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Robert Fairchild #2
Viking Raid
Combining a ship finance textbook with a jet setting geopolitical romp, Viking Raid picks up where The Shipping Man left off - on a journey into the famously private world of international shipping tycoons and their financiers.
At the conclusion of The Shipping Man, Robert Fairchild is sipping rosé on the Côte d'Azur with Coco Jacobsen and toasting to the success of their $300 million junk bond offering; six months later the CEO is in the 120-degree engine room of a supertanker discharging two million barrels of Saudi crude oil - afraid for his job and afraid for his life.
Fortunes change quickly in the volatile world of international oil shipping and Fairchild knows that unless he can find another $500 million soon his powerful Norwegian tanker tycoon boss will have little use for him.
When Robert convinces Coco to attempt an Initial Public Offering of Viking Tankers on Wall Street, the desperate American thinks his problems may have been solved - but the former hedge fund manager couldn't be more wrong.
Instead, Fairchild finds himself stuck between an American shale gas wildcatter and The Peoples' Republic of China in their competition for clean energy. Combining swashbuckling shipping adventure with corporate finance derring-do, Viking Raid puts Fairchild back at the table in the highest-stakes casino in the world - with more than just his deal at risk.
At the conclusion of The Shipping Man, Robert Fairchild is sipping rosé on the Côte d'Azur with Coco Jacobsen and toasting to the success of their $300 million junk bond offering; six months later the CEO is in the 120-degree engine room of a supertanker discharging two million barrels of Saudi crude oil - afraid for his job and afraid for his life.
Fortunes change quickly in the volatile world of international oil shipping and Fairchild knows that unless he can find another $500 million soon his powerful Norwegian tanker tycoon boss will have little use for him.
When Robert convinces Coco to attempt an Initial Public Offering of Viking Tankers on Wall Street, the desperate American thinks his problems may have been solved - but the former hedge fund manager couldn't be more wrong.
Instead, Fairchild finds himself stuck between an American shale gas wildcatter and The Peoples' Republic of China in their competition for clean energy. Combining swashbuckling shipping adventure with corporate finance derring-do, Viking Raid puts Fairchild back at the table in the highest-stakes casino in the world - with more than just his deal at risk.
308 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 30, 2013
27 people are currently reading
191 people want to read
About the author
Matthew McCleery
7 books26 followersMatt McCleery is the President of Marine Money and Managing Director of Blue Sea Capital, Inc. where he advises shipowners and investors on ship financing and investment transactions. He can be reached at mmccleery@marinemoney.com.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
April 29, 2014
The Shipping Man and Viking Raid are novelized introductions into the world of shipping. Similar in style as The Goal by Eliyahu Goldratt, something I enjoy reading.
The first book, The Shipping Man was a decent read and as someone in the business, I enjoyed it. Sadly, Viking Raid suffers from too many issues that are hard to ignore. Childish and winy dialogue, unbelievable characters and just a lot of unrealistic situations (a secretary that can press a button and 100 police men arrive?). There was a lot of eye-rolling on my behalf while reading the corny dialogue.
I will still read any new shipping novels by Mr. McCleery, just because I enjoy reading anything related to shipping. I just hope he will write more believable characters as he gets more writing experience.
Oh and whats with having a new paragraph for every second sentence??
The first book, The Shipping Man was a decent read and as someone in the business, I enjoyed it. Sadly, Viking Raid suffers from too many issues that are hard to ignore. Childish and winy dialogue, unbelievable characters and just a lot of unrealistic situations (a secretary that can press a button and 100 police men arrive?). There was a lot of eye-rolling on my behalf while reading the corny dialogue.
I will still read any new shipping novels by Mr. McCleery, just because I enjoy reading anything related to shipping. I just hope he will write more believable characters as he gets more writing experience.
Oh and whats with having a new paragraph for every second sentence??
April 27, 2014
Sequels are rarely better than the originals and this is no exception. While the „Viking Raid“ is still an entertaining read about shipping industry, it does not outshine „The Shipping Man“.
October 25, 2017
Ja. Very good story telling.
Business/ Life lesson #
“Always remember that in the business of shipping, when you are ready to give up you must hang on a little longer,” she said. “If you can do that, you will almost always be okay.”
Business/ Life lesson #
“Always remember that in the business of shipping, when you are ready to give up you must hang on a little longer,” she said. “If you can do that, you will almost always be okay.”
April 23, 2015
Easy read about shipping business to have at least some idea of what colleagues in Oslo are doing:)
May 6, 2018
Enjoyable read with more business insight into the highly cyclical (understatement) shipping industry
October 14, 2020
Entertaining book on the intricacies of the shipping industry. The characters are entertaining. The writing not the best. Enjoyable and recommended nonetheless.
July 25, 2017
Pretty interesting. Short read. No one is going to mistake this for the next Charles Dickens novel though. Plot isn't super believable and really stretches the realm of plausibility. If you liked The Shipping Man this is worth picking up.
February 23, 2023
The sequel is as good as the Part 1. In this book Mr. Fairchild is taken on rollicking ride on the shipping centers right from Greece, South Korea, United Kingdom to Chanel Islands. Book gives an excellent account on how ships are ordered to commissioning.
March 3, 2024
A good yarn with a shipping education thrown in!
A simple tale, but an enjoyable one with insights in to the characters that dominate the shipping industry. I’ll definitely be buying book 3 in the series.
A simple tale, but an enjoyable one with insights in to the characters that dominate the shipping industry. I’ll definitely be buying book 3 in the series.
March 25, 2017
Entertaining read
July 17, 2022
Not as good as the first one, sometimes a bit messy, but overall a good book. Next up, Exit stategy.
July 2, 2025
First one was great, and this was definitely equally enjoyable, if not more so! Chapeau again McCleery!
April 6, 2018
"L—d! said my mother, what is all this story about? — A Cock and a Bull, said Yorick — And one of the best of its kind I ever heard."
The last lines of Tristram Shandy came to mind when reading this, but the last 11 words didn't. McCleery has reined in some of his sillier Dan Brown-style superfluous descriptions, but the plot veers off into the ridiculous after a promising start. By the end, the whole thing was too daft for words.
His proofreaders seemed to lose concentration as well, with the errors getting more common as the book went on – missed words, mis-spelled words, mis-used words.
The last lines of Tristram Shandy came to mind when reading this, but the last 11 words didn't. McCleery has reined in some of his sillier Dan Brown-style superfluous descriptions, but the plot veers off into the ridiculous after a promising start. By the end, the whole thing was too daft for words.
His proofreaders seemed to lose concentration as well, with the errors getting more common as the book went on – missed words, mis-spelled words, mis-used words.
May 6, 2015
One of my better "work" book reads
January 8, 2017
Good despite too-cute ending. Sequel should be about post-election shipping stock short squeezes (see DRYS).
April 14, 2017
I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/14396093
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/14396093
June 4, 2023
Preposterous, amusing and directionally educational. Worth the three hours it took to read just to remind me not to buy-and-hold shipping stocks.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews