Grand Ambition

Doug Von Allmen, a self-made man who grew up in a landlocked state dreaming of the ocean, was poised to build his fifth yacht, his biggest yet-a 187-foot behemoth that would cost $40 million. Lady Linda's interior walls were to be made from rare species of burl wood, her floors paved with onyx and e [...]
Visa längre beskrivning

Doug Von Allmen, a self-made man who grew up in a landlocked state dreaming of the ocean, was poised to build his fifth yacht, his biggest yet-a 187-foot behemoth that would cost $40 million. Lady Linda's interior walls were to be made from rare species of burl wood, her floors paved with onyx and exotic types of marble, her furniture custom-made, and her art specially commissioned. But the economic crisis changed everything. Like many others, Von Allmen suddenly realized that he could no longer afford his lifestyle. Then it got worse: desperate to reverse his losses, he fell for an audacious Ponzi scheme. Would Von Allmen be able to finish the yacht? And if he did, would he be able to keep it? Knecht transports readers to a world of high seas luxury and ostentation that already seems like a bygone era. Grand Ambition takes us deep inside the building process in a narrative that is ultimately focused on the individuals who piece together the yacht.