Rating: 
Summary: Great Subject; Bad Writing
Review: Anyone who has ever been on a competitive sailing yacht and been in nasty weather will read this book in an afternoon, unable to put it down. The book is written with tremendous insight and puts you in the danger and makes it feel real. Great book and a quick fun read for any sailor.
Rating: 
Summary: Sea Story
Review: As an experienced offshore sailor, I found Knecht's book absolutely riveting. He sets out to examine why it is that already highly-successful people (who don't necessarily have anything to prove) are tempted to put their lives at stake competing in a yacht race. He then goes on to describe and examine what went wrong, and why. He deals with the meteorology, the nature of the yachts, the personalities of the crews, and their reactions to severe stress and, in some cases, disaster. Offshore sailors know why we do it anyway: racing yachts is exciting and challenging. Knecht reports impartially on the attitudes and judgement capacities of those he interviewed. He asks all the right questions, and passes no judgement on the answers. He does not attempt to draw conclusions, and makes no recommendations. He reports, and well. Non-sailors will enjoy this book because it is so damn exciting. They will be amazed - maybe horrified as well as stirred - at some of the characters and events described. Sailors will enjoy it too, recognising events and personalities that we have all seen before, but maybe on a less extreme scale and under less extreme circumstances. Sailors SHOULD read this book because it will give them a better understanding of the well-worn maxim that "what CAN go wrong sooner or later WILL go wrong". Then they may be better prepared for that awful event, but it still won't stop them going to sea!
Rating:
Summary: A bit disconcerting
Review: I read An Extreme Event (about the 98 Sydney-Hobart race) prior to reading Knecht's book, so that was my benchmark. And a high one at that. Proving Ground contained a lot more descriptive information in terms of the characters, but ... I found his concentration on particular personalities in the book very disconcerting. It was baffling that he could practically write what Glyn Charles was thinking ... when Glyn was unable to speak for himself. These assumptions and supposition are quite offensive. I also found Knecht's intricate descriptions of the powerplays involved with some of the pivotal characters alarming. Bob Koethe, Steve Kulmar, Richard Purcell and Glyn Charles, specifically. While I do not doubt his authenticity in describing the interplay, I found the inclusion in such detail perplexing. My aim was to read the facts, not to become embroiled in the dramatic tension on board certain yachts in such dire conditions. At times, I almost felt a compulsion to "take sides" with some people, opposing others, which I roundly resisted. It is, after all, Knecht's presentation and everyone interprets events, thoughts and words slightly differently. All in all, not bad, but not great.
Rating:
Summary: A bit disconcerting
Review: I read An Extreme Event (about the 98 Sydney-Hobart race) prior to reading Knecht's book, so that was my benchmark. And a high one at that. Proving Ground contained a lot more descriptive information in terms of the characters, but ... I found his concentration on particular personalities in the book very disconcerting. It was baffling that he could practically write what Glyn Charles was thinking ... when Glyn was unable to speak for himself. These assumptions and supposition are quite offensive. I also found Knecht's intricate descriptions of the powerplays involved with some of the pivotal characters alarming. Bob Koethe, Steve Kulmar, Richard Purcell and Glyn Charles, specifically. While I do not doubt his authenticity in describing the interplay, I found the inclusion in such detail perplexing. My aim was to read the facts, not to become embroiled in the dramatic tension on board certain yachts in such dire conditions. At times, I almost felt a compulsion to "take sides" with some people, opposing others, which I roundly resisted. It is, after all, Knecht's presentation and everyone interprets events, thoughts and words slightly differently. All in all, not bad, but not great.
Rating:
Summary: What a gripping read!!!
Review: I read The Proving Ground in one night ... I just couldn't put it down. And I didn't mind that I was exhausted from lack of sleep the next day because I so enjoyed the read. Bruce Knecht not only has written a detailed account of the horrific experiences of the yachtsmen on three boats in the Sydney-Hobart race, but he has captured what it was like for the sailors to endure the ordeal ... the fear, the heroic sacrifices, the physical endurance, and the struggle over having to make decisions that could result in fatal errors (which some did). As an experienced ocean sailor, I can say that Mr. Knecht has done an excellent job of portraying life at sea on a racing boat, without getting overly technical. I recommend this book to anyone interested in a gripping adventure story with characters who are both heroic and flawed, and for the men who died, are also all too real.
