gotten Nazis hanged at Nuremberg) were mentioned in the text, nowhere did Philbrick comment on the fact that not a single officer from either side would sit with Tarleton during the officers’ dinner that followed Cornwallis’s surrender. While much of Tarleton’s post-war successes in England made it into the text, for some reason there was no mention that he became a member of Parliament, where he lobbied to protect and promote the slave trade, the source of his family’s wealth. This is particularly surprising in that Philbrick makes no secret of his disdain for the institution of slavery, even pointing out that George Washington freed his slaves in his will, and was “the only slaveholding Founding Father to do so.” He cites Thomas Jefferson, who reportedly overheard Washington recognizing the pernicious effects of slavery, “I can clearly foresee that nothing but the rooting out of slavery can perpetuate the existence of our union.” These omissions hardly cast a negative light on Philbrick’s engaging and welcome contribution. In the Hurricane’s Eye is a good read for those interested in the history of the American War for Indepen-
dence, George Washington in particular, and, more generally, anyone looking for a good non-fiction book to tuck into. Liam Murphy Acton, Massachusetts The Stowaway: A Young Man’s Extraordinary Journey to Antarctica by Laurie Gwen Shapiro (Simon & Schuster, New York, NY, 2018, 239pp, notes, selected biblio, index, 978-1-4767-5386-7; $26hc) Billy Gawronski was somewhat of a celebrity in his day, but that day passed long ago. He came of age during America’s great post-World War I celebration in the 1920s, when everything about the United States seemed larger than life and almost nothing was declared impossible. It was during this golden age of aviation, in particular, that Americans looked to the sky for their heroes: Charles Lindbergh, Amelia Earhart, and US Navy Lt. Richard Byrd, among many others. A Polish-American born and bred in New York City, Gawronski idolized Byrd above all. When he heard that the famous pilot and explorer would be undertaking a journey to Antarctica to become the first
Ira Breskin
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Senior Lecturer Maritime College, NYC
Significantly Updated • 3 New Chapters • Expanded Glossary
original art of the yankee whale hunt
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“O’er the Wide and Tractless Sea”
THE BUSINESS OF SHIPPING
man to fly a plane over the South Pole, he just had to find his way aboard one of the ships steaming south for the adventure. Shapiro captures Billy Gawronski’s story in great detail. His story is a sidelight to the Byrd saga, to be sure, yet it was one that was valued by Byrd’s public relations team from the beginning. Gawronski’s journey, from discovery as a stowaway— three times, no less—to his acceptance by Byrd, to his triumphant return home to his worried mother made headlines all throughout the lieutenant’s first Antarctic adventure. He became a regular dinner speaker and a hero to his alma mater and to the Polish community of New York. The author met with descendants and even Billy Gawronski’s widow to recapture the magic of Billy’s moment in the Antarctic sun. She continues his story into the post-Byrd years, to his career in the merchant marine and beyond. His day certainly passed, but this book shines a new light on the life of a remarkably plucky young man who was a media darling of his time. John Galluzzo Hanover, Massachusetts
“O’er the Wide and Tractless Sea”
k original art of the yankee whale hunt By Michael P. Dyer
Call: 610 593-1777 “It is the place to go to start shipping industry research.”
Michael P. Dyer
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Old Dartmouth Historical Society / New Bedford Whaling Museum
—RADM Richard Larrabee, USCG (Ret.) ISBN 978-0-9975161-3-5 Port Director, Port Authority of NY & NJ (2000–2015)
“The Business of Shipping is packed with information and written in a clean, lively style. Ira Breskin has a particular talent for explaining complex ideas in plain English...this book would be a valuable resource for anyone with a serious interest in the shipping industry.” —William Geroux, author of The Mathews Men
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A handsomely illustrated book that sheds light on rarely, if ever, seen paintings, drawings, and whaling artworks. 365 pages | $65.00 Ira Breskin explains the shipping business.
whalingmuseum.org 508-997-0046 ext. 127 SEA HISTORY 166, SPRING 2019