Angela Madsen was a US Marine, a three-time Paralympian and the holder of 14 Guinness World Records - and she reached all of it after a botched operation left her paraplegic, and after periods of homelessness, debt and chronic pain. Rowing was the thing that gave her life back. By the time she approached 60, she had crossed oceans around the world and had one ambition left: to row one entirely alone.In April 2020, Angela set off from Los Angeles for Hawaii in her boat, Row of Life, aiming to become the first paraplegic, and the oldest woman, to row the Pacific solo. She turned 60 at sea. She never reached Hawaii.Hugh's guest is Soraya Simi, the filmmaker who told Angela's story. Barely out of film school, Soraya was asked by Angela to document the row, and spent a year working with her before the boat left LA - then followed the crossing from shore, in real time, message by message. Her debut feature, Row of Life, took six years to make and became a very different film from the one she set out to make. Soraya joins Hugh to talk about who Angela really was, the marriage to Deb at the heart of the story, the boat that drifted 4,000 miles and reappeared on a remote Pacific atoll, and what it means to keep going - the idea Angela lived by to the very end.Soraya Simi's film Row of Life is available to rent or buy online. Search for it on Amazon, Apple or YouTube to find it in your territory. YouTube UK: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CfW6paF7-Go">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CfW6paF7-Go</a>Apple UK: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://tv.apple.com/gb/movie/row-of-life/umc.cmc.4ot0ibynmm3qoclgv4hpvt3o">https://tv.apple.com/gb/movie/row-of-life/umc.cmc.4ot0ibynmm3qoclgv4hpvt3o</a>Prime UK: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/video/detail/amzn1.dv.gti.e0e3bbe0-e0bf-42bb-b1fa-916def893012?autoplay=0&ref_=atv_cf_strg_wb">https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/video/detail/amzn1.dv.gti.e0e3bbe0-e0bf-42bb-b1fa-916def893012?autoplay=0&ref_=atv_cf_strg_wb</a>Angela told her own story in her memoir, Rowing Against the Wind.This episode brings Series 2 to a close - thank you for listening. The Art of Adventure is brought to you by Arthur Beale, outfitters to sailors, adventurers, vagabonds and explorers for over 500 years. Find out more at <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://arthurbeale.co.uk">arthurbeale.co.uk</a>. Listeners get 15% off with the code PODCAST at checkout.

Angela Madsen was a US Marine, a three-time Paralympian and the holder of 14 Guinness World Records - and she reached all of it after a botched operation left her paraplegic, and after periods of homelessness, debt and chronic pain. Rowing was the thing that gave her life back. By the time she approached 60, she had crossed oceans around the world and had one ambition left: to row one entirely alone. In April 2020, Angela set off from Los Angeles for Hawaii in her boat, Row of Life, aiming to become the first paraplegic, and the oldest woman, to row the Pacific solo. She turned 60 at sea. She never reached Hawaii. Hugh's guest is Soraya Simi, the filmmaker who told Angela's story. Barely out of film school, Soraya was asked by Angela to document the row, and spent a year working with her before the boat left LA - then followed the crossing from shore, in real time, message by message. Her debut feature, Row of Life, took six years to make and became a very different film from the one she set out to make. Soraya joins Hugh to talk about who Angela really was, the marriage to Deb at the heart of the story, the boat that drifted 4,000 miles and reappeared on a remote Pacific atoll, and what it means to keep going - the idea Angela lived by to the very end. Soraya Simi's film Row of Life is available to rent or buy online. Search for it on Amazon, Apple or YouTube to find it in your territory. YouTube UK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CfW6paF7-Go Apple UK: https://tv.apple.com/gb/movie/row-of-life/umc.cmc.4ot0ibynmm3qoclgv4hpvt3o Prime UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/video/detail/amzn1.dv.gti.e0e3bbe0-e0bf-42bb-b1fa-916def893012?autoplay=0&ref_=atv_cf_strg_wb Angela told her own story in her memoir, Rowing Against the Wind. This episode brings Series 2 to a close - thank you for listening. The Art of Adventure is brought to you by Arthur Beale, outfitters to sailors, adventurers, vagabonds and explorers for over 500 years. Find out more at arthurbeale.co.uk. Listeners get 15% off with the code PODCAST at checkout.

