragedy happened but, even at such an early age, and as a keen sailor myself, it was indelibly etched on my mind. So to actually read this terrifying, first-hand account, all these years later was gripping. Of all the horror of that fateful race, two good things came out of it; Firstly Nick survived, and secondly he had the courage to document what must have been the most traumatic event in his life. Totally inspiring and a real page turner.

Excellent, 13 Oct 2008
I bought this book by chance and have since bought 2 more copies for friends. It is an absorbing, understated, well written account of the disaster striking a boat on the infamous 1979 Fastnet Race and for someone who would prefer to read non fiction I couldnt put it down.
Apparently, the paperback version was published later and includes additional concluding paragraphs not in the hardback.
Highly recommended. My wife who has no particular interest in sailing read the book in 2 days.

Rich with excitement, accomplished, gripping and authoritative, A Voyage for Madmen is the story of the yachting tournament from hell written by a man who is himself a gifted sailor as well as writer.

Peter Nichols' previous book, Sea Change, was the telling account of his own crossing of the Atlantic in a ridiculously small wooden boat. Now he's taken the skills he employed in that much-praised slice of autobiography to relay another quixotic tale. The subject this time is the infamous Golden Globe yacht race of 1968, when nine men, some French, some English, all bonkers (hence the title), undertook the most challenging adventure of their lives. The goal was to sail around the world solo, a feat no one had yet achieved; to make matters just that extra bit tricky some of the sailors were total novices.

The book analyses the fate of each sailor in turn. Using polished, craftsman-like, clear and sometimes moving prose, Nichols describes how the nine fought through storms and collisions, through the roaring 40s and the furious 50s, and how each man experienced those moments of solitary despair, lonely disappointment and occasional mystical elation that are unique to long-haul solo sailing. One of the most commendable features of the book is the way Nichols discusses the technical side of yachtsmanship with verve and passion without ever turning into an anorak. This is a fine and absorbing true-life tragicomedy, suitable for landlubbers and sea dogs alike. --Sean Thomas

Does what it says on the tin, 29 Sep 2006
A very good book for the beginner. As a resutl of this book we have won few races

Chilling , 28 Dec 2008
I read this in less than a day. I just couldn't put it down. It is an amazing survival story, from which Nick should not have survived. But the fact that it is a story that remained untold for 25 years shows the courage it must have taken to relive those days and write the book. The descriptions of the seas and the emotions make it seem incredibly real and allows you to follow the highs and lows of the events as they unfold. The paperback version includes more information and photos. I found the book quite chilling not only because of the power of the sea but the survival story itself. A story I won't forget easily.

Left for dead 1979 Fastnet Disaster, 20 Dec 2008
I was loaned this book by a friend & decided to read a few chapters before going to bed. I couldn't leave it down & got to bed at around 02.30 next morning. I then purchased my own copy via Amazon & then another one for a friend. Nick Ward was very gracious to the crew members who left him behind, I doubt if I would have interpreted their actions in the same way. An excellent read & a book well worth having in one's library

as it is, 10 Dec 2008
I am a humble dinghy sailor, but was gripped by this account of disaster in a bigger boat. Although jointly written with Sinead O'Brien you can't see the join, and apart from a few minor subediting glitches it's well written.
The account of mountanous seas really (and frighteningly) puts you there. But the insight into his resentment - and later, understanding - of the three shipmates who abandoned him makes the book more profound than just the average disaster story.

A triumph of writing, 27 Oct 2008
Walking on Water: A Voyage Around Britain and Through Life

Having had the pleasure of meeting Nick, actually reading this harrowing account, made the story all the more real. I was only 13 when the tragedy happened but, even at such an early age, and as a keen sailor myself, it was indelibly etched on my mind. So to actually read this terrifying, first-hand account, all these years later was gripping. Of all the horror of that fateful race, two good things came out of it; Firstly Nick survived, and secondly he had the courage to document what must have been the most traumatic event in his life. Totally inspiring and a real page turner.

Excellent, 13 Oct 2008
I bought this book by chance and have since bought 2 more copies for friends. It is an absorbing, understated, well written account of the disaster striking a boat on the infamous 1979 Fastnet Race and for someone who would prefer to read non fiction I couldnt put it down.
Apparently, the paperback version was published later and includes additional concluding paragraphs not in the hardback.
Highly recommended. My wife who has no particular interest in sailing read the book in 2 days.

Brilliant., 03 Nov 2008
Gripping and dramatic. I read the book in two sittings a few hours apart. I am sure I would have finished it in one but I was dragged away to cook dinner.

The author captures the different natures of the competitors well, builds the sense of excitement both at the start and the finish, as well as capturing the sense of the period, when competitive sailing was much less commercialized than it is now.

Well crafted, 28 Jan 2008
I am a small boat sailor and I loved it. This was a documentary that read like a novel and I was totally absorbed by it. It left me feeling both satisfied but sad and I was sorry it had to finish.

A first class read ..., 01 Nov 2007
I hate writing reviews, but a book this good deserves to be commended, and for the pleasure it's given me, I feel I owe it to the author, in some small way, to show my appreciation. For Peter Nichols is not only a seasoned sailor himself and so knows his subject well, but is also a very talented writer. His wonderful account of the 1968 Golden Globe circumnavigation race is beautifully told, a real adventure-packed page-turner that seamlessly weaves in the very diverse experiences of the extraordinary men who launched themselves into a venture that had never been done before, none of them knowing if it could indeed be done at all. From first to last Nichols skilfully laces the facts into an immensely readable narrative that keeps the reader glued to the page right to the last. It's a tale of courage and derring-do and self-suffiency and - in some cases - of extreme fool-hardiness and hopelessly optimistic naivety. Nichols' insight and sensitive appreciation of the personalities involved and the personal difficulties and mental hurdles each had to contend with in their respective journeys and battle with the elements, make for thoroughly engrossing reading. In fact, so enamoured with Mr Nichols' fluent and intelligently entertaining delivery am I, that I've since ordered everything else he has written. Now half-way through Sea Change, his autobiographical account of crossing the Atlantic in a little wooden schooner called Toad, I'm really glad I have. The man knows how to craft a tale and make it addictive stuff.

They'd never allow it today..., 17 Jun 2007
A fellow crew member brought this on board for a recent sail. It lives up to the cover hype - 'unputdownable', 'gripping'. Nichols keeps the pace up and even if you know the outcome you want to know what happens next... He interweaves the stories of the extraordinary competitors' solo battles very elegantly. Could you imagine today's owners of The Sunday Times sponsoring a race whose almost ridiculously courageous participants were so poorly prepared? Chay Blyth set off not knowing how to sail. The author's handling of Donald Crowhurst's mental unravelling - the subject of the well-made film documentary 'Deep Water' - is properly sensitive. My companions (several of whom had already read the book) kept demanding to be read extracts. Buy it, but make sure you put aside some time and don't have to put it down.

Great writer, 18 Jul 2006
The difference with Nichols and the authors of books on a similar topic, e.g., Perfect Storm, is that he can write. He avoids resorting to sentimentality in order to engage our interest. I'll be looking for other titles by this author. Evolutions Captain I would say is even better.

Does what it says on the tin, 29 Sep 2006
A very good book for the beginner. As a resutl of this book we have won few races

Chilling , 28 Dec 2008
I read this in less than a day. I just couldn't put it down. It is an amazing survival story, from which Nick should not have survived. But the fact that it is a story that remained untold for 25 years shows the courage it must have taken to relive those days and write the book. The descriptions of the seas and the emotions make it seem incredibly real and allows you to follow the highs and lows of the events as they unfold. The paperback version includes more information and photos. I found the book quite chilling not only because of the power of the sea but the survival story itself. A story I won't forget easily.

Left for dead 1979 Fastnet Disaster, 20 Dec 2008
I was loaned this book by a friend & decided to read a few chapters before going to bed. I couldn't leave it down & got to bed at around 02.30 next morning. I then purchased my own copy via Amazon & then another one for a friend. Nick Ward was very gracious to the crew members who left him behind, I doubt if I would have interpreted their actions in the same way. An excellent read & a book well worth having in one's library

as it is, 10 Dec 2008
I am a humble dinghy sailor, but was gripped by this account of disaster in a bigger boat. Although jointly written with Sinead O'Brien you can't see the join, and apart from a few minor subediting glitches it's well written.
The account of mountanous seas really (and frighteningly) puts you there. But the insight into his resentment - and later, understanding - of the three shipmates who abandoned him makes the book more profound than just the average disaster story.

