{"product_id":"grand-ambition-an-extraordinary-yacht-the-people-who-built-it-and-the-millionaire-who-cant-really-afford-it-paperback","title":"Grand Ambition: An Extraordinary Yacht, the People Who Built It, and the Millionaire Who Can't Really Afford It - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eG. Bruce Knecht\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eG. Bruce Knecht, former reporter for \u003ci\u003eThe\u003c\/i\u003e \u003ci\u003eWall Street Journal\u003c\/i\u003eand author of \u003ci\u003eThe Proving Ground\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eHooked\u003c\/i\u003e, describes the creation of an outsized yacht in a sweeping narrative centered on the men and women who made it happen.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eDoug Von Allmen, a self-made man who grew up in a landlocked state dreaming of the ocean, was poised to build a 187-foot yacht that would cost $40 million. \u003ci\u003eLady Linda \u003c\/i\u003ewould not be among the very largest of the burgeoning fleet of oceangoing palaces, but Von Allmen vowed that it would be the best one ever made in the United States. Nothing would be ordinary. The interior walls would be made from rare species of burl wood, the floors paved with onyx and exotic types of marble, the furniture custom made, and the art specially commissioned. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eBut the 2008 economic crisis changed everything. Von Allmen's lifestyle suddenly became unaffordable. Then it got worse: desperate to reverse his losses, he fell for an audacious Ponzi scheme. Would Von Allmen be able to complete \u003ci\u003eLady Linda\u003c\/i\u003e? Would the shipyard and its one thousand employees survive the financial meltdown? \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThe divide between the very rich and everyone else had never been greater, yet the livelihoods of the workers, some of them illegal immigrants, and the yacht owners were inextricably intertwined. In a sweeping, high-stakes narrative, the critically acclaimed author of \u003ci\u003eThe Proving Ground \u003c\/i\u003eand \u003ci\u003eHooked \u003c\/i\u003eweaves Von Allmen's story together with those of the men and women who are building his yacht. As the pursuit of opulence collides with the reality of economic decline, everyone involved in the massive project is forced to rethink the meaning of the American Dream.\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 264\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.9 x 8.3 x 5.5 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e June 30, 2015\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Books by splitShops","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42119395278983,"sku":"9781416576013","price":17.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0601\/2623\/2711\/files\/6dc9871da1e216881339e3a4fb91c1c6.webp?v=1732540594","url":"https:\/\/booksby.splitshops.com\/products\/grand-ambition-an-extraordinary-yacht-the-people-who-built-it-and-the-millionaire-who-cant-really-afford-it-paperback","provider":"Books by splitShops","version":"1.0","type":"link"}