From the New York Times bestselling author of First Man comes a sweeping saga involving two extraordinary—and extraordinarily different—adventurers who have only one thing in common: the ambition to cross the Atlantic in a rowboat . . . alone.
The two men couldn't have been more different. John Fairfax was a playboy, gambler, gun smuggler, and ex-pirate who blamed his boat often, and who brazenly took time off from his goal of reaching America to hop aboard large ships for a drink, a shower, and good food. He courted the press like a modern-day Richard Branson or Elon Musk.
The egoless Tom McClean was an orphan with a tough, Dickensian childhood, who ran off to become a British paratrooper and later joined the SAS (his training rivaled the US Navy Seals). Tom was a purist who loved his boat Silver and never once took time off from rowing to sun himself on a remote beach or jump aboard a cruise ship.
With gripping and insightful prose, James R. Hansen brings to life Fairfax and McClean's expeditions, from their battle with the elements to their own inner demons. Completely Mad is a nail-biting, epic tale of endurance, and listeners will be gripped until the end to find out who won.
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James R. Hansen is a professor at Auburn University in Alabama and an acclaimed author. An expert in the history of science and technology, he has written books and articles covering a wide variety of topics ranging from the early days of aviation, nuclear fusion, and moon landings, to environmental concerns. His biography of Neil Armstrong, First Man, made the New York Times bestseller list and garnered many awards.