Fearless: One Woman, One Kayak, One Continent [ペーパーバック]

Joe Glickman is well known in the kayaking world for his highly entertaining style of writing and he doesn't disappoint in this, his book about Freya Hoffmeister's extraordinary paddle around Australia.

Humorous and insightful by turns, Glickman describes how Hoffmeister took on the challenges of sharks, salt water crocodiles, sea snakes and, most of all, some of the most savage weather conditions to be found on the planet. Apart from the 375 mile direct route that she took across the Gulf of Carpenteria (seven nights on the open ocean, "sleeping" balanced on the back deck), the most trying section of the trip was along the notorious Zuytdorp Cliffs - a 120 mile stretch along the western Australian coast that combined massive swells rebounding off sheer cliff faces, a headwind and no way out. Hoffmeister suffered brutal seasickness but toughed it out to become the second person ever to solo the route. She completed the circumnavigation in 332 days, paddling 8,565mi (13,790km) as she did so. Her aim was to beat the (only) previous time by Paul Caffyn who did the trip (assisted the whole way; Freya was assisted only the final 20% of the distance) in 360 days in 1980

Most intriguing though, is Glickman's treatment of Freya "the woman in black" Hoffmeister the person.

Glickman's exasperation with Hoffmeister's almost total lack of interest in the history of her surroundings (she landed on Restoration Island - visited in 1789 by Captain Bligh on his epic journey after the mutiny on the Bounty), and her refusal to admit to or discuss any hint of fear ("What's the problem?") is obvious, but, by the end of the book it is clear that he has a whole-hearted admiration for Hoffmeister's achievements and an empathy with her somewhat unusual character.

And it's this that makes the book so much more than a run of the mill epic adventure story - and perhaps the reason that the non-paddling members of my family enjoyed the story so much.

Sea Kayakers will love this book - simply because it describes one the most extraordinary journeys ever undertaken in a paddle craft. But having observed the reaction of the other (female, non-paddling) members of my household, it seems to me that this book has a much wider audience.

As for me, I devoured it and was left asking for more.

I had been waiting excitedly waiting for the release of the book about Freya Hoffmeister's epic sea kayak paddle around Australia, and when I received the book, I devoured it faster than a Great White goes through a breakfast of Amity Island tourists. It's a spectacular read!

There are two main aspects to the book, both of which I found fascinating and well explored by the author: The first - and obvious - aspect is the account of the expedition itself. The author, Glickman, renders the enormous challenges and portrays Freya's hair raising actions and life-or-death decisions with an acuity that is the result of his own impressive ocean kayaking experiences. He has participated in a half dozen ocean kayaking world championships, as well as performed long distance kayaking expeditions. In addition, he has talked extensively to everyone who attempted or completed the trip around Australia and is alive to talk about it.

But the other, equally fascinating aspect, is the psyche of Freya Hoffmeister, the woman whose feats are without equal among current expedition kayakers, male or female.

With men's domination over the kayaking world as absolute as King Luis XIV's reign over 17th century France, Freya's revolutionary feats of skill and endurance, combined with her cockiness, apparently made some male kayakers feel like Marie Antoinette on her way to the Guillotine, and they were not quiet about it. One of the most enjoyable aspects of the book is how you can identify with Freya and hope that she proves her male detractors wrong. She is unbelievably self-possessed and confident, yet equally skilled, competent and determined.

Hoffmeister is intent on breaking the record for the fastest circumnavigation of the continent and this goal drives many of her vital decisions, like the dangerous choice of a fast and tippy kayak and the 380 mile unsupported solo crossing of the Gulf or Carpenteria that most experts considered a recipe for suicide as reliable as cyanide cupcakes.

The author does a spectacular job of hitting the reader with superlatives and metaphors. Especially when gearing up to describe some of Hoffmeister's more incredible feats, I felt as dizzy as a Bantamweight practicing the rope-a-dope with Mike Tyson.

I highly recommend this book. It's a must read if you are a kayaker, and if you're not, it still is.

The only issues I had were the fact that it's not available for the Kindle and that I didn't realize there were maps of the trip in the back of the book until I finished it. I could have saved myself plenty of clicks on Google maps if I had figured that our earlier.

This is a remarkable book on several levels. While the author does a wonderful job depicting Freya Hoffmeister (an extraordinarily complex individual), it's also a fascinating travelogue of Australia itself, and most especially how forbidding its coast can be. In addition, for those of us nibbling on the edges of sea kayaking, the book presents an insider's view into some of the other personalities involved in the sport: Oscar Chalupsky, Paul Caffyn, and the author himself come most immediately to mind. The book is also filled with what I've come to think of as "Glickerisms" -- the text is peppered with funny similes and metaphors (my favorite is "as fast as a paperboy running away from a rabid dog" or words to that effect). In short, this a highly entertaining read.

The main subject is, of course, Freya herself, and the author's treatment of her is compelling. On one hand, she's presented as a self-absorbed, obsessive and often difficult individual. On the other hand, it becomes clear as you read through the book that these characteristics are, in large measure, responsible for the fact that she made it. The description of sheer scope of her accomplishment is yet another area where Glickman succeeds - aside from the extraordinary distance involved (approximately 8,500 miles), he clearly and thoroughly addresses the difficulties that had to be confronted (e.g., 40 knot headwinds, crashing surf, a series of 100-mile unbroken cliffs, the amazing crossing of the Gulf of Carpentaria, jellyfish, sharks, crocodiles - that's only part of the list).

For me, the most impressive part of the book was the ending, where the author struggles to make personal sense of Freya and her success. Glickman, a world-class paddler himself and no stranger to expedition paddling, makes no bones about the fact that, as much as he'd like to paddle around Australia, he's certain that he would fail. This candid revelation, more than anything else, brings home the notion that only a very small handful of people on the planet could even seriously attempt, much less complete, what Freya Hoffmeister pulled off through drive, ability, and sheer guts. As the reader, I found myself lost in admiration for her (although I wouldn't necessarily want to have dinner with her).

I've bought this book for many of my closest friends, kayakers and non-kayakers alike. I loved every minute of it and started reading it again as soon as I (sadly) hit the last page. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!

(On a final note, Freya is now in the middle of her attempted circumnavigation of South America. Freya, if you are reading this, best of luck to you. Be safe. Godspeed.)