Angela Madsen was a US Marine, a three-time Paralympian and the holder of 14 Guinness World Records - and she reached all of it after a botched operation left her paraplegic, and after periods of homelessness, debt and chronic pain. Rowing was the thing that gave her life back. By the time she approached 60, she had crossed oceans around the world and had one ambition left: to row one entirely alone.In April 2020, Angela set off from Los Angeles for Hawaii in her boat, Row of Life, aiming to become the first paraplegic, and the oldest woman, to row the Pacific solo. She turned 60 at sea. She never reached Hawaii.Hugh's guest is Soraya Simi, the filmmaker who told Angela's story. Barely out of film school, Soraya was asked by Angela to document the row, and spent a year working with her before the boat left LA - then followed the crossing from shore, in real time, message by message. Her debut feature, Row of Life, took six years to make and became a very different film from the one she set out to make. Soraya joins Hugh to talk about who Angela really was, the marriage to Deb at the heart of the story, the boat that drifted 4,000 miles and reappeared on a remote Pacific atoll, and what it means to keep going - the idea Angela lived by to the very end.Soraya Simi's film Row of Life is available to rent or buy online. Search for it on Amazon, Apple or YouTube to find it in your territory. YouTube UK: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CfW6paF7-Go" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CfW6paF7-Go</a>Apple UK: <a href="https://tv.apple.com/gb/movie/row-of-life/umc.cmc.4ot0ibynmm3qoclgv4hpvt3o" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://tv.apple.com/gb/movie/row-of-life/umc.cmc.4ot0ibynmm3qoclgv4hpvt3o</a>Prime UK: <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/video/detail/amzn1.dv.gti.e0e3bbe0-e0bf-42bb-b1fa-916def893012?autoplay=0&amp;ref_=atv_cf_strg_wb" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/video/detail/amzn1.dv.gti.e0e3bbe0-e0bf-42bb-b1fa-916def893012?autoplay=0&amp;ref_=atv_cf_strg_wb</a>Angela told her own story in her memoir, Rowing Against the Wind.This episode brings Series 2 to a close - thank you for listening. The Art of Adventure is brought to you by Arthur Beale, outfitters to sailors, adventurers, vagabonds and explorers for over 500 years. Find out more at <a href="http://arthurbeale.co.uk" rel="noopener noreferrer">arthurbeale.co.uk</a>. Listeners get 15% off with the code PODCAST at checkout.

Row of Life: The Tragedy and Triumph of Angela Madsen's Last Ocean Row

In the summer of 1919, just weeks after the end of the First World War, a handful of airmen who had survived the skies over the Western Front signed up for what many believed was impossible: the first non-stop flight across the Atlantic Ocean.The challenge came with a £10,000 prize from Lord Northcliffe, owner of the Daily Mail and one of aviation's earliest and most relentless champions. Four teams of pilots, navigators, and aircraft manufacturers raced to Newfoundland to attempt the 2,000-mile crossing - knowing that failure meant almost certain death in the freezing Atlantic.Hugh's guest is David Rooney, historian, former curator at the Science Museum in London, and author of The Big Hop: The First Non-Stop Flight Across the Atlantic Ocean and into the Future. David tells the story of the brave pioneers who made the crossing - and the rivals who nearly got there first, including the audacious Harry Hawker, whose dramatic disappearance and miraculous rescue gripped the world.We hear about the characters forged at Brooklands - the cradle of British aviation - the existential stakes for aircraft manufacturer after the end of the war, the 16-hour ordeal of flying an open-cockpit canvas plane through freezing fog and engine failure, and why two of the most remarkable men in aviation history quietly stepped into the shadows, overshadowed by Charles Lindbergh eight years later.It's a story of courage, rivalry, friendship, and a miracle we now take for granted every time we fasten our seatbelt.David Rooney's book, The Big Hop, is out now. You can see the actual Vickers Vimy flown by Alcock and Brown at the Science Museum in London.The Art of Adventure is brought to you by Arthur Beale - outfitters to sailors, adventurers, vagabonds, and explorers for over 500 years. Visit <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://arthurbeale.co.uk">arthurbeale.co.uk</a> and use the code podcast for 15% off at checkout.

