Mountains of the Sea, written by Gunter O. Swoboda was released this year by Eloquent Books of New York.
‘Let him go abroad to a distant country; let him go to some place where he is not known. Don’t let him go to the devil, where he is known.’
So commences this historic saga based on a quote from ‘The Life of Johnson (Boswell)’, 1773.
Master Walter Beaumont is the principal character who must depart from his life of debauchery and unintentional murder in England and set sail to a distant country. In England he is indeed well known to the devil. As the second born son of a noble family, he departs on board HMS Resolution with the famous explorer, Captain James Cook and the master of the ship, William Bligh. For this is a tale centred on the factual third voyage of Captain Cook to return Omai to Tahiti and attempt to discover the famed Northwest Passage.
Set then in the late 1770’s, we follow Walter Beaumont’s journey across the ocean to the South Sea Islands. This is an emotional story of his trials, tribulations and triumphs as he moves from being a seeker to a hero. Entertwined with his journey are the lives of his other family members (namely Lord Beaumont, Lady Beaumont, and his older brother, Jonathan), as well all those people on board the ship and on the islands.
Many people will undoubtedly enjoy this historical story from the days of Captain James Cook and Mr. William Bligh! In addition, they will most certainly appreciate the great deal of research that Gunter Swoboda has undertaken to write it. It is indeed an education!’
This title is available for shipment now and if ordered right away will be a timely gift for the Holiday Season, certainly an excellent gift for the historian, seafarer, or those interested in the sagas of Captain James Cook.
About the author: Born in Vienna Austria, Günter and his family migrated to Australia in the early seventies when he was twelve years old. After settling on the Northern Beaches of Sydney, he immediately acclimatised to the outdoor lifestyle and forged a deep relationship with the ocean that focused on surfing. He also developed a passion for music and joined a band as a percussionist.
Several years ago, after an influential meeting with Phil Goldfarb in Los Angeles Günter began to devote more of his time and efforts to this interest in human stories, writing a high concept screen
play from which he has now adapted the novel “Mountains of the Sea” and has been published by Eloquent Books, NY.
Over the last few years he has acted as a writer, technical advisor and editor to a production
company looking to improve issues around characterisation, plot development and continuity.
Personally, Gunter has been successfully married for over twenty-five years and has two adult
children. He continues to explore his relationship to the sea, and when time allows likes to indulge
his passion in music.
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On this day in history: December 8, 1894, James Thurber is born in Columbus, Ohio.
When Thurber was about 7, he lost an eye in an accident while playing with his brothers. His disability made him shy and awkward, and he was something of a misfit until he discovered a love for writing while at Ohio State University. He encrypted and decoded messages for the Army from 1918 to 1920 in Paris, and later worked there as a freelance writer. He married Althea Adams, whom he later divorced, in 1922. In 1926, the couple moved to New York, and he became associated with a new magazine, The New Yorker, where he shared an office with E.B. White, master stylist and author of Charlotte's Web. White had a strong influence on Thurber's writing, which consisted largely of funny essays and short stories, accompanied by his own humorous drawings.
Thurber published many popular story and drawing collections, including The Owl in the Attic (1931), The Seal in the Bedroom (1932), and My Life and Hard Times (1933). His short story "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty," published in The New Yorker in 1939, became one of his best-known works.
Thurber's later works lacked the delicate touch of earlier creations, as he struggled with health problems and drank heavily. He wrote several charming works for children, including The 13 Clocks (1950) and The Wonderful O (1957), before his death in 1961.
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Comments
Nice to see a man's book feature Donna, keep up the good work and thank you for letting me know about your column.
C.
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