A triumph of writing, 27 Oct 2008
Walking on Water: A Voyage Around Britain and Through Life

Having had the pleasure of meeting Nick, actually reading this harrowing account, made the story all the more real. I was only 13 when the tragedy happened but, even at such an early age, and as a keen sailor myself, it was indelibly etched on my mind. So to actually read this terrifying, first-hand account, all these years later was gripping. Of all the horror of that fateful race, two good things came out of it; Firstly Nick survived, and secondly he had the courage to document what must have been the most traumatic event in his life. Totally inspiring and a real page turner.

Excellent, 13 Oct 2008
I bought this book by chance and have since bought 2 more copies for friends. It is an absorbing, understated, well written account of the disaster striking a boat on the infamous 1979 Fastnet Race and for someone who would prefer to read non fiction I couldnt put it down.
Apparently, the paperback version was published later and includes additional concluding paragraphs not in the hardback.
Highly recommended. My wife who has no particular interest in sailing read the book in 2 days.

Brilliant., 03 Nov 2008
Gripping and dramatic. I read the book in two sittings a few hours apart. I am sure I would have finished it in one but I was dragged away to cook dinner.

The author captures the different natures of the competitors well, builds the sense of excitement both at the start and the finish, as well as capturing the sense of the period, when competitive sailing was much less commercialized than it is now.

Well crafted, 28 Jan 2008
I am a small boat sailor and I loved it. This was a documentary that read like a novel and I was totally absorbed by it. It left me feeling both satisfied but sad and I was sorry it had to finish.

A first class read ..., 01 Nov 2007
I hate writing reviews, but a book this good deserves to be commended, and for the pleasure it's given me, I feel I owe it to the author, in some small way, to show my appreciation. For Peter Nichols is not only a seasoned sailor himself and so knows his subject well, but is also a very talented writer. His wonderful account of the 1968 Golden Globe circumnavigation race is beautifully told, a real adventure-packed page-turner that seamlessly weaves in the very diverse experiences of the extraordinary men who launched themselves into a venture that had never been done before, none of them knowing if it could indeed be done at all. From first to last Nichols skilfully laces the facts into an immensely readable narrative that keeps the reader glued to the page right to the last. It's a tale of courage and derring-do and self-suffiency and - in some cases - of extreme fool-hardiness and hopelessly optimistic naivety. Nichols' insight and sensitive appreciation of the personalities involved and the personal difficulties and mental hurdles each had to contend with in their respective journeys and battle with the elements, make for thoroughly engrossing reading. In fact, so enamoured with Mr Nichols' fluent and intelligently entertaining delivery am I, that I've since ordered everything else he has written. Now half-way through Sea Change, his autobiographical account of crossing the Atlantic in a little wooden schooner called Toad, I'm really glad I have. The man knows how to craft a tale and make it addictive stuff.

They'd never allow it today..., 17 Jun 2007
A fellow crew member brought this on board for a recent sail. It lives up to the cover hype - 'unputdownable', 'gripping'. Nichols keeps the pace up and even if you know the outcome you want to know what happens next... He interweaves the stories of the extraordinary competitors' solo battles very elegantly. Could you imagine today's owners of The Sunday Times sponsoring a race whose almost ridiculously courageous participants were so poorly prepared? Chay Blyth set off not knowing how to sail. The author's handling of Donald Crowhurst's mental unravelling - the subject of the well-made film documentary 'Deep Water' - is properly sensitive. My companions (several of whom had already read the book) kept demanding to be read extracts. Buy it, but make sure you put aside some time and don't have to put it down.

Great writer, 18 Jul 2006
The difference with Nichols and the authors of books on a similar topic, e.g., Perfect Storm, is that he can write. He avoids resorting to sentimentality in order to engage our interest. I'll be looking for other titles by this author. Evolutions Captain I would say is even better.

Good for planning new cruising grounds, 21 Dec 2008
I was intially sceptical about this book before reading it. I had bought "50 places to sail before you die" and felt it was a waste of money. But this is different and is clearly written by someone who understands what you would be looking for as a sailor. It provides practical info which would help you decide whether you might like to cruise in this area. It contains useful planning info such as sailing season, prevailing wind, degree of difficulty etc. It covers 71 places and has been put together by some reputable yachting writers and it shows. It is supported by some stunning photography which should really whet the appetite to investigate new areas. My only negative would be that the photos of west coast of Scotland could have been more spectacular given the scenery - but it is a minor negative. Definately worth buying if you are looking for new cruising grounds or if considering places to charter.

Does what it says on the tin, 29 Sep 2006
A very good book for the beginner. As a resutl of this book we have won few races

Chilling , 28 Dec 2008
I read this in less than a day. I just couldn't put it down. It is an amazing survival story, from which Nick should not have survived. But the fact that it is a story that remained untold for 25 years shows the courage it must have taken to relive those days and write the book. The descriptions of the seas and the emotions make it seem incredibly real and allows you to follow the highs and lows of the events as they unfold. The paperback version includes more information and photos. I found the book quite chilling not only because of the power of the sea but the survival story itself. A story I won't forget easily.

Left for dead 1979 Fastnet Disaster, 20 Dec 2008
I was loaned this book by a friend & decided to read a few chapters before going to bed. I couldn't leave it down & got to bed at around 02.30 next morning. I then purchased my own copy via Amazon & then another one for a friend. Nick Ward was very gracious to the crew members who left him behind, I doubt if I would have interpreted their actions in the same way. An excellent read & a book well worth having in one's library

as it is, 10 Dec 2008
I am a humble dinghy sailor, but was gripped by this account of disaster in a bigger boat. Although jointly written with Sinead O'Brien you can't see the join, and apart from a few minor subediting glitches it's well written.
The account of mountanous seas really (and frighteningly) puts you there. But the insight into his resentment - and later, understanding - of the three shipmates who abandoned him makes the book more profound than just the average disaster story.

A triumph of writing, 27 Oct 2008
Walking on Water: A Voyage Around Britain and Through Life

Having had the pleasure of meeting Nick, actually reading this harrowing account, made the story all the more real. I was only 13 when the tragedy happened but, even at such an early age, and as a keen sailor myself, it was indelibly etched on my mind. So to actually read this terrifying, first-hand account, all these years later was gripping. Of all the horror of that fateful race, two good things came out of it; Firstly Nick survived, and secondly he had the courage to document what must have been the most traumatic event in his life. Totally inspiring and a real page turner.

Excellent, 13 Oct 2008
I bought this book by chance and have since bought 2 more copies for friends. It is an absorbing, understated, well written account of the disaster striking a boat on the infamous 1979 Fastnet Race and for someone who would prefer to read non fiction I couldnt put it down.
Apparently, the paperback version was published later and includes additional concluding paragraphs not in the hardback.
Highly recommended. My wife who has no particular interest in sailing read the book in 2 days.

Brilliant., 03 Nov 2008
Gripping and dramatic. I read the book in two sittings a few hours apart. I am sure I would have finished it in one but I was dragged away to cook dinner.

The author captures the different natures of the competitors well, builds the sense of excitement both at the start and the finish, as well as capturing the sense of the period, when competitive sailing was much less commercialized than it is now.

Well crafted, 28 Jan 2008
I am a small boat sailor and I loved it. This was a documentary that read like a novel and I was totally absorbed by it. It left me feeling both satisfied but sad and I was sorry it had to finish.

A first class read ..., 01 Nov 2007
I hate writing reviews, but a book this good deserves to be commended, and for the pleasure it's given me, I feel I owe it to the author, in some small way, to show my appreciation. For Peter Nichols is not only a seasoned sailor himself and so knows his subject well, but is also a very talented writer. His wonderful account of the 1968 Golden Globe circumnavigation race is beautifully told, a real adventure-packed page-turner that seamlessly weaves in the very diverse experiences of the extraordinary men who launched themselves into a venture that had never been done before, none of them knowing if it could indeed be done at all. From first to last Nichols skilfully laces the facts into an immensely readable narrative that keeps the reader glued to the page right to the last. It's a tale of courage and derring-do and self-suffiency and - in some cases - of extreme fool-hardiness and hopelessly optimistic naivety. Nichols' insight and sensitive appreciation of the personalities involved and the personal difficulties and mental hurdles each had to contend with in their respective journeys and battle with the elements, make for thoroughly engrossing reading. In fact, so enamoured with Mr Nichols' fluent and intelligently entertaining delivery am I, that I've since ordered everything else he has written. Now half-way through Sea Change, his autobiographical account of crossing the Atlantic in a little wooden schooner called Toad, I'm really glad I have. The man knows how to craft a tale and make it addictive stuff.

They'd never allow it today..., 17 Jun 2007
A fellow crew member brought this on board for a recent sail. It lives up to the cover hype - 'unputdownable', 'gripping'. Nichols keeps the pace up and even if you know the outcome you want to know what happens next... He interweaves the stories of the extraordinary competitors' solo battles very elegantly. Could you imagine today's owners of The Sunday Times sponsoring a race whose almost ridiculously courageous participants were so poorly prepared? Chay Blyth set off not knowing how to sail. The author's handling of Donald Crowhurst's mental unravelling - the subject of the well-made film documentary 'Deep Water' - is properly sensitive. My companions (several of whom had already read the book) kept demanding to be read extracts. Buy it, but make sure you put aside some time and don't have to put it down.

Great writer, 18 Jul 2006
The difference with Nichols and the authors of books on a similar topic, e.g., Perfect Storm, is that he can write. He avoids resorting to sentimentality in order to engage our interest. I'll be looking for other titles by this author. Evolutions Captain I would say is even better.

Good for planning new cruising grounds, 21 Dec 2008
I was intially sceptical about this book before reading it. I had bought "50 places to sail before you die" and felt it was a waste of money. But this is different and is clearly written by someone who understands what you would be looking for as a sailor. It provides practical info which would help you decide whether you might like to cruise in this area. It contains useful planning info such as sailing season, prevailing wind, degree of difficulty etc. It covers 71 places and has been put together by some reputable yachting writers and it shows. It is supported by some stunning photography which should really whet the appetite to investigate new areas. My only negative would be that the photos of west coast of Scotland could have been more spectacular given the scenery - but it is a minor negative. Definately worth buying if you are looking for new cruising grounds or if considering places to charter.

good but not great, 01 Jan 2009
de Rond's book is initially compelling and I had to finish it the day I started. Despite this, it was ultimately unsatisfying. In some key areas, he focussed too much on his own role in settling disputes, or doing a social row at the Head of the Charles. While I have no issue with his own activities, I bought the book to read about the Cambridge oarsmen, not about his own conflict resolution skills.

To be fair, he went into good detail on the baby-mutiny over initial selection. But in my opinion, he failed to go into enough detail on the extremely unusual case of replacing a blade AFTER selection, especially as to how the rest of the crew or the replaced man dealt with the decision. Likewise, Dowbiggin's installation was somewhat skirted over.

A good read, no doubt, but given the access he had, it could have been so much more. I doubt I will read it again but equally I won't give it away (just).

Review by Allan Fowlie, 30 Dec 2008
This book provides a fantastic insight into the emotion and psychology of competitive team sports. Even though the result of the race is known, Mark du Rond's wonderful pacing of the story ensured that I STILL got nervous as the Boat Race date loomed ever closer. I found myself worrying that the team has not resolved several key issues until late in the day and was fascinated at how they were resolved as the fog of the selection process cleared and the crew gradually emerged and took control of their own destiny.

Much to my wife's (mild) displeasure (she bought the book for me) I could not put it down until the whole story had been told. One of the things that emerges from the story is to remind us that competition is not JUST about winning, it is about the journey we take toward our goals, what we learn about ourselves along the way and what we carry forward forever with us whatever the result.

Despite being originally an "Oxford man", over the course of the months of training Mark earns, for the reader, a seat at the selection meetings and the elite dinners and places us within earshot of the private conversations with the team where we learn of their hopes and fears and individual struggles. I think this book is a big achievement and I HIGHLY recommend it.


Interesting Insights into a unique sporting event, 28 Dec 2008
Mark de Rond's book is a fascinating look into the often mis-understood world of Cambridge rowing. Written in a diary format from when the crew hopefuls assemble in September through the various selection tests to the formation of the crews and the actual boat race in April. His book contains many insights into rowing training in general but also the unique set-up of the Cambridge University Boat Club. He looks at the personalities, the intra-crew tensions, the traditions and the tough selection decisions.

The only criticism I have is that De Rond, especially in the early chapters, seemed intent in making himself part of the story. With a preface that pointlessly agonizes about his role as anthropologist and whether or not he can be objective and later chapters that talk about his own experience of rowing the head of the charles I would have preferred if he'd told the story more from the perspective of pure observer.

Fascinating insights as relevant to team building as to rowing, 11 Oct 2008
This is a fascinating inside look at the preparation by the 2007 winning Cambridge Boat Race crew by a sociologist who more or less lived with the squad throughout the period and who appears to have played a crucial role at some moments - for instance in helping sort out some disputes within one of the crews.

It comes close to Daniel Topolski's 'Boat Race', the story of the Oxford revival from 1973 to 1984 and for me one of the best books on rowing ever written. It is miles ahead of Topolski's account of the 1987 mutiny - for me far over rated.

I was once captain of the rowing club (Jesus College) right next to the Goldie Boathouse (the CUBC headquarters) and have known some Boat Race oarsmen quite well - e.g rowed in races with them. And yet it is a very closed world, not open to the uninitiated. I had no idea what went on in there and this book really does open the doors. I found it extremely interesting.

Some fasinating insights included the detailed description by an (anonymous) squad member of how legally to raise testosterone levels before a race (the lengths these men would go to!). And then quick advice on how best to lower them again. The selection battles for the crew are well described and left me with the uneasy feeling that there might well have been people who had good grounds for feeling unhappy about not being in the crew.

The account of the replacement of Russ Glenn as cox just before the race is very sympathetic but, by contrast, leaves one in little doubt that the decision was hard but fair.

I was left with a great deal of sympathy - even liking - for the crew and for the Head Coach Duncan Holland, who left his position as Head Coach when his contract was not renewed after losing the Boat Race in 2008. And yet it was hard to avoid the conclusion that the crew, while winning, had significantly underperformed.

A couple of minor black spots: The book frustratingly does not examine the controversy over strokeman Thorsten Engelmann, the heavist man in Boat Race history at over 110 kg. He is the only person to have a Blue withdrawn when he left the University without completing his degree - but he comes across as a very sympathetic figure.

The photos are a disappointment - almost none of the crew as a crew, or of the race itself. Given that some of the people who play a key part in the story did not make the crew, it was a shame that none of them (other than Glenn) feature in the pictures. I would also have liked the statistics - the crew lists (both races) and times etc at the end.

I have worked in the organisational development field over recent years and the story is as relevant to team building as much as it is to rowing aficionados. I do recommend it.

Does what it says on the tin, 29 Sep 2006
A very good book for the beginner. As a resutl of this book we have won few races

Chilling , 28 Dec 2008
I read this in less than a day. I just couldn't put it down. It is an amazing survival story, from which Nick should not have survived. But the fact that it is a story that remained untold for 25 years shows the courage it must have taken to relive those days and write the book. The descriptions of the seas and the emotions make it seem incredibly real and allows you to follow the highs and lows of the events as they unfold. The paperback version includes more information and photos. I found the book quite chilling not only because of the power of the sea but the survival story itself. A story I won't forget easily.

Left for dead 1979 Fastnet Disaster, 20 Dec 2008
I was loaned this book by a friend & decided to read a few chapters before going to bed. I couldn't leave it down & got to bed at around 02.30 next morning. I then purchased my own copy via Amazon & then another one for a friend. Nick Ward was very gracious to the crew members who left him behind, I doubt if I would have interpreted their actions in the same way. An excellent read & a book well worth having in one's library

as it is, 10 Dec 2008
I am a humble dinghy sailor, but was gripped by this account of disaster in a bigger boat. Although jointly written with Sinead O'Brien you can't see the join, and apart from a few minor subediting glitches it's well written.
The account of mountanous seas really (and frighteningly) puts you there. But the insight into his resentment - and later, understanding - of the three shipmates who abandoned him makes the book more profound than just the average disaster story.

A triumph of writing, 27 Oct 2008
Walking on Water: A Voyage Around Britain and Through Life

Having had the pleasure of meeting Nick, actually reading this harrowing account, made the story all the more real. I was only 13 when the tragedy happened but, even at such an early age, and as a keen sailor myself, it was indelibly etched on my mind. So to actually read this terrifying, first-hand account, all these years later was gripping. Of all the horror of that fateful race, two good things came out of it; Firstly Nick survived, and secondly he had the courage to document what must have been the most traumatic event in his life. Totally inspiring and a real page turner.