Rating:
Summary: Great Subject; Bad Writing
Review: I read this book immediately after finishing another account of the 1998 Sydney-Hobart race by Rob Mundle (an Australian), titled: Fatal Storm. I thought both versions were worth reading because they focused their attention differently (Knecht spent much more ink on Larry Ellison; Mundle focused on the yachts and people most relevant to this particular race). Knecht was much more blunt in revealing difficult personalities, interpersonal tension and controversy -- particularly with regard to the Sword of Orion. Mundle was more polite -- or perhaps more prudent. It's risky to portray someone negatively who endured such an ordeal (especially when the writer wasn't there), regardless of whether they died or survived. While I found Knecht's take on the people interesting, I suspect it was part of his overly dramatic writing style. He writes like a mass-market action-fiction writer, trying to create drama and intrigue where either: 1) there is none; or 2) the facts speak for themselves. Funny -- this is not unlike American news media today (which is why I watch the BBC). He writes about a "character's" thoughts and actions is such an excruciating level of detail that it's not believable. Too much poetic license ruins credibility. This is a great subject, but read Fatal Storm first.
Rating:
Summary: Best book i've ever read
Review: I've read this book 3 times, and everytime it's great. It's the best book i've ever read, so far.
Rating:
Summary: Great Summer Read...
Review: or for anytime of the year! I just finished reading The Proving Ground and I felt compelled to write a quick review. This book will appeal to just about anyone and it is a GREAT summer read! I enjoyed Knecht's writing and it is obvious that he spent A LOT of time researching his subject before he started to write The Proving Ground. As a result, the book is full of detailed descriptions and reconstructed dialogues (and the unspoken thoughts/fears of some of the individuals who participated in the '98 Hobart). While reading The Proving Ground, I felt as if I was a member of the crew experiencing the events firsthand! Instead of attempting to write a chronicle of the entire race, Knecht concentrated on a few of the participants. Being a sucker for older sailboats, I particularly enjoyed the segments regarding The Winston Churchill. (I use the word "enjoyed" loosley, because I genuinely feel/felt for the survivors and victims of this tragedy). Buy this book for yourself and as a gift for a friend!
Rating: 
Summary: "The Perfect Storm" for Sailors
Review: That said, this is a good little read. A little bit of history and a lot of storytelling. Like others I read it in a single day. This may have something to do with my own passion for living anywhere there's a coastline, and a decade-long habit involving boats of some sort at all times. Knecht relays the decision-making of the competitors, the events and emotions of the race, all very clearly and while we all know what will happen in the end we are in the book, along for the ride on each and every boat whose tale is told.
Rating:
Summary: The Unforgiving Sea
Review: The 1998 challenging Sydney to Hobart offshore race turned into the worst sailing disaster in history. Mr. Knecht has written a highly personal yet unbiased account, focusing on four boats, their skippers and crew plus some rescuers and meteorologists. Six sailors were killed, 55 had to be plucked from the raging sea by rescuers, and of the 115 boats that began the race, only 43 finished-many of them barely afloat. "The Proving Ground" does an excellent job of giving us some detailed answers as to "What Happened?" How could experienced yachtsmen expose themselves, their crew and their boats to a full-fledged hurricane at sea? In this age of technology, were there not forecasts and why were the boats not seaworthy? There is blame enough to go around. The weather forecasts were, to put it kindly, confusing. First "gale" warnings were issued, then "storm" warnings. Which sounds more ominous to you? In forecasting terminology, "storm" is the more dangerous condition. Almost all the crews took the opposite meaning, i.e., that a "gale" was worse than a "storm," as I believe 99% of the general population would. Offshore racers are built for speed, not endurance. After reading this book, I decided these fragile, complex sailboats are accidents waiting to happen. I was in awe of the skill, quick reflexes and cooperation displayed by the crews. There was a high level of seamanship in almost all of the contenders. Only one sailor mentioned, a wealthy domineering man, displayed abject cowardice and only one boat that clearly refused to come to the aid of another desperately crippled contender. "The Proving Ground" is intensely exciting---I read it in one very late night sitting. Mr. Knecht postponed publishing long enough to get the inquest results and some later reflections from the people he interviewed so well. Though he did a meticulous job on the four boats and crews the book spotlights, the other contestants and two sailors who lost their lives were hardly mentioned. I realize the narrow focus heightened the intensity of the book; however, a little more general information would be welcome. "The Proving Ground" is a highly knowledgeable, readable book.
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