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The Stowaway
The Stowaway: A Young Mans Extraordinary Adventure to Antarctica | Laurie Gwen Shapiro
The spectacular, true story of a scrappy teenager from New Yorks Lower East Side who stowed away on the Roaring Twenties most remarkable feat of science and daring: an expedition to Antarctica. It was 1928: a time of illicit booze, of Gatsby and Babe Ruth, of freewheeling fun. The Great War was over and American optimism was higher than the stock market. What better moment to launch an expedition to Antarctica, the planets final frontier? This was the moon landing before the 1960s. Everyone wanted to join the adventure. Rockefellers and Vanderbilts begged to be taken along as mess boys, and newspapers across the globe covered the plannings every stage. The night before the expeditions flagship launched, Billy Gawronskia skinny, first generation New York City high schooler desperate to escape a dreary future in the family upholstery businessjumped into the Hudson River and snuck aboard. Could he get away with it? From the grimy streets of New Yorks Lower East Side to the rowdy dance halls of sultry Francophone Tahiti, all the way to Antarcticas blinding white and deadly freeze, Laurie Gwen Shapiros The Stowaway takes you on the unforgettable voyage of a gutsy young stowaway who became an international celebrity, a mascot for an up-by-your bootstraps age.
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CaffeineAndCandy
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I'm doing more reading still tonight, but thus far I'm at four hours for #24B4Monday @Andrew65 Going to read the tagged book now, but I may be reading multiple books at the same time.

Andrew65 I often do this. 😊 4y
38 likes1 comment
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Becker
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Mehso-so

I enjoyed the time and setting of this book. It was a snapshot of a brief time in American history and it was interesting to see what the news and thoughts of the day were. Yet for the most part this book just didn‘t work for me. As a biography I found it dull and as an adventure story it was a failure.

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LiteraryLona
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Pickpick

Thanks @Judybskt for all of the goodies in my Valentine's box! @BookishMarginalia what a great swap! #cupidgoespostal

Judybskt Glad you like everything!! 6y
9 likes1 comment
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LibraryCin
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Pickpick


This was good. It followed Billy (and Byrd), not just to Antarctica and back (and that is the bulk of the book), but I liked that it continued when they returned. They returned in 1930, just after the collapse of the stock market and the economy was bad, so it was not easy for any of the returning crew (though hailed as heroes) to find work at that time.

8 likes1 stack add
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Wife
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Pickpick

Impressed with the stowaway‘s determination. And I liked learning about the expedition to the South Pole. I missed this in history class. 3/5❄️s

75 likes1 stack add
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daniwithtea
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Pickpick

What an amazing story! I blew through this in a couple of hours because I was just so into it.

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readtheworld
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Pickpick

Just finished reading this account of a young man who stowed away for one of the 20th century‘s most important Antarctic expeditions. Filled with well-researched detail and fascinating historical characters, The Stowaway will make you want to strike out for parts unknown.

#nonfiction #history #coverart #readtheworld

Reviewsbylola This sounds fascinating. 6y
readtheworld @Reviewsbylola I really enjoyed it! About half of it is about the expedition and the rest is about his life in New York. 6y
66 likes4 stack adds2 comments
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catiewithac
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Mehso-so

This book brings to life a fine piece of Americana. It follows the adventures of a young Polish American boy who journeys to Antarctica in 1928. The story reminds me of one Dick Estelle would narrate on Radio Reader, NPR‘s old program that passed with its unique creator. My only complaint is the writing. I think this debut author got a little carried away by the tone of the old newspaper clippings she used as sources. Too many exclamations ‼️‼️

Reviewsbylola How interesting! 7y
27 likes1 comment
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lowellette
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Pickpick

How an adventurous teenager stowed away on a trip of a lifetime, then gets tossed around by the Great Depression and WW2. The Greatest Generation has a million stories to tell . . .

8 likes1 stack add
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Booksnchill
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Pickpick

I had no idea that there was a “stowaway” craze and that so many boys and men tried to join Byrd‘s expedition. This is the story of one who succeeded -after many tries, to be taken on to the expedition crew. Really as much a story about the promotion of an idea to the public and the hardships to the crew- not on the ice but on return with the Great Depression and WWII. Quick read, written in an engaging way- recommended! #femmeuary

Zelma Wow, it is amazing how many parts of history can be entirely unknown or new to someone. Never heard of this trend. 7y
Booksnchill @zelma apparently is was a time of catching the imagination and the real feeling that anything is possible- have we lost some of this? Seems inconceivable today! 7y
66 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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Booksnchill
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@HotMessJess @ErickaS_Flyleafunfurled thanks for the tag!
1. Whiskey
2. 3 years
3. If he catches you taking his picture he goes to profile!
4. @britt_brooke @Bostonmomx2 @kamoorephoto
#petsandpaperbacks

ErickaS_Flyleafunfurled Whiskey AND The Stowaway! Two of my favorite things!! 💕 7y
britt_brooke Such a cutie!! 7y
Bostonmomx2 Hiiii Whiskey! 7y
kamoorephoto I just love your dog!! I bet he‘d like Apollo 💓 7y
69 likes4 comments
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BethFishReads
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Today‘s round-up is for nonfiction lovers. True crime to anthropology to personal essays. Enjoy! As always, descriptions on my blog, or look up titles here on Litsy http://www.bethfishreads.com/2018/01/8-books-for-nonfiction-lovers.html?m=1

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chowmeyow
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I‘m loving this audiobook (fits right into my arctic exploration obsession). And the narrator is great. I‘m curious though about the choice to use a male vocalist. The book is written by female. It‘s a piece of non-fiction, journalistic storytelling. It could be read by a male or female. But I‘m wondering why they chose a male. Is it that tales of adventure / exploration are still seen as masculine? Would men not want to listen to a female voice?

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ErickaS_Flyleafunfurled
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Pickpick

Such a great nonfiction book! Easy to read, great story, weaves in many facets of 1920s American history, and is a fun tale of chutzpah and ingenuity. This is the story of young Billy Gawronksi who stowed away on Admiral Byrd‘s supply ship to escape his fate of working for his dad‘s business and instead seek adventure. Highly entertaining and educational. Recommended!

ErickaS_Flyleafunfurled Thanks @Booksnchill for telling me about this one!! 7y
Booksnchill @ErickaS_Flyleafunfurled so glad it‘s good- haven‘t received mine yet! 7y
50 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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Booksnchill
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This publishes in January and is a non fiction account of a stowaway on the 1928 Byrd expedition. Sounds very interesting! 🎉🎉🎉

ErickaS_Flyleafunfurled Want!! Thanks for bringing this to my attention! 😄 7y
ErickaS_Flyleafunfurled I just requested on Netgalley 🤞 7y
See All 6 Comments
Mdargusch Sounds great! 7y
Booksnchill @Mdargusch hope so!! 7y
LeahBergen Sounds amazing! 7y
83 likes3 stack adds6 comments