Race The Atlantic Wind

by Oisín McGann

In the spring of 1919, after the end of the First World War, teams of pilots and navigators begin to gather on the North American island of Newfoundland. They are attempting what many believe to be impossible – to fly non-stop across the Atlantic Ocean. Equipped with machines made mostly from wood, fabric and wire, they intend to fly the 1,800 miles to Ireland, in the face of the merciless North Atlantic weather.

John Alcock and Arthur Whitten Brown are late to arrive. Competing against some of Europe’s most famous pilots, these two British war veterans are considered rank outsiders. Maggie McRory is a sixteen-year-old girl who sees the gathering of all these aircraft and their crews as a chance to escape her narrow existence. Her war-scarred uncle, however, views them as a threat to the island and his way of life.

This absurdly dangerous contest is going to change the world . . .

Race the Atlantic Wind receives financial assistance from the Arts Council

272 pages, Paperback

Published June 10, 2019

About the author

Born in Dublin in 1973, Oisín spent his childhood there and in Drogheda, County Louth. He started writing and illustrating stories in copybooks when he was about six or seven, setting himself on a path that would steer him well clear of ever obtaining of a proper job.

Despite his writing habit, he spent most of school convinced he was going to become a zoologist, an aspiration he lost after taking his first art exam in third year at St. Olivers Community College. Unable to conceive of a way to make a living from writing fiction after his Leaving Cert., he decided to fund his dreams of being an author by working as an illustrator. He signed up for a design and print foundation course in Ballyfermot Senior College, Dublin, in 1990 and then studied animation at Dun Laoghaire School of Art and Design.

In 1992 he dropped out of college to set himself up as a freelance illustrator/artist, serving the publishing and design industries. In 1997, he took up a position as Background Layout Designer for Fred Wolf films, working on the animated series of Zorro. After completing his contract, he decided to expand his horizons and left for London in February 1998 to seek his fortune. He found gainful employment as a security guard, watching over trains and then hospitals.

In January 1999, he joined the M&M Consultancy, a small advertising and design firm, as art director and soon expanded into copy writing. After three and a half years of working in advertising he became increasingly concerned for his immortal soul. He returned to Ireland in the summer of 2002 much as he had left – with no job, no home and some meagre savings. He set himself up as a freelance illustrator once more, before getting his first books published in 2003.

Oisin now works full-time as a writer and illustrator. He lives somewhere in the Irish countryside, where he won’t be heard shouting at his computer.

Reviews

[Mary Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

With air travel now so common, it is alien to us; this understanding of the depth of the risk and courage it took to even consider attempting the first non-stop Atlantic flight . An insightful and gripping story, this book expertly sets the atmosphere and tension perfectly. Detailed descriptions and explanations of the landscape, the flying machines and insight into the characters and personalities of the pilots themselves pull the reader along on an incredible, danger-filled journey of discovery and adventure. It is as if we are there and wondering why on earth anyone would even consider doing such a mad thing! Maggie's character is laid-out beautifully. We see a young, determined person attempting with all her might to escape the constraints of conventional thinking and all its' fears and those equally determined to keep her 'safe.' She shows us what it takes to move forward; how to be intrepid and strong in the face of a world that demands you not be these things. The relationships between all the characters, their particular gifts, talents and challenges, the interplay between the events that haunt them and the dream that makes them who they are, makes this a very human story. Celebrating the 100 year mark of Alcock and Browns' jaw-dropping flight, this book is amazing! Written by one of the very best authors in Ireland, this is historical fiction doing what it does best; bringing the past to life and seeing it with new eyes.

[Nicola Pierce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Impeccably researched and well-written, this is a pacey read paying homage to the first nonstop flight made across the Atlantic in 1919 by Alcock and Brown. I knew nothing about them but I do enjoy reading about all types of explorers who are driven by their passion to do what might at first seem to be quite impossible. McGann showed off his passion for his subject and his characters. Highly recommend it.

[Nick · Rating 4 out of 5]

My son listened to a podcast about the Alcock and Brown transatlantic flight and found this book for me as a gift. It's a well-written, enjoyable, rather gritty YA historical novel. The recently ended World War I hangs over the characters. Most of the aircrews went through the trauma of the war. True incidents like the wreck of the American C-5 airship are woven into the plot. The British Isles "diaspora" also features, and various names from early aviation such as Hawker appear. The remoteness of Newfoundland and how that island's character will be changed by aviation figures prominently.