Excellent, 13 Oct 2008
I bought this book by chance and have since bought 2 more copies for friends. It is an absorbing, understated, well written account of the disaster striking a boat on the infamous 1979 Fastnet Race and for someone who would prefer to read non fiction I couldnt put it down.
Apparently, the paperback version was published later and includes additional concluding paragraphs not in the hardback.
Highly recommended. My wife who has no particular interest in sailing read the book in 2 days.

Brilliant., 03 Nov 2008
Gripping and dramatic. I read the book in two sittings a few hours apart. I am sure I would have finished it in one but I was dragged away to cook dinner.

The author captures the different natures of the competitors well, builds the sense of excitement both at the start and the finish, as well as capturing the sense of the period, when competitive sailing was much less commercialized than it is now.

Well crafted, 28 Jan 2008
I am a small boat sailor and I loved it. This was a documentary that read like a novel and I was totally absorbed by it. It left me feeling both satisfied but sad and I was sorry it had to finish.

A first class read ..., 01 Nov 2007
I hate writing reviews, but a book this good deserves to be commended, and for the pleasure it's given me, I feel I owe it to the author, in some small way, to show my appreciation. For Peter Nichols is not only a seasoned sailor himself and so knows his subject well, but is also a very talented writer. His wonderful account of the 1968 Golden Globe circumnavigation race is beautifully told, a real adventure-packed page-turner that seamlessly weaves in the very diverse experiences of the extraordinary men who launched themselves into a venture that had never been done before, none of them knowing if it could indeed be done at all. From first to last Nichols skilfully laces the facts into an immensely readable narrative that keeps the reader glued to the page right to the last. It's a tale of courage and derring-do and self-suffiency and - in some cases - of extreme fool-hardiness and hopelessly optimistic naivety. Nichols' insight and sensitive appreciation of the personalities involved and the personal difficulties and mental hurdles each had to contend with in their respective journeys and battle with the elements, make for thoroughly engrossing reading. In fact, so enamoured with Mr Nichols' fluent and intelligently entertaining delivery am I, that I've since ordered everything else he has written. Now half-way through Sea Change, his autobiographical account of crossing the Atlantic in a little wooden schooner called Toad, I'm really glad I have. The man knows how to craft a tale and make it addictive stuff.

They'd never allow it today..., 17 Jun 2007
A fellow crew member brought this on board for a recent sail. It lives up to the cover hype - 'unputdownable', 'gripping'. Nichols keeps the pace up and even if you know the outcome you want to know what happens next... He interweaves the stories of the extraordinary competitors' solo battles very elegantly. Could you imagine today's owners of The Sunday Times sponsoring a race whose almost ridiculously courageous participants were so poorly prepared? Chay Blyth set off not knowing how to sail. The author's handling of Donald Crowhurst's mental unravelling - the subject of the well-made film documentary 'Deep Water' - is properly sensitive. My companions (several of whom had already read the book) kept demanding to be read extracts. Buy it, but make sure you put aside some time and don't have to put it down.

Great writer, 18 Jul 2006
The difference with Nichols and the authors of books on a similar topic, e.g., Perfect Storm, is that he can write. He avoids resorting to sentimentality in order to engage our interest. I'll be looking for other titles by this author. Evolutions Captain I would say is even better.

Good for planning new cruising grounds, 21 Dec 2008
I was intially sceptical about this book before reading it. I had bought "50 places to sail before you die" and felt it was a waste of money. But this is different and is clearly written by someone who understands what you would be looking for as a sailor. It provides practical info which would help you decide whether you might like to cruise in this area. It contains useful planning info such as sailing season, prevailing wind, degree of difficulty etc. It covers 71 places and has been put together by some reputable yachting writers and it shows. It is supported by some stunning photography which should really whet the appetite to investigate new areas. My only negative would be that the photos of west coast of Scotland could have been more spectacular given the scenery - but it is a minor negative. Definately worth buying if you are looking for new cruising grounds or if considering places to charter.

good but not great, 01 Jan 2009
de Rond's book is initially compelling and I had to finish it the day I started. Despite this, it was ultimately unsatisfying. In some key areas, he focussed too much on his own role in settling disputes, or doing a social row at the Head of the Charles. While I have no issue with his own activities, I bought the book to read about the Cambridge oarsmen, not about his own conflict resolution skills.

To be fair, he went into good detail on the baby-mutiny over initial selection. But in my opinion, he failed to go into enough detail on the extremely unusual case of replacing a blade AFTER selection, especially as to how the rest of the crew or the replaced man dealt with the decision. Likewise, Dowbiggin's installation was somewhat skirted over.

A good read, no doubt, but given the access he had, it could have been so much more. I doubt I will read it again but equally I won't give it away (just).

Review by Allan Fowlie, 30 Dec 2008
This book provides a fantastic insight into the emotion and psychology of competitive team sports. Even though the result of the race is known, Mark du Rond's wonderful pacing of the story ensured that I STILL got nervous as the Boat Race date loomed ever closer. I found myself worrying that the team has not resolved several key issues until late in the day and was fascinated at how they were resolved as the fog of the selection process cleared and the crew gradually emerged and took control of their own destiny.

Much to my wife's (mild) displeasure (she bought the book for me) I could not put it down until the whole story had been told. One of the things that emerges from the story is to remind us that competition is not JUST about winning, it is about the journey we take toward our goals, what we learn about ourselves along the way and what we carry forward forever with us whatever the result.

Despite being originally an "Oxford man", over the course of the months of training Mark earns, for the reader, a seat at the selection meetings and the elite dinners and places us within earshot of the private conversations with the team where we learn of their hopes and fears and individual struggles. I think this book is a big achievement and I HIGHLY recommend it.


Interesting Insights into a unique sporting event, 28 Dec 2008
Mark de Rond's book is a fascinating look into the often mis-understood world of Cambridge rowing. Written in a diary format from when the crew hopefuls assemble in September through the various selection tests to the formation of the crews and the actual boat race in April. His book contains many insights into rowing training in general but also the unique set-up of the Cambridge University Boat Club. He looks at the personalities, the intra-crew tensions, the traditions and the tough selection decisions.

The only criticism I have is that De Rond, especially in the early chapters, seemed intent in making himself part of the story. With a preface that pointlessly agonizes about his role as anthropologist and whether or not he can be objective and later chapters that talk about his own experience of rowing the head of the charles I would have preferred if he'd told the story more from the perspective of pure observer.

Fascinating insights as relevant to team building as to rowing, 11 Oct 2008
This is a fascinating inside look at the preparation by the 2007 winning Cambridge Boat Race crew by a sociologist who more or less lived with the squad throughout the period and who appears to have played a crucial role at some moments - for instance in helping sort out some disputes within one of the crews.

It comes close to Daniel Topolski's 'Boat Race', the story of the Oxford revival from 1973 to 1984 and for me one of the best books on rowing ever written. It is miles ahead of Topolski's account of the 1987 mutiny - for me far over rated.

I was once captain of the rowing club (Jesus College) right next to the Goldie Boathouse (the CUBC headquarters) and have known some Boat Race oarsmen quite well - e.g rowed in races with them. And yet it is a very closed world, not open to the uninitiated. I had no idea what went on in there and this book really does open the doors. I found it extremely interesting.

Some fasinating insights included the detailed description by an (anonymous) squad member of how legally to raise testosterone levels before a race (the lengths these men would go to!). And then quick advice on how best to lower them again. The selection battles for the crew are well described and left me with the uneasy feeling that there might well have been people who had good grounds for feeling unhappy about not being in the crew.

The account of the replacement of Russ Glenn as cox just before the race is very sympathetic but, by contrast, leaves one in little doubt that the decision was hard but fair.

I was left with a great deal of sympathy - even liking - for the crew and for the Head Coach Duncan Holland, who left his position as Head Coach when his contract was not renewed after losing the Boat Race in 2008. And yet it was hard to avoid the conclusion that the crew, while winning, had significantly underperformed.

A couple of minor black spots: The book frustratingly does not examine the controversy over strokeman Thorsten Engelmann, the heavist man in Boat Race history at over 110 kg. He is the only person to have a Blue withdrawn when he left the University without completing his degree - but he comes across as a very sympathetic figure.

The photos are a disappointment - almost none of the crew as a crew, or of the race itself. Given that some of the people who play a key part in the story did not make the crew, it was a shame that none of them (other than Glenn) feature in the pictures. I would also have liked the statistics - the crew lists (both races) and times etc at the end.

I have worked in the organisational development field over recent years and the story is as relevant to team building as much as it is to rowing aficionados. I do recommend it.

