Books
 

I have never been one for reading books but after reading the post on here about someone looking for someone to publish a book and another post a week or so ago talking about performance boating related books, kinda has me interested in reading a few. Can anyone recommend a few god ones and a short description of what they are about. I would really appreciate it. Thanks in advance.
Brandon

Speed Kills - the Arronow story.
The King of Thunderboat Row - again about Aronow, but more about the boats.
SeaRace - the history of offshore racing.

If you're just looking for entertainment reading, and modern day pirate stories, "The Island", and " Betrayed".

I have all of them in my colection, but if you find any other good ones, please post them. I'm always looking for good reads about the sport.

Are there any books out there about Ben Kramer, and the history of Apache??

Thanks alot bouyhunter actually now that i see them, The Island and Betrayed are the 2 I remember seeing in another post. I think I am gonna go to the library tomorrow and see what is out there and try and find these. If I find anything else I will definately let you guys know. Boy, my fiance is gonna crap when she hears me say I want to go to the library and get a book.:D Thanks again.
Brandon

Those two are fictional, and they are good stories.
But, if you want to dig a little deeper into the history of Offshore boats and racing start reading into the others I mentioned.
Some may be hard to find.
I was lucky enough to find a brand new copy of "Thunderboat Row" about 5 years ago for $50.00 on Amazon. It's now out of print, and going for $400-600 on Ebay.

Good luck in finding the good reads, and be sure to report them back here.

Oh, BTW - you need to pony up the couple bucks for the membership here. It's well worth it, and you'll spend hours reading and learning.

I plan on reading those two and the others, I just couldn't remember what they were about but knew I remembered you guys talking as if they were good books. I definately want to read more about the history of offshore boats. Gonna go look around tomorrow. As for the membership, I work on boats.... I'm a broke feller man, you have no idea! I would like to upgrade the membership but can't right now. Hence the library and not buying the books right now also.

OK, does anyone know the authors of these books? I found The Island today but none of the others. Thank you.
Brandon

Thunderboat Row is Michael Aronow - Don's son.
Searace is John Crouse.

I'll get back with you about Betrayed, and Speed Kills. They aren't right in front of me at the moment.

The Legend of Chris-Craft by Jeffrey L Rodengen.
Evinrude/Johnson and the Legend of OMC by Same author.
Iron Fist by the same author (story of Mercury Marine).
Blue Thunder by Thomas Burdick and Charlene Mitchell.
Hope this helps.

Speed Kills - Jay Harris.
I found a used paperback copy a few years back (within 5) for under $20.

Betrayed - Robert Terwilliger.
New paperback on Amazon $10-15.
As I said, Betrayed is more of a story type, fictional book, but a good read.

I found Speed Kills a more difficult read, but it spells out everything that was suspected to be going on at the time, and the allegations. Unfortunately, it never comes to a concrete conclusion. But, to this day there is no concrete conclusion.
Yes, Ben is doing time, but there are still questions.

F311fr1- what is Blue thunder about? Thanks to the both of you!

The rest of the cover of Blue Thunder reads: "How the mafia owned and finally murdered Cigarette boat king Don Aronow." That should give you a pretty good idea.

I haven't done search yet, but do you know if it is still inprint/available??

I don't think so. I found it used on Amazon several years ago, and I think I paid about 100 bucks back then for it.

I have finished writing and am pitching a book about Ben Kramer at Apache, including the failed prison break of which I was a part. The more responses I get, either good or bad, will help me convince a publisher there is a market for my story.

So are you trying to say you should also be in prison for conspiracy to aide a felon in escape???

Who have you pitched your book to?

I'd be interested in the book.

Interesting.

