Many people have helped me with this book, and others, and in my writing life, in more ways than there is room to detail here. My gratitude and debt to them are too great to summarize in this finite space.
Sloan Harris, my friend and agent. Katharine Cluverius, Teri Steinberg at ICM. My editor at HarperCollins, Dan Conaway; and Cathy Hemming, Nikola Scott, Justin Loeber, Jane Passberger, Jason Curran, Martha Cameron, and Jill Schwartzman at HarperCollins. Andrew Franklin, Kate Griffin, and all at Profile Books, London. Anita and David Burdett; Anita particularly for her help at the PRO at Kew. Marion and Jeric Perth. Lucy Waitt at the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London; Helen Harrison of the State Library of New South Wales, Australia; Barbara Brownlie of the Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand.
Sam Manning, again, for his beautiful maps, and Susan Manning for her crucial part in these.
At Outside magazine, Elizabeth Hightower, for more than she ever imagined, and Hal Espen. Elaine Lembo and Herb McCormick at Cruising World. Judith Miller and Beth Epstein at New York University in Paris.
Fraser Heston for the good word.
My mother, Barbara Nichols; David Nichols; Liz and Tony Sharp; Cynthia Hartshorn; Matt deGarmo; Penny and Robert Germaux; Peter Landesman; Doug Grant and Kathryn Van Dyke.
Josephine Franzheim, Kenneth Franzheim, Gay and Tony Brown for their spectacular hospitality and generosity.
The booksellers who over the years have invited me to their very special stores and championed my books—it would be unfair to single out one person or store without naming all; Booksense, and everyone associated with that wonderful enterprise; to all these people I am profoundly grateful.
Bennett Scheuer, a very true friend.
My wife, Roberta, for the faith, encouragement, and intelligence that allow me to reach higher, to write the right books.