Navigation Excersises, 08 Mar 2008
Excellent book for revision of shore based RYA courses. Very comprehensive and well put together. Recommended for anyone interested in navigation.

Does what it says on the tin, 29 Sep 2006
A very good book for the beginner. As a resutl of this book we have won few races

Chilling , 28 Dec 2008
I read this in less than a day. I just couldn't put it down. It is an amazing survival story, from which Nick should not have survived. But the fact that it is a story that remained untold for 25 years shows the courage it must have taken to relive those days and write the book. The descriptions of the seas and the emotions make it seem incredibly real and allows you to follow the highs and lows of the events as they unfold. The paperback version includes more information and photos. I found the book quite chilling not only because of the power of the sea but the survival story itself. A story I won't forget easily.

Left for dead 1979 Fastnet Disaster, 20 Dec 2008
I was loaned this book by a friend & decided to read a few chapters before going to bed. I couldn't leave it down & got to bed at around 02.30 next morning. I then purchased my own copy via Amazon & then another one for a friend. Nick Ward was very gracious to the crew members who left him behind, I doubt if I would have interpreted their actions in the same way. An excellent read & a book well worth having in one's library

as it is, 10 Dec 2008
I am a humble dinghy sailor, but was gripped by this account of disaster in a bigger boat. Although jointly written with Sinead O'Brien you can't see the join, and apart from a few minor subediting glitches it's well written.
The account of mountanous seas really (and frighteningly) puts you there. But the insight into his resentment - and later, understanding - of the three shipmates who abandoned him makes the book more profound than just the average disaster story.

A triumph of writing, 27 Oct 2008
Walking on Water: A Voyage Around Britain and Through Life

Having had the pleasure of meeting Nick, actually reading this harrowing account, made the story all the more real. I was only 13 when the tragedy happened but, even at such an early age, and as a keen sailor myself, it was indelibly etched on my mind. So to actually read this terrifying, first-hand account, all these years later was gripping. Of all the horror of that fateful race, two good things came out of it; Firstly Nick survived, and secondly he had the courage to document what must have been the most traumatic event in his life. Totally inspiring and a real page turner.

Excellent, 13 Oct 2008
I bought this book by chance and have since bought 2 more copies for friends. It is an absorbing, understated, well written account of the disaster striking a boat on the infamous 1979 Fastnet Race and for someone who would prefer to read non fiction I couldnt put it down.
Apparently, the paperback version was published later and includes additional concluding paragraphs not in the hardback.
Highly recommended. My wife who has no particular interest in sailing read the book in 2 days.

Brilliant., 03 Nov 2008
Gripping and dramatic. I read the book in two sittings a few hours apart. I am sure I would have finished it in one but I was dragged away to cook dinner.

The author captures the different natures of the competitors well, builds the sense of excitement both at the start and the finish, as well as capturing the sense of the period, when competitive sailing was much less commercialized than it is now.

Well crafted, 28 Jan 2008
I am a small boat sailor and I loved it. This was a documentary that read like a novel and I was totally absorbed by it. It left me feeling both satisfied but sad and I was sorry it had to finish.

A first class read ..., 01 Nov 2007
I hate writing reviews, but a book this good deserves to be commended, and for the pleasure it's given me, I feel I owe it to the author, in some small way, to show my appreciation. For Peter Nichols is not only a seasoned sailor himself and so knows his subject well, but is also a very talented writer. His wonderful account of the 1968 Golden Globe circumnavigation race is beautifully told, a real adventure-packed page-turner that seamlessly weaves in the very diverse experiences of the extraordinary men who launched themselves into a venture that had never been done before, none of them knowing if it could indeed be done at all. From first to last Nichols skilfully laces the facts into an immensely readable narrative that keeps the reader glued to the page right to the last. It's a tale of courage and derring-do and self-suffiency and - in some cases - of extreme fool-hardiness and hopelessly optimistic naivety. Nichols' insight and sensitive appreciation of the personalities involved and the personal difficulties and mental hurdles each had to contend with in their respective journeys and battle with the elements, make for thoroughly engrossing reading. In fact, so enamoured with Mr Nichols' fluent and intelligently entertaining delivery am I, that I've since ordered everything else he has written. Now half-way through Sea Change, his autobiographical account of crossing the Atlantic in a little wooden schooner called Toad, I'm really glad I have. The man knows how to craft a tale and make it addictive stuff.

They'd never allow it today..., 17 Jun 2007
A fellow crew member brought this on board for a recent sail. It lives up to the cover hype - 'unputdownable', 'gripping'. Nichols keeps the pace up and even if you know the outcome you want to know what happens next... He interweaves the stories of the extraordinary competitors' solo battles very elegantly. Could you imagine today's owners of The Sunday Times sponsoring a race whose almost ridiculously courageous participants were so poorly prepared? Chay Blyth set off not knowing how to sail. The author's handling of Donald Crowhurst's mental unravelling - the subject of the well-made film documentary 'Deep Water' - is properly sensitive. My companions (several of whom had already read the book) kept demanding to be read extracts. Buy it, but make sure you put aside some time and don't have to put it down.

Great writer, 18 Jul 2006
The difference with Nichols and the authors of books on a similar topic, e.g., Perfect Storm, is that he can write. He avoids resorting to sentimentality in order to engage our interest. I'll be looking for other titles by this author. Evolutions Captain I would say is even better.

Good for planning new cruising grounds, 21 Dec 2008
I was intially sceptical about this book before reading it. I had bought "50 places to sail before you die" and felt it was a waste of money. But this is different and is clearly written by someone who understands what you would be looking for as a sailor. It provides practical info which would help you decide whether you might like to cruise in this area. It contains useful planning info such as sailing season, prevailing wind, degree of difficulty etc. It covers 71 places and has been put together by some reputable yachting writers and it shows. It is supported by some stunning photography which should really whet the appetite to investigate new areas. My only negative would be that the photos of west coast of Scotland could have been more spectacular given the scenery - but it is a minor negative. Definately worth buying if you are looking for new cruising grounds or if considering places to charter.

good but not great, 01 Jan 2009
de Rond's book is initially compelling and I had to finish it the day I started. Despite this, it was ultimately unsatisfying. In some key areas, he focussed too much on his own role in settling disputes, or doing a social row at the Head of the Charles. While I have no issue with his own activities, I bought the book to read about the Cambridge oarsmen, not about his own conflict resolution skills.

To be fair, he went into good detail on the baby-mutiny over initial selection. But in my opinion, he failed to go into enough detail on the extremely unusual case of replacing a blade AFTER selection, especially as to how the rest of the crew or the replaced man dealt with the decision. Likewise, Dowbiggin's installation was somewhat skirted over.

A good read, no doubt, but given the access he had, it could have been so much more. I doubt I will read it again but equally I won't give it away (just).

Review by Allan Fowlie, 30 Dec 2008
This book provides a fantastic insight into the emotion and psychology of competitive team sports. Even though the result of the race is known, Mark du Rond's wonderful pacing of the story ensured that I STILL got nervous as the Boat Race date loomed ever closer. I found myself worrying that the team has not resolved several key issues until late in the day and was fascinated at how they were resolved as the fog of the selection process cleared and the crew gradually emerged and took control of their own destiny.

Much to my wife's (mild) displeasure (she bought the book for me) I could not put it down until the whole story had been told. One of the things that emerges from the story is to remind us that competition is not JUST about winning, it is about the journey we take toward our goals, what we learn about ourselves along the way and what we carry forward forever with us whatever the result.

Despite being originally an "Oxford man", over the course of the months of training Mark earns, for the reader, a seat at the selection meetings and the elite dinners and places us within earshot of the private conversations with the team where we learn of their hopes and fears and individual struggles. I think this book is a big achievement and I HIGHLY recommend it.


Interesting Insights into a unique sporting event, 28 Dec 2008
Mark de Rond's book is a fascinating look into the often mis-understood world of Cambridge rowing. Written in a diary format from when the crew hopefuls assemble in September through the various selection tests to the formation of the crews and the actual boat race in April. His book contains many insights into rowing training in general but also the unique set-up of the Cambridge University Boat Club. He looks at the personalities, the intra-crew tensions, the traditions and the tough selection decisions.

The only criticism I have is that De Rond, especially in the early chapters, seemed intent in making himself part of the story. With a preface that pointlessly agonizes about his role as anthropologist and whether or not he can be objective and later chapters that talk about his own experience of rowing the head of the charles I would have preferred if he'd told the story more from the perspective of pure observer.