In the summer of 1919, just weeks after the end of the First World War, a handful of airmen who had survived the skies over the Western Front signed up for what many believed was impossible: the first non-stop flight across the Atlantic Ocean. The challenge came with a £10,000 prize from Lord Northcliffe, owner of the Daily Mail and one of aviation's earliest and most relentless champions. Four teams of pilots, navigators, and aircraft manufacturers raced to Newfoundland to attempt the 2,000-mile crossing - knowing that failure meant almost certain death in the freezing Atlantic. Hugh's guest is David Rooney, historian, former curator at the Science Museum in London, and author of The Big Hop: The First Non-Stop Flight Across the Atlantic Ocean and into the Future. David tells the story of the brave pioneers who made the crossing - and the rivals who nearly got there first, including the audacious Harry Hawker, whose dramatic disappearance and miraculous rescue gripped the world. We hear about the characters forged at Brooklands - the cradle of British aviation - the existential stakes for aircraft manufacturer after the end of the war, the 16-hour ordeal of flying an open-cockpit canvas plane through freezing fog and engine failure, and why two of the most remarkable men in aviation history quietly stepped into the shadows, overshadowed by Charles Lindbergh eight years later. It's a story of courage, rivalry, friendship, and a miracle we now take for granted every time we fasten our seatbelt. David Rooney's book, The Big Hop, is out now. You can see the actual Vickers Vimy flown by Alcock and Brown at the Science Museum in London. The Art of Adventure is brought to you by Arthur Beale - outfitters to sailors, adventurers, vagabonds, and explorers for over 500 years. Visit arthurbeale.co.uk and use the code podcast for 15% off at checkout.

In the summer of 1919, just weeks after the end of the First World War, a handful of airmen who had survived the skies over the Western Front signed up for what many believed was impossible: the first non-stop flight across the Atlantic Ocean.The challenge came with a £10,000 prize from Lord Northcliffe, owner of the Daily Mail and one of aviation's earliest and most relentless champions. Four teams of pilots, navigators, and aircraft manufacturers raced to Newfoundland to attempt the 2,000-mile crossing - knowing that failure meant almost certain death in the freezing Atlantic.Hugh's guest is David Rooney, historian, former curator at the Science Museum in London, and author of The Big Hop: The First Non-Stop Flight Across the Atlantic Ocean and into the Future. David tells the story of the brave pioneers who made the crossing - and the rivals who nearly got there first, including the audacious Harry Hawker, whose dramatic disappearance and miraculous rescue gripped the world.We hear about the characters forged at Brooklands - the cradle of British aviation - the existential stakes for aircraft manufacturer after the end of the war, the 16-hour ordeal of flying an open-cockpit canvas plane through freezing fog and engine failure, and why two of the most remarkable men in aviation history quietly stepped into the shadows, overshadowed by Charles Lindbergh eight years later.It's a story of courage, rivalry, friendship, and a miracle we now take for granted every time we fasten our seatbelt.David Rooney's book, The Big Hop, is out now. You can see the actual Vickers Vimy flown by Alcock and Brown at the Science Museum in London.The Art of Adventure is brought to you by Arthur Beale - outfitters to sailors, adventurers, vagabonds, and explorers for over 500 years. Visit <a href="http://arthurbeale.co.uk" rel="noopener noreferrer">arthurbeale.co.uk</a> and use the code podcast for 15% off at checkout.

The Big Hop: The Forgotten Race to Fly the Atlantic Non-Stop

For centuries, Timbuktu was Europe's idea of the unreachable place - an African El Dorado where the roofs were said to be made of gold. The myth had roots in something real: in 1325 the Malian emperor Mansa Musa travelled to Mecca with so much gold that his spending in Cairo devalued the Egyptian currency for years afterwards. By the time European explorers went looking, the city had been in decline for two centuries. Nobody in Europe knew that, because nobody had been there and come back.In the 1820s, the French put up a prize: a small fortune for the first person to reach Timbuktu and return alive to describe it.Two men went after it, and they could not have been less alike. Alexander Gordon Laing was a Scottish army officer who crossed the Sahara openly. René Caillié was the son of a convict, orphaned at eleven, self-taught and self-funded. He spent months learning Arabic, travelled alone and in disguise. One man never returned, and the other discovered something he could have never predicted. Charlie English joins Hugh to tell the story of both men. A writer and journalist, and formerly head of international news at the Guardian, Charlie left the paper to write The Book Smugglers of Timbuktu, which braids this nineteenth-century race together with a modern one - the librarians who smuggled the city's ancient manuscripts to safety during the jihadist occupation of 2012.The Book Smugglers of Timbuktu by Charlie English is out now, published in the US as The Storied City.Charlie and a group of academics are raising funds to support the Mohammed Tahar Library in Timbuktu. Search for the Mohammed Tahar Library Project on Patreon.The Art of Adventure is brought to you by Arthur Beale, outfitters to sailors, adventurers, vagabonds and explorers for over 500 years. Find out more at <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://arthurbeale.co.uk">arthurbeale.co.uk</a>. Listeners get 15% off with the code PODCAST at checkout.

