The Raftsmen

by Ryan Barnett, Dmitry Bondarenko (Illustrator)

A dramatic and thrilling portrait of a long-forgotten true adventure and astounding seafaring achievement.

In The Raftsmen, author and documentary filmmaker Ryan Barnett takes readers on an astonishing maritime adventure set in the aftermath of World War II.

For four French expatriates who escaped the clutches of the Nazi regime to find asylum in Canada, adventure was to be the antidote to depression brought on by the cruelty of war. In 1956, armed with nothing but the flannel on their backs, a small stock of food, and some crude navigation and communication equipment, the quartet set sail from Halifax.

Their goal: to become the first crew to cross the Atlantic by raft. Fashioned from telephone poles and built entirely by hand, the raft they called L'Egare II would be their home for 88 harrowing days as they crossed the North Atlantic from Canada to Britain. And they made it!

In The Raftsmen, Barnett and comic illustrator Dmitry Bondarenko explore the adventure-fueled men aboard the L'Egare II, and the complex emotional undercurrents that led to their daredevil voyage.

Original archival photography and film stills taken by the crew aboard the raft, along with news reports and contemporary interviews with still-living members and other key players, round out the re-telling of this amazing journey.

Sixty years after they set sail, the epic story of the raftsmen's historic Atlantic crossing is brought to life for the first time.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Graphic Novels

224 pages, Hardcover

Published October 10, 2017

Reviews

[Lucy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A slight but entertaining true story about 4 men and 2 kittens who attempt to sail a raft across the Atlantic. In 1956 4 men built a raft using 9 thirty-foot logs lashed together with hundreds of feet of thick rope, topped it with a tiny shelter, and added a sail and rudder. They headed out from Halifax with the intent of using the Gulf stream to propel them to England, or maybe Ireland, or maybe Scotland. No worries, they’d find out when they got there. Shouldn’t take more than 100 days. So they packed enough rations to last for about 40 days. They’d be able to catch fish along the way, wouldn’t they? Sounds like a plan, sort of. The book is illustrated with photos and with cartoons depicting portions of the story. Although this book doesn’t seem to be targeted for any particular demographic I think it could be a good choice for younger readers.

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed for professional publication.

[Kerry Meservia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Neat story of three crazy guys who rafted across the Atlantic in the 50's. The author does a neat job of story telling without having a boring log of day to day floating in the ocean.

[Lauraine · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting blend of non-fiction, graphic novel, and photographs showcasing the amazing tale of three men who relied on ocean currents alone to cross the Atlantic on a raft.