America’s Victory: The Heroic Story of a Team of Ordinary Americans -- and How They Won the Greatest Yacht Race Ever.
[2002] · New York
by Shaw, David W.
New York: The Free Press, [2002]. Octavo; red cloth & cream, ribbed boards; b & w photos.; 263 pp. Fine (As New) in a like dust jacket. ‘Set against the backdrop of the world’s first fair in London, America’s Victory takes readers into a world rich in adventure and history -- an unforgettable story of skill, daring, and honor at the heart of our national identity...The America’s cup is the oldest international trophy in competitive sports, yet few know the inspirational story of the dedicated seamen behind the original historic race. The story begins in 1850 with a terrible deal struck between the New York Yacht Club and a brilliant young boat designer: A boat would have to be built that would be the fastest in the world, and the designer would not be paid his fee unless the yacht beat all comers at The Great Exhibition in England. With a revolutionary design and striking beauty, yacht America set sail the following year from New York on what most experts nevertheless though was an impossible mission...America would have to beat fourteen of the best yachts the world’s greatest maritime nation could bring to the line...In the course of his research, David Shaw found letters and notes recounting the experience of the crew that provide a vivid historical realism for his compelling narrative...This is an account of an amazing feat accomplished long ago at the turning point in the growth of a young nation’s confidence, but it is also the tale of a victory of the American spirit that bravely lives on today,’ (Inventory #: 4485s)