History, traditionally, is written by the victors - sometimes producing a one-sided view. The schooner America won the Royal Yacht Squadron's Challenge Cup, valued at £100, 152 years ago and took it to the New York Yacht Club. For the next 132 years the America's Cup had only one victor, therefore every major work on the subject was slanted - and that success was sometimes achieved in heavily biased circumstances.
Now a remarkable book, or rather pair of books, for it takes up two volumes, An Absorbing Interest: The America's Cup. A History 1851-2003 by Bob Fisher, published by Fernhurst, seeks to redress the balance by retracing the history of the longest continuously competed international sporting event from all aspects, correcting any errors or omissions that have crept in along the way.
The epic tale was obviously an absorbing interest for renowned yachting journalist Bob. It is meticulously researched, using contemporary sources beyond those of the yacht clubs that have challenged for and defended the Cup.
Beautifully designed, this book charts the history of the world's oldest sporting contest, from Cowes in 1851 to Auckland in 2003. Comprehensively illustrated with photographs, cartoons, paintings and figures, it can justifiably claim to be the definitive history.
The work contains full records of all races and has 32 chapters - one for that first race around the Isle of Wight in 1851 for the One Hundred Pound Cup, the prize presented by the Royal Yacht Squadron for the regatta, and one for each of the next 31 challenges. In addition there are sidebar stories of individual competitors and incidents that are part of the extraordinary history of this iconic international sporting event.
Beautiful illustrations have been drawn from a wide variety of sources. There are charts of the courses for the early races, line drawings, cartoons and caricatures, etchings, lithographs, paintings and a wealth of photographs, both monochrome and coloured, all chosen to complement the text.
For anyone interested in the America's Cup, or indeed the history of international yacht racing, this two volume history will be a record to be treasured. There is just one snag: it is being published in a limited, collectors' edition, and each copy costs £200.
To order your copy of An Absorbing Interest RRP:£200, please contact stotman@wiley.co.uk
or visit www.wiley.com/go/americas. This unique book is available on a strictly limited basis. To avoid disappointment, your order must be received by next Friday, February 15th. The publisher cannot guarantee availability for orders received after this date.