I'm not suggesting I should have, I did three years, and was released on parole. I got off parole after five years.
The book has been written. Now I'm finishing up a query letter to send out. I'm using Jeff Herman's "Guide to Book Publishers, Editors, & Literary Agents" to help me market it.
My favorite book, and I believe the most accurate,is Jay Arthur Harris's "Speed Kills" He uses some of the same coart transcipts I use, which are the Charlie Podesta files. Charlie gave everybody up.
Thomas Budick wrote "Blue Thunder", Micheal Aronow wrote "King of Thunderboat Row"

were you the pilot??????

wow this should be a great story I emember reading about the break out attempt in the newspapers

I'd be glad to proof-read it for you before you pitch it to a publishing Co.
Should I forward you my e-mail addy:D

No. The pilot was Charlie Stevens. I was waiting outside the MCC in a Volvo in a field with money, passports, and other paraphernalia. Charlie signaled"Tallyho!" to me over a crystal radio when he was going in. Several minutes later there were police cars everywhere. I drove out of the field by the front of the prison and could see it was FUBAR. I drove home and got arrested a little later on.

You got my attention.
I'm interested in the book.

Well, thanks to you guy's anyone coming close to a prison with a helicopter gets shot down. I hope you have seen the error of your way's or are you with Kramer and didn't want to snitch on anybody, that is such BS if you don't consort with criminals you don't have to snitch. Trying to make the Gov't the bad guy's and he broke the law. He almost single handedly gave good law abiding offshore people a blackeye.

There have been, I believe, 25 escape attempts by helicopter around the world. Ten of those have been is France, no less. Some suceeded, other did not. I have my doubts that Ben Kramer was solely responsible for any prison policy changes concerning firing on an aircraft. I understand some prisons instituted something called "Kramer Wire" to prevent any further landing attempts.
In reference to giving people up, I have nearly 80 pages of court transcripts of Charlie Podesta naming every name he ever had contact with when he worked for Ben. That is what most people do when offered reduced sentences for information. I chose not to. Ben chose not to. That is meant to be neither didactic nor arrogant.
I don't know what you mean when you say "Trying to make the Government the bad guy". If you have information as to how that took place, I'd be more than interested in reading it. Please understand opinions are not facts.
As you correctly pointed out, I was consorting with criminals at the time, and yes; prison was all it took for me to see the "Error of my ways".
Finally, to suggest Ben Kramer was the only person in Miami in the 70's and 80's to smuggle pot in on a Cigarette style boat, ignores police reports, newspaper articles, and common sense.

bouyhunter: sure, forward away

Charlie Podesta became a chef, and was working for Gianni Versace when he was gunned down by psycho Andrew Cunanan.

Robingo,

Although not a fan of Benny, I'd love to read your book too! I hope you get it into print.

[email protected]

Robingo - yes, I really would like to read it.
E-mail tscovern"at"yahoo.com
Of course, replace the "at" with the @ symbol.
Don't need the e-mail picked up by a spam generator.

Robingo,

have you thought about a screen play?

Can you please send me your email info via email.

I tried to pm you but your pm is turned off.

Thanks.

Tank

[email protected]

I too would be intrested in your book. I understand Ben is a nephew of Meyer Lansky. Ben's mother and Lansky's wife are sisters I belive.

Robingo - are you still gonna e-mail that to me?
I'm very interested in reading it, and I have the time this week to read through it.
I'd love to see it.

"There is no such thing as the Mafia. It was invented by newspaper reporters to sell papers."
Al Capone 1922

Wow! Augy's on OSO ? What's next ? A myspace account ? :D

Forget the stupid book...Lets go shop a movie!!!!
I've been telling you that for 8 years !!!!

Let's go!!!!!!
:drink:
Hans

Oh...and what better place to post a small taste than right here on OSO...Call Steve!!!!!

Hey Hans, email borretrac@ comcast.net .

buoyhunter, I can only send manuscript to agents or publishers. Thanks for your interest. Robingo

The deal is coming together for a Don Arronow movie with Tony Scot as director. My neighbor is the producer. It's most likely going to have a sub plot of how these two mens lives 'bumped' into each other and their ultimate fates.

Take your story, add it to the Arronow story and you have a great movie.

It has been a year what happened?????

Yeah, what happened?? I'd be interested in this book as well.

hans(rckstrmakr) is checking up on it.

hmm interesting stuff.