TINKERBELLE- ROBERT MANRY FIRST EDITION 1965

Published in 1966 by Harper & Row, it tells the true story of Robert Manry, a copy editor for the Cleveland Plain Dealer. In 1965, he achieved international fame by sailing his 13.5-foot sloop, Tinkerbelle, across the Atlantic Ocean alone.

• The Feat: He traveled 3,200 miles from Falmouth, Massachusetts, to Falmouth, England, in 78 days. At the time, it was the smallest boat ever to make a non-stop Atlantic crossing.

• The Story: The book is a humble and charming memoir. It covers his 30-year dream of the voyage, the secret preparations (he only told his wife and children at first), and the perils of the trip—including being knocked overboard multiple times and hallucinating from sleep deprivation.