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: Good but not great.
Review: I read this book several months after reading Rob Mundle's "Fatal Storm" about the same Sydney-Hobart race, and felt that "The Proving Ground" lacked the emotional intensity and the ability to make you feel as if you were there on the boats with the sailors that the first book captured so well. I have done quite a bit of sailing offshore, and experienced conditions approaching the ones described in the book, and it was Mundle's story that brought back the sensations of this the most clearly, which is why his book rings the truest for me. That being said, "The Proving Ground" is still an excellent read, and goes on to cover some of the shore-based aftermath of the tragedy.
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Summary: Aye, matey, tis surely a gripping sea yarn. Y'arrrrhh.
Review: I'm not a sailor but I am a devoted fan of tales of the sea. This has all the elements of a good story: nature at its worst, people at their best (and worst), and Larry Ellison. Actually, Larry comes off in this story as human as opposed to the egotistical over-achiever that he as been protrayed as in other places. Similar to "The Perfect Storm" and "Into Thin Air", the author has done very meticulous research, interviewing boths sailors and their rescuers. His descriptions of events, some real and some postulated, provide a very real image of the events as they occurred. My only fault with the presentation was I would have liked more details on the actual search and rescue teams. They were the real heroes in this affair and I didn't feel they got all the credit they deserve. In any case, this is an enjoyable read. Just don't plan on milking for a week. Once you start reading, its very hard to stop.
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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.
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Summary: Too scary for this landlubber...
Review: In 1989, I was part of a crew of three on a 28 ft. sail boat that left CA Channel Islands, headed for Santa Cruz Island. At 6:30am, the wind was howling, but we did proceed. When we finally sought shelter (Smuggler's Cove with two fishing boats) our wind indicator registered 58 knots. As I read this book, I was reminded of my little sojourn. Lucky for me, my skipper was a very knowledgeable and seasoned sailor from Sydney, Australia. He didn't look worried, ever. I was mortified. How these gentlemen hung in and endured is beyond my comprehension. How difficult it had to be to watch their mates slip into the sea is, again, beyond imagine. I am a bonafide chicken and I tip my hat to the sailors and the rescue teams who risked their lives to save other's. All of these folks have an element of courage and guts I can't even imagine. Be careful out there...
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Summary: Outstanding! A great read for vacation
Review: It's rare for me to become caught up in a book so enthralling that I can't put it down. This is one of those books. Well written, it's a great read even if you're not a sailor. The author also does an outstanding job of exploring the personalities of these men, giving a better understanding of their motivations. I've always been fascinated with Larry Ellison--what makes him tick. Knecht shows us a side of Ellison that you don't usually read about; a man of supreme will and intellect battling a situation where he has little if any control. If you're looking for a great read for vacation, add this one to the top of your list!
Rating:
Summary: The Proving Ground, by G. Bruce Knecht
Review: Journalist G. Bruce Knecht here tells the story of the disastrous 1998 Sydney to Hobart yacht race, in which several yachts were sunk and six men died at sea. His very readable account focuses on only a few of the yachts and individual members of their crews, plus individual weathermen and rescue services personnel. This technique adds a personal dimension to the story, but also has its drawbacks. Two of the dead are mentioned as an afterthought, and many yachts that suffered severely from the violent weather are not mentioned at all. Readers interested in sailing and navigation may find the book too focused on personalities, with too little attention to the interesting details of course planning, yacht design, and offshore technology. Overall rating: three stars. Michael Michaud, Vienna, Austria
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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: A perfect book.
Review: Sebastian Junger may have written A Perfect Storm, but this is a perfect book. Great. Pretty fun, and you really learn something about people.
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