Fascinating insights as relevant to team building as to rowing, 11 Oct 2008
This is a fascinating inside look at the preparation by the 2007 winning Cambridge Boat Race crew by a sociologist who more or less lived with the squad throughout the period and who appears to have played a crucial role at some moments - for instance in helping sort out some disputes within one of the crews.

It comes close to Daniel Topolski's 'Boat Race', the story of the Oxford revival from 1973 to 1984 and for me one of the best books on rowing ever written. It is miles ahead of Topolski's account of the 1987 mutiny - for me far over rated.

I was once captain of the rowing club (Jesus College) right next to the Goldie Boathouse (the CUBC headquarters) and have known some Boat Race oarsmen quite well - e.g rowed in races with them. And yet it is a very closed world, not open to the uninitiated. I had no idea what went on in there and this book really does open the doors. I found it extremely interesting.

Some fasinating insights included the detailed description by an (anonymous) squad member of how legally to raise testosterone levels before a race (the lengths these men would go to!). And then quick advice on how best to lower them again. The selection battles for the crew are well described and left me with the uneasy feeling that there might well have been people who had good grounds for feeling unhappy about not being in the crew.

The account of the replacement of Russ Glenn as cox just before the race is very sympathetic but, by contrast, leaves one in little doubt that the decision was hard but fair.

I was left with a great deal of sympathy - even liking - for the crew and for the Head Coach Duncan Holland, who left his position as Head Coach when his contract was not renewed after losing the Boat Race in 2008. And yet it was hard to avoid the conclusion that the crew, while winning, had significantly underperformed.

A couple of minor black spots: The book frustratingly does not examine the controversy over strokeman Thorsten Engelmann, the heavist man in Boat Race history at over 110 kg. He is the only person to have a Blue withdrawn when he left the University without completing his degree - but he comes across as a very sympathetic figure.

The photos are a disappointment - almost none of the crew as a crew, or of the race itself. Given that some of the people who play a key part in the story did not make the crew, it was a shame that none of them (other than Glenn) feature in the pictures. I would also have liked the statistics - the crew lists (both races) and times etc at the end.

I have worked in the organisational development field over recent years and the story is as relevant to team building as much as it is to rowing aficionados. I do recommend it.

Navigation Excersises, 08 Mar 2008
Excellent book for revision of shore based RYA courses. Very comprehensive and well put together. Recommended for anyone interested in navigation.

A book worth having, 28 Dec 2008
I received a copy of this book for Christmas and I must say it stands out as well put together and well presented. It's a great all round reference book for Martial Arts and well worth purchasing a copy of.

There is little point in me going in to depth about the book as it has all been said in the other reviews but for me I was a little disappointed in the lack of UK and European based martial arts featured. There has been a ground swell of European martial arts growing over the past 20 years or more and the UK has a large growing community of western style martial artists which are not featured. It would seem that some of the worlds `lesser known' martial arts have been included but it is a shame that Chris Crudelli missed out on UK based martial arts such as TE-MA (Traditional English Martial Arts), English Country Backswording (whihc has been around for ceturies) and the plethora of weapons based combat systems currently being taught throughout the UK and Europe. Yes it does mention a few but considering the martial heritage of the UK and Europe that goes back over 2,000 years, a little more research would have revealed a lot more content that could have been added.

Overall though this is a book that has been a long time coming and hopefully any future revised edition may include the above mentioned.

Go buy a copy now.


good for beginners , 30 Nov 2008
lots of nice pictures and a great book for the beginner/inexperienced martial artist. not very much information in it though and can be read quite quickly. very basic book tho - this was bought for me as a present - it covers each martial art with a couple of paragraphs of general information and some nice pictures. kids would love it.

Superb, 08 Nov 2008
If you have never experienced any martial art, this book is still worth buying. I am amazed at the photographic content and descriptions which show how well the author has researched this book.It is totally flickable and a great addition to any library! I am buying more than one copy for xmas this year!!


The Way of the Warrior by Chris Crudelli, 04 Oct 2008
I bought "The Way of the Warrior" because of a fascination and deep interest in martial arts and their history. What you actually get with "The Way of the Warrior" is one of the most in depth and informative encyclopaedia on any subject written. The sheer effort, energy and visually stunning nature of this book are evident from your first inevitable flick through as you try to comprehend the wealth of martial arts that exist. It is actually when you sit down and start to really read "The Way of the Warrior" that you realise that you have made a purchase that is going to both inform and entertain you as a martial arts fan or knowledge fanatic. Gone are the days of "this martial art is better" or "this is more deadly than that." Chris Crudelli (author) presents you with informed, unbiased truths about the codified fight systems that have existed for centuries. The history of martial arts is presented as a journey through the world not just the precious domain of the Far East. For the first time the passage of fighting systems and how countries pooled from each other is truly exposed giving the reader a genuine perspective into how we as humans have always learnt from each other regardless of colour or creed. The writing is clear, always informative and will appeal to martial artists and casual readers alike.
For me, what really takes this book to the highest level is the fact that every page is a visual feast. The photography is stunning. The book and its information leaps off the page because you are presented with such exciting imagery so descriptive in its nature you would be excused for thinking this book was a work of art. Every page is soaked in bold and artistic yet completely functional images. Not the standard martial arts photography you have seen before but new perspectives and specifically commissioned photography giving this book a completely unique feel.
I would recommend this book to martial artists. I would recommend this book to fans of photography. I would recommend this book to anyone that reads. "The Way of the Warrior" does not polarise its potential buyer base. I do not own anything like this book and it is going to take a lot of effort to find any encyclopaedia that comes close.

Does what it says on the tin, 29 Sep 2006
A very good book for the beginner. As a resutl of this book we have won few races

Chilling , 28 Dec 2008
I read this in less than a day. I just couldn't put it down. It is an amazing survival story, from which Nick should not have survived. But the fact that it is a story that remained untold for 25 years shows the courage it must have taken to relive those days and write the book. The descriptions of the seas and the emotions make it seem incredibly real and allows you to follow the highs and lows of the events as they unfold. The paperback version includes more information and photos. I found the book quite chilling not only because of the power of the sea but the survival story itself. A story I won't forget easily.

Left for dead 1979 Fastnet Disaster, 20 Dec 2008
I was loaned this book by a friend & decided to read a few chapters before going to bed. I couldn't leave it down & got to bed at around 02.30 next morning. I then purchased my own copy via Amazon & then another one for a friend. Nick Ward was very gracious to the crew members who left him behind, I doubt if I would have interpreted their actions in the same way. An excellent read & a book well worth having in one's library

as it is, 10 Dec 2008
I am a humble dinghy sailor, but was gripped by this account of disaster in a bigger boat. Although jointly written with Sinead O'Brien you can't see the join, and apart from a few minor subediting glitches it's well written.
The account of mountanous seas really (and frighteningly) puts you there. But the insight into his resentment - and later, understanding - of the three shipmates who abandoned him makes the book more profound than just the average disaster story.

A triumph of writing, 27 Oct 2008
Walking on Water: A Voyage Around Britain and Through Life

Having had the pleasure of meeting Nick, actually reading this harrowing account, made the story all the more real. I was only 13 when the tragedy happened but, even at such an early age, and as a keen sailor myself, it was indelibly etched on my mind. So to actually read this terrifying, first-hand account, all these years later was gripping. Of all the horror of that fateful race, two good things came out of it; Firstly Nick survived, and secondly he had the courage to document what must have been the most traumatic event in his life. Totally inspiring and a real page turner.

Excellent, 13 Oct 2008
I bought this book by chance and have since bought 2 more copies for friends. It is an absorbing, understated, well written account of the disaster striking a boat on the infamous 1979 Fastnet Race and for someone who would prefer to read non fiction I couldnt put it down.
Apparently, the paperback version was published later and includes additional concluding paragraphs not in the hardback.
Highly recommended. My wife who has no particular interest in sailing read the book in 2 days.

Brilliant., 03 Nov 2008
Gripping and dramatic. I read the book in two sittings a few hours apart. I am sure I would have finished it in one but I was dragged away to cook dinner.

The author captures the different natures of the competitors well, builds the sense of excitement both at the start and the finish, as well as capturing the sense of the period, when competitive sailing was much less commercialized than it is now.

Well crafted, 28 Jan 2008
I am a small boat sailor and I loved it. This was a documentary that read like a novel and I was totally absorbed by it. It left me feeling both satisfied but sad and I was sorry it had to finish.

