Read The Stowaway A Young Man Extraordinary Adventure to Antarctica eBook Laurie Gwen Shapiro
Download As PDF : The Stowaway A Young Man Extraordinary Adventure to Antarctica eBook Laurie Gwen Shapiro
The spectacular, true story of a scrappy teenager from New York’s Lower East Side who stowed away on the most remarkable feat of science and daring of the Jazz Age, The Stowaway is “a thrilling adventure that captures not only the making of a man but of a nation” (David Grann, bestselling author of Killers of the Flower Moon).
It was 1928 a time of illicit booze, of Gatsby and Babe Ruth, of freewheeling fun. The Great War was over and American optimism was higher than the stock market. What better moment to launch an expedition to Antarctica, the planet’s final frontier?
Everyone wanted in on the adventure. Rockefellers and Vanderbilts begged to be taken along as mess boys, and newspapers across the globe covered the planning’s every stage. And then, the night before the expedition’s flagship set off, Billy Gawronski—a mischievous, first-generation New York City high schooler, desperate to escape a dreary future in the family upholstery business—jumped into the Hudson River and snuck aboard.
Could he get away with it?
From the soda shops of New York’s Lower East Side to the dance halls of sultry Francophone Tahiti, all the way to Antarctica’s blinding white and deadly freeze, author Laurie Gwen Shapiro “narrates this period piece with gusto” (Los Angeles Times), taking readers on the “novelistic” (The New Yorker) and unforgettable voyage of a plucky young stowaway who became a Roaring Twenties celebrity, a mascot for an up-by-your bootstraps era.
Read The Stowaway A Young Man Extraordinary Adventure to Antarctica eBook Laurie Gwen Shapiro
"Uggggh. I hate to be negative, especially regarding the work of a fellow writer, but this was just an awkward series of vowels and consonants for me. I bought this to read on my own trip to the polar region and despite several determined attempts, I could not finish it. The writing itself was bland...saltine cracker bland and the character development was ghostly. I honestly do not understand the 5 star reviews."
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The Stowaway A Young Man Extraordinary Adventure to Antarctica eBook Laurie Gwen Shapiro Reviews :
The Stowaway A Young Man Extraordinary Adventure to Antarctica eBook Laurie Gwen Shapiro Reviews
- I took a chance on this book and was rewarded famously. Author Laurie Shapiro has brought to life a little-remembered account of a teen-aged boy who was determined to live a dream of visiting the forbidding continent of Antarctica even if he had to become a stowaway to do it. Admiral Richard Byrd was planning a scientific study to spend the winter on the continent and despite repeated rejections after being discovered as a stowaway William "Billy" Gawronski was finally allowed to join with parental permission. Although Gawronski was not among those chosen to spend the winter he did prove his worthiness to Byrd and gained the respect of others. Another young hero in the book is the much-decorated boy scout Paul Siple who was among those who did spend the winter with Byrd on the continent. Siple went on to become an accomplished polar explorer and author and coined the term "windchill factor."
The book relates that fame is fleeting and despite a ticker-tape parade in which Billy Gawronski took part he found the country in the midst of the Depression of the 1930s and found it difficult to find his niche in life. After a failed marriage Billy spent several years in the merchant marines. Eventually finding a new spouse he lived his life out happily.
Thankfully the author found Billy's wife a treasure trove of assistance in writing this book along with one of Billy's sons who, unfortunately, was and remains incarcerated in prison. Billy's other son passed away from a very difficult life. The book contains fourteen pages of photos and is a gem of a book. Some books I take a chance on and end up donating them to our local library. This one will remain in my own library. This is a story that will not disappoint you. - I found this to be an outstanding read about an event, ie a young man stowing away on one of Byrd's trips to Antarctica, that I was not aware of. Easy to read, a lot of tangential information about all else that was going on at the time, an appropriate and manageable length of 200 pages, and a lot of personal information about the stowaway thanks to his wife who is still alive. I read a lot of non fiction ( three of my favorites, John Barry's "Rising Tide", Daniel Brown's "The Boys in the Boat", and Timothy Egan's "The Worst Hard Times" ). If you, too, liked those books, and also Lansing's " "Endurance" I think you'll like Ms. Shapiro's book also. Five Stars all the way
- I'll start with the end the author doesn't give many details on the last 25+ years of the subject, William Gawronski's life. That made a well written story feel rushed and flat at the end.
That said, it's a fun, quick read. She brings to life certain characters and re-lives historical events that don't get much press.
It isn't deep history and could be read by people of various reading levels.
I wish she had done a little more work not only on the last couple decades of his life, but his time in World War 2; however, being that Gawronski is not a famous historical figure and the author was mostly (I assume) going from family stories for the parts of his life after the expedition, there may not have been much material.
Either way, it's entertaining and I recommend it. - After just returning from Antarctic and the South Georgia Island, a friend recommended this book.
It was fun reliving through the authors descriptions of icebergs and penguins what I saw there.
Beyond that, it was an inspiring story of a boy with a burning desire to live his life his way - Uggggh. I hate to be negative, especially regarding the work of a fellow writer, but this was just an awkward series of vowels and consonants for me. I bought this to read on my own trip to the polar region and despite several determined attempts, I could not finish it. The writing itself was bland...saltine cracker bland and the character development was ghostly. I honestly do not understand the 5 star reviews.
- I liked but not loved the book. Great well told stories but seemed to be more filler stories than the main one. I felt the passion of the main character and the story moves along quickly.
- Factual but not my favorite
- Good story. Writing is kind of simplistic. Nice true story
