Rating: 
Summary: Kansan sails the seas
Review: Excellent book, tho I quibble with cover blurb "Only one made it back," as it made me anticipate more deaths than occurred (is that morbid of me?). A true non-sailor, I found this story easy to follow and well-written, though a glossary of nautical terms and maybe a diagram of a sailboat with salient features labeled would have helped me understand it better. Even so, highly recommended!
Rating: 
Summary: Destined to become a classic
Review: Hard to put down, but best savored with patience in smaller bites. Many nuggets of wisdom and a plethora of well turned prose. I've read several of the other great books about the 1968 Golden Globe, ie; The Long Way (Bernard Moitessier), A World of My Own (Robin Knox-Johnston) and The Strange Last Voyage of Donald Crowhurst (Tomalin and Hall), but this book is different from any of them. Mr Nichol's insightful overview of the race brings all these other books together to deepen your picture of this historical event.Having the perspective of these other books really heightened MY enjoyment, however I'm recommending this book to friends as a "first exposure" to this fascinating story. With the author's own seagoing background (his other non-fiction book, Sea Change, is also excellent) and unbridled love of the sea and things nautical, this story truly comes to life! I can't say how a non-sailor will take this book, but if you enjoy a good story, and particularly a good sea yarn, you'll love this book! Kudos to Peter Nichols. I want more!!!
Rating:
Summary: Rivetting read!
Review: I am a sailor and I found this book an incredible journey into the minds of 9 different men who dared. This was not a waltz up Everest or a stroll to the pole. This was 10 months of solitary confinement in a 32 foot boat in the roughest imaginable conditions. Bravo Zulu!
Rating: 
Summary: Great writing . . . but the story isn't very compelling.
Review: I hate to be a sour puss (in light of the glowing praises for this book), but I have to admit that this book really didn't do it for me. The writing is excellent . . . there's no doubt about that. However, the story wasn't very gripping or compelling. I just didn't feel the need to pick it up every time I saw it on the coffee table. When I read the inside cover, I was left with the impression that all but one sailor survived. I thought this would be an entralling story about the peril of each lost sailor and the triump of the sole survivor. That's not the case. Only one *finished* . . . which is more then I can say about how I did with this book. I stopped reading it 2/3 of the way through. There aren't many books where I'll make a 2/3 investment in time only to skip the end. There are plenty of other great sailing books about racing. "Close to the Wind" and "The Proving Grounds" were both excellent.
Rating:
Summary: Great writing . . . but the story isn't very compelling.
Review: I hate to be a sour puss (in light of the glowing praises for this book), but I have to admit that this book really didn't do it for me. The writing is excellent . . . there's no doubt about that. However, the story wasn't very gripping or compelling. I just didn't feel the need to pick it up every time I saw it on the coffee table. When I read the inside cover, I was left with the impression that all but one sailor survived. I thought this would be an entralling story about the peril of each lost sailor and the triump of the sole survivor. That's not the case. Only one *finished* . . . which is more then I can say about how I did with this book. I stopped reading it 2/3 of the way through. There aren't many books where I'll make a 2/3 investment in time only to skip the end. There are plenty of other great sailing books about racing. "Close to the Wind" and "The Proving Grounds" were both excellent.
Rating:
Summary: Nichols has done it again
Review: I read Peter Nichols first book, "Sea Change" with complete facination. He is a great storyteller and a wise soul. He told that true story, of a rocky marriage, of life on a beloved boat and the ultimate demise of both, with grace and candor. The new book, "Voyage for Madmen" is, again, a beautifully and honestly told true story. His knowledge of the sea and boats gives him the proper foundation to tell the harrowing tale of the Golden Globe race, but it's his ability to get inside the people involved that makes this a great read. Nichols has done it again. Keep up the great work.
Rating:
Summary: Incredible Story
Review: I read this right after "The Proving Ground" by Knecht. Although "Proving Ground" was exciting Peter Nichols' story takes you on an even more exciting voayge. I came to know the sailors better and became more sympathetic to their plight than in Knecht's book. Nichols weaves all 9 sailor's stories together while keeping a lively pace. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for an exciting, adventurous tale.
Rating:
Summary: Good Stuff
Review: If you had written this same story in a fiction format, nobody would have stomached it. Nine men start a race around the world and no two finish it in quite the same way? One never stops, another goes insane, some drop out early, others are forced to ditch on the verge of finishing, and the winner is unlikely and likeable? But it's a true story, and a well told one at that. Nichols tells enough to make the layman feel at home with the nautical ins and outs of his story, but doesn't dumb it down so much as to exclude experienced sailers.
Rating:
Summary: A Maritime Masterpiece
Review: If, like me, you are a lover of books about sailing, this is the one! Nichols does a wonderful job of making you feel like you are there with the participants of this contest. Not only is it a great book about sailing, but you get an interesting look at the personalities of the contestants. From raw strength to incredible madness, the characters come alive. I highly recommend this book!
Rating:
Summary: True drama on the high seas
Review: In the age of GPS, cell phones, and e-mail and instant video from multi-million dollar round the world race boats, it is easy to forget that as recently as 1968, no one had ever circumnavigated alone without stopping. Nichols' story gives readers the when, how, and most importantly, the why behind nine ordinary men's step into nautical history. For those unfamiliar with sailing and its literature, the clear and concise explanations of both the technical side and the spiritual side of offshore voyaging will be fascinating. For those sailing and sailing literature junkies, his writing is a welcome addition to the great tales of the sea. While the stories of storms and emergencies and sinkings are riveting, I found Nichols' account of the historical context most satisfying. In the final days of Britain's post-World War II decline, Chichester's solo circumnavigation captured the still very much alive spirit of British adventure, and gave the impetus to nine men (six British) setting off to do Chichester one better by going around without a stop. Nichols' has done an admirable job of showing that this first non-stop around the world yacht race was about more than yachts, but about the pure spirit of adventure.
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