A first class read ..., 01 Nov 2007
I hate writing reviews, but a book this good deserves to be commended, and for the pleasure it's given me, I feel I owe it to the author, in some small way, to show my appreciation. For Peter Nichols is not only a seasoned sailor himself and so knows his subject well, but is also a very talented writer. His wonderful account of the 1968 Golden Globe circumnavigation race is beautifully told, a real adventure-packed page-turner that seamlessly weaves in the very diverse experiences of the extraordinary men who launched themselves into a venture that had never been done before, none of them knowing if it could indeed be done at all. From first to last Nichols skilfully laces the facts into an immensely readable narrative that keeps the reader glued to the page right to the last. It's a tale of courage and derring-do and self-suffiency and - in some cases - of extreme fool-hardiness and hopelessly optimistic naivety. Nichols' insight and sensitive appreciation of the personalities involved and the personal difficulties and mental hurdles each had to contend with in their respective journeys and battle with the elements, make for thoroughly engrossing reading. In fact, so enamoured with Mr Nichols' fluent and intelligently entertaining delivery am I, that I've since ordered everything else he has written. Now half-way through Sea Change, his autobiographical account of crossing the Atlantic in a little wooden schooner called Toad, I'm really glad I have. The man knows how to craft a tale and make it addictive stuff.

They'd never allow it today..., 17 Jun 2007
A fellow crew member brought this on board for a recent sail. It lives up to the cover hype - 'unputdownable', 'gripping'. Nichols keeps the pace up and even if you know the outcome you want to know what happens next... He interweaves the stories of the extraordinary competitors' solo battles very elegantly. Could you imagine today's owners of The Sunday Times sponsoring a race whose almost ridiculously courageous participants were so poorly prepared? Chay Blyth set off not knowing how to sail. The author's handling of Donald Crowhurst's mental unravelling - the subject of the well-made film documentary 'Deep Water' - is properly sensitive. My companions (several of whom had already read the book) kept demanding to be read extracts. Buy it, but make sure you put aside some time and don't have to put it down.

Great writer, 18 Jul 2006
The difference with Nichols and the authors of books on a similar topic, e.g., Perfect Storm, is that he can write. He avoids resorting to sentimentality in order to engage our interest. I'll be looking for other titles by this author. Evolutions Captain I would say is even better.

Good for planning new cruising grounds, 21 Dec 2008
I was intially sceptical about this book before reading it. I had bought "50 places to sail before you die" and felt it was a waste of money. But this is different and is clearly written by someone who understands what you would be looking for as a sailor. It provides practical info which would help you decide whether you might like to cruise in this area. It contains useful planning info such as sailing season, prevailing wind, degree of difficulty etc. It covers 71 places and has been put together by some reputable yachting writers and it shows. It is supported by some stunning photography which should really whet the appetite to investigate new areas. My only negative would be that the photos of west coast of Scotland could have been more spectacular given the scenery - but it is a minor negative. Definately worth buying if you are looking for new cruising grounds or if considering places to charter.

good but not great, 01 Jan 2009
de Rond's book is initially compelling and I had to finish it the day I started. Despite this, it was ultimately unsatisfying. In some key areas, he focussed too much on his own role in settling disputes, or doing a social row at the Head of the Charles. While I have no issue with his own activities, I bought the book to read about the Cambridge oarsmen, not about his own conflict resolution skills.

To be fair, he went into good detail on the baby-mutiny over initial selection. But in my opinion, he failed to go into enough detail on the extremely unusual case of replacing a blade AFTER selection, especially as to how the rest of the crew or the replaced man dealt with the decision. Likewise, Dowbiggin's installation was somewhat skirted over.

A good read, no doubt, but given the access he had, it could have been so much more. I doubt I will read it again but equally I won't give it away (just).

Review by Allan Fowlie, 30 Dec 2008
This book provides a fantastic insight into the emotion and psychology of competitive team sports. Even though the result of the race is known, Mark du Rond's wonderful pacing of the story ensured that I STILL got nervous as the Boat Race date loomed ever closer. I found myself worrying that the team has not resolved several key issues until late in the day and was fascinated at how they were resolved as the fog of the selection process cleared and the crew gradually emerged and took control of their own destiny.

Much to my wife's (mild) displeasure (she bought the book for me) I could not put it down until the whole story had been told. One of the things that emerges from the story is to remind us that competition is not JUST about winning, it is about the journey we take toward our goals, what we learn about ourselves along the way and what we carry forward forever with us whatever the result.

Despite being originally an "Oxford man", over the course of the months of training Mark earns, for the reader, a seat at the selection meetings and the elite dinners and places us within earshot of the private conversations with the team where we learn of their hopes and fears and individual struggles. I think this book is a big achievement and I HIGHLY recommend it.


Interesting Insights into a unique sporting event, 28 Dec 2008
Mark de Rond's book is a fascinating look into the often mis-understood world of Cambridge rowing. Written in a diary format from when the crew hopefuls assemble in September through the various selection tests to the formation of the crews and the actual boat race in April. His book contains many insights into rowing training in general but also the unique set-up of the Cambridge University Boat Club. He looks at the personalities, the intra-crew tensions, the traditions and the tough selection decisions.

The only criticism I have is that De Rond, especially in the early chapters, seemed intent in making himself part of the story. With a preface that pointlessly agonizes about his role as anthropologist and whether or not he can be objective and later chapters that talk about his own experience of rowing the head of the charles I would have preferred if he'd told the story more from the perspective of pure observer.

Fascinating insights as relevant to team building as to rowing, 11 Oct 2008
This is a fascinating inside look at the preparation by the 2007 winning Cambridge Boat Race crew by a sociologist who more or less lived with the squad throughout the period and who appears to have played a crucial role at some moments - for instance in helping sort out some disputes within one of the crews.

It comes close to Daniel Topolski's 'Boat Race', the story of the Oxford revival from 1973 to 1984 and for me one of the best books on rowing ever written. It is miles ahead of Topolski's account of the 1987 mutiny - for me far over rated.

I was once captain of the rowing club (Jesus College) right next to the Goldie Boathouse (the CUBC headquarters) and have known some Boat Race oarsmen quite well - e.g rowed in races with them. And yet it is a very closed world, not open to the uninitiated. I had no idea what went on in there and this book really does open the doors. I found it extremely interesting.

Some fasinating insights included the detailed description by an (anonymous) squad member of how legally to raise testosterone levels before a race (the lengths these men would go to!). And then quick advice on how best to lower them again. The selection battles for the crew are well described and left me with the uneasy feeling that there might well have been people who had good grounds for feeling unhappy about not being in the crew.

The account of the replacement of Russ Glenn as cox just before the race is very sympathetic but, by contrast, leaves one in little doubt that the decision was hard but fair.

I was left with a great deal of sympathy - even liking - for the crew and for the Head Coach Duncan Holland, who left his position as Head Coach when his contract was not renewed after losing the Boat Race in 2008. And yet it was hard to avoid the conclusion that the crew, while winning, had significantly underperformed.

A couple of minor black spots: The book frustratingly does not examine the controversy over strokeman Thorsten Engelmann, the heavist man in Boat Race history at over 110 kg. He is the only person to have a Blue withdrawn when he left the University without completing his degree - but he comes across as a very sympathetic figure.

The photos are a disappointment - almost none of the crew as a crew, or of the race itself. Given that some of the people who play a key part in the story did not make the crew, it was a shame that none of them (other than Glenn) feature in the pictures. I would also have liked the statistics - the crew lists (both races) and times etc at the end.

I have worked in the organisational development field over recent years and the story is as relevant to team building as much as it is to rowing aficionados. I do recommend it.

Navigation Excersises, 08 Mar 2008
Excellent book for revision of shore based RYA courses. Very comprehensive and well put together. Recommended for anyone interested in navigation.

A book worth having, 28 Dec 2008
I received a copy of this book for Christmas and I must say it stands out as well put together and well presented. It's a great all round reference book for Martial Arts and well worth purchasing a copy of.

There is little point in me going in to depth about the book as it has all been said in the other reviews but for me I was a little disappointed in the lack of UK and European based martial arts featured. There has been a ground swell of European martial arts growing over the past 20 years or more and the UK has a large growing community of western style martial artists which are not featured. It would seem that some of the worlds `lesser known' martial arts have been included but it is a shame that Chris Crudelli missed out on UK based martial arts such as TE-MA (Traditional English Martial Arts), English Country Backswording (whihc has been around for ceturies) and the plethora of weapons based combat systems currently being taught throughout the UK and Europe. Yes it does mention a few but considering the martial heritage of the UK and Europe that goes back over 2,000 years, a little more research would have revealed a lot more content that could have been added.

Overall though this is a book that has been a long time coming and hopefully any future revised edition may include the above mentioned.

Go buy a copy now.


good for beginners , 30 Nov 2008
lots of nice pictures and a great book for the beginner/inexperienced martial artist. not very much information in it though and can be read quite quickly. very basic book tho - this was bought for me as a present - it covers each martial art with a couple of paragraphs of general information and some nice pictures. kids would love it.

Superb, 08 Nov 2008
If you have never experienced any martial art, this book is still worth buying. I am amazed at the photographic content and descriptions which show how well the author has researched this book.It is totally flickable and a great addition to any library! I am buying more than one copy for xmas this year!!


The Way of the Warrior by Chris Crudelli, 04 Oct 2008
I bought "The Way of the Warrior" because of a fascination and deep interest in martial arts and their history. What you actually get with "The Way of the Warrior" is one of the most in depth and informative encyclopaedia on any subject written. The sheer effort, energy and visually stunning nature of this book are evident from your first inevitable flick through as you try to comprehend the wealth of martial arts that exist. It is actually when you sit down and start to really read "The Way of the Warrior" that you realise that you have made a purchase that is going to both inform and entertain you as a martial arts fan or knowledge fanatic. Gone are the days of "this martial art is better" or "this is more deadly than that." Chris Crudelli (author) presents you with informed, unbiased truths about the codified fight systems that have existed for centuries. The history of martial arts is presented as a journey through the world not just the precious domain of the Far East. For the first time the passage of fighting systems and how countries pooled from each other is truly exposed giving the reader a genuine perspective into how we as humans have always learnt from each other regardless of colour or creed. The writing is clear, always informative and will appeal to martial artists and casual readers alike.
For me, what really takes this book to the highest level is the fact that every page is a visual feast. The photography is stunning. The book and its information leaps off the page because you are presented with such exciting imagery so descriptive in its nature you would be excused for thinking this book was a work of art. Every page is soaked in bold and artistic yet completely functional images. Not the standard martial arts photography you have seen before but new perspectives and specifically commissioned photography giving this book a completely unique feel.
I would recommend this book to martial artists. I would recommend this book to fans of photography. I would recommend this book to anyone that reads. "The Way of the Warrior" does not polarise its potential buyer base. I do not own anything like this book and it is going to take a lot of effort to find any encyclopaedia that comes close.



Informative and Funny, 30 Nov 2008
I enjoyed reading this.Partly because I was sailing round britain at the time - so it was a great introduction to each sea area we entered. But in parts it made me laugh out aloud. It is a great idea and given that we are an Island nation it documents an interesting part of our maritime history.

Very enjoyable, 04 Jun 2008
This is a quirky but enjoyable book; Connelly sets himself the challenge of visiting all the areas of the Shipping Forecast that have a land mass within them over a year-long period. In doing so, his experiences are in turn funny, absurd, perceptive and informative. Various tales made me laugh out loud, particularly his experiences on his first port of call, where's he's unexpectedly at a party with a die-hard Liverpool fan who knows nothing about the geography of Liverpool. Some of the places he visits hold no appeal, but others, such as Lundy, are appealing and have whetted my curiosity. A good read, and an illuminating insight into one of radio's most iconic broadcasts.

Cromarty, westerly four, squally wintry showers, good, 16 Mar 2008
Four times daily, at 0048, 0535, 1201 and 1754, BBC Radio 4 airs the Shipping Forecast, a weather prognostication for each of thirty-one geographically well-defined but more or less arbitrarily designated and sited maritime areas surrounding the British Isles. What may be incomprehensible code to the uninitiated listener is actually a simple and frugaly worded forecasting statement divided into four parts: area name, wind direction and strength, weather conditions, and visibility.

The forebears of English author Charlie Connelly, a sportswriter of several books chiefly about European soccer, led lives touched by the sea. Yet, beyond a few ferry trips, Connelly, to his self-admitted embarrassment, was notably landlocked. Thus, to make up for his landlubberliness, he vowed to visit all thirty-one of the shipping forecast areas, or at least those that had peripheral or inclusive terra firma to stand upon, in a calendar year. In ATTENTION ALL SHIPPING, he tells us all about it via a congenial and humorous narrative.

Obviously, the book is more about interesting and/or out of the way places than the Shipping Forecast itself, though, by the end of chapter two, one has learned all that's necessary about the history, evolution, and value to sailors of the forecast, which dates, in its current form, back to 1924. In the eleven chapters that follow, Connelly makes landfall in twenty-five of the areas. Five (Viking, Forties, Dogger, Bailey, Rockall) he only flys or sails over. One, Trafalgar, down off the southwest coast of the Iberian Peninsula, he almost entirely neglects for no other reason than it's mentioned in only the 0048 bulletin. Otherwise, his meandering journey takes him to:

North and South Utsire: Utsira Island (Norway)
Cromarty: Cromarty (Scotland)
Forth: Arbroath (Scotland)
Tyne: Whitby (England)
Fisher: Hanstholm (Denmark)
German Bight: Sylt Island (Germany)
Humber: Cromer (England)
Thames: the Principality of Sealand
Dover: Dover and the White Cliffs (England)
Wight: the Isle of Wight (England)
Portland: Portland peninsula (England)
Plymouth: Plymouth (England)
Biscay: St-Jean-de-Luz (France) and Bilbao (Spain)
FitzRoy: Finisterre (Spain)
Sole: St. Mary's, St. Agnes, Tresco, and Bryher islands (Isles of Scilly, England)
Lundy: Lundy Island (England)
Fastnet: Cork and Cobh (Ireland)
Irish Sea: the Isle of Man
Shannon: Kilrush (Ireland)
Malin: Malin Head (Ireland)
Hebrides: Barra and Eriskay islands (Outer Hebrides, Scotland)
Fair Isle: Mainland and Fair Isle islands (Shetland Islands, Scotland)
Faeroes: Torshavn (Faeroe Islands, Denmark)
South-east Iceland: Heimay (Vestmannaeyjar, aka the Westman Islands, Iceland)

Charlie succeeds in making all his destinations interesting by sharing facets of each locale's history, events, or famous residents. For instance, Whitby was the hometown of Captain James Cook and Cromer that of Henry Blogg, renowned as the greatest lifeboatman who ever lived. Heimay was evacuated during a volcanic eruption. The oddest place is perhaps the Principality of Sealand, which was originally one of four World War II heavy gun platforms constructed in the Thames Estuary. After being abandoned by the British military, it was purchased by a private citizen who subsequently proclaimed it a sovereign state, a claim that, surprisingly, has been upheld by British courts. At the other extreme of novelty is Hanstholm, the Danish ferry port so excruciatingly boring that it's Connelly's account of fending off tedium for two days that is in itself droll. Even area Rockall, an expanse of open sea which Charlie doesn't visit for obvious reasons, contains Rockall "island", a mid-ocean protrusion of rock 89 feet in diameter and 72 in height that occupies a place of honor in the pantheon of the world's ludicrous territorial and political squabbles.

The author's commentary is so engaging that he can be forgiven the occasional factual misstatement. Charlie asserts that the lighthouse on Spain's Cape Finisterre is at "the end of the finger of land that is continental Europe's westernmost landfall", when, in fact, that honor belongs to Portugal's Cape Roca. Later, Connelly writes that "Fair Isle is actually Britain's remotest island community" when, actually, Tristan da Cunha in the South Atlantic is not only the most isolated British island community but also the most far-flung archipelago in the world. Regarding Fair Isle, I suspect that the author meant to say that it's the remotest community within territorial waters contiguous with the home islands.

ATTENTION ALL SHIPPING deserves 5 stars because it transports me in fine style to places that I shall likely never visit but, after reading this fascinating travelogue, wish I could some day. Then perhaps, I could express something similar to Charlie's experience:

"I was sorry to leave Scilly, a special part of the United Kingdom. Sit on the front at Hugh Town and look out beyond the palm trees across the clear azure water to the white sandy beaches of Tresco beyond and it's hard to believe that you're less than thirty miles from the English mainland ... when I think of that Hugh Town vista and then look out of my window at my south-east London Victorian terraced beehive of a street as I write this, I know where I'd rather be."

Good potentially interesting idea, let down by the poor writing style and writer's 'humour', 22 Oct 2007
I bought this book randomly, attracted by the cover and needing a third book in a three for the price of two offer. It is a good idea and this is potentially a very interesting book. However, it is badly let down by the writer's chatty style of prose which is highly annoying and adds nothing to the book but takes up more than half of the pages. He offers such banal, pre