For centuries, Timbuktu was Europe's idea of the unreachable place - an African El Dorado where the roofs were said to be made of gold. The myth had roots in something real: in 1325 the Malian emperor Mansa Musa travelled to Mecca with so much gold that his spending in Cairo devalued the Egyptian currency for years afterwards. By the time European explorers went looking, the city had been in decline for two centuries. Nobody in Europe knew that, because nobody had been there and come back. In the 1820s, the French put up a prize: a small fortune for the first person to reach Timbuktu and return alive to describe it. Two men went after it, and they could not have been less alike. Alexander Gordon Laing was a Scottish army officer who crossed the Sahara openly. René Caillié was the son of a convict, orphaned at eleven, self-taught and self-funded. He spent months learning Arabic, travelled alone and in disguise. One man never returned, and the other discovered something he could have never predicted. Charlie English joins Hugh to tell the story of both men. A writer and journalist, and formerly head of international news at the Guardian, Charlie left the paper to write The Book Smugglers of Timbuktu, which braids this nineteenth-century race together with a modern one - the librarians who smuggled the city's ancient manuscripts to safety during the jihadist occupation of 2012. The Book Smugglers of Timbuktu by Charlie English is out now, published in the US as The Storied City. Charlie and a group of academics are raising funds to support the Mohammed Tahar Library in Timbuktu. Search for the Mohammed Tahar Library Project on Patreon. The Art of Adventure is brought to you by Arthur Beale, outfitters to sailors, adventurers, vagabonds and explorers for over 500 years. Find out more at arthurbeale.co.uk. Listeners get 15% off with the code PODCAST at checkout.

For centuries, Timbuktu was Europe's idea of the unreachable place - an African El Dorado where the roofs were said to be made of gold. The myth had roots in something real: in 1325 the Malian emperor Mansa Musa travelled to Mecca with so much gold that his spending in Cairo devalued the Egyptian currency for years afterwards. By the time European explorers went looking, the city had been in decline for two centuries. Nobody in Europe knew that, because nobody had been there and come back.In the 1820s, the French put up a prize: a small fortune for the first person to reach Timbuktu and return alive to describe it.Two men went after it, and they could not have been less alike. Alexander Gordon Laing was a Scottish army officer who crossed the Sahara openly. René Caillié was the son of a convict, orphaned at eleven, self-taught and self-funded. He spent months learning Arabic, travelled alone and in disguise. One man never returned, and the other discovered something he could have never predicted. Charlie English joins Hugh to tell the story of both men. A writer and journalist, and formerly head of international news at the Guardian, Charlie left the paper to write The Book Smugglers of Timbuktu, which braids this nineteenth-century race together with a modern one - the librarians who smuggled the city's ancient manuscripts to safety during the jihadist occupation of 2012.The Book Smugglers of Timbuktu by Charlie English is out now, published in the US as The Storied City.Charlie and a group of academics are raising funds to support the Mohammed Tahar Library in Timbuktu. Search for the Mohammed Tahar Library Project on Patreon.The Art of Adventure is brought to you by Arthur Beale, outfitters to sailors, adventurers, vagabonds and explorers for over 500 years. Find out more at <a href="http://arthurbeale.co.uk" rel="noopener noreferrer">arthurbeale.co.uk</a>. Listeners get 15% off with the code PODCAST at checkout.

The Race for Timbuktu: The Hunt for Africa's City of Gold

On 8th June 1924, George Mallory and Andrew Irvine set out from their high camp on Everest. They were spotted once, two small figures moving through a break in the clouds, and then they were gone. Over a hundred years later, we still don't know if they made it to the top.Award-winning filmmaker and author Mick Conefrey, whose book Fallen examines Mallory's final expedition, joins Hugh to separate the man from the myth. What really drove Mallory back to Everest a third time? Was the third attempt an act of heroism, or recklessness? And does it matter whether he reached the summit or not?Along the way, Mick challenges some of mountaineering's most cherished narratives, and asks what "because it's there" really tells us about one of history's most debated climbers.The Art of Adventure is brought to you by Arthur Beale, outfitters to sailors, adventurers and explorers for nearly 500 years. Find out more <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://atarthurbeale.co.uk">arthurbeale.co.uk</a>.

On 8th June 1924, George Mallory and Andrew Irvine set out from their high camp on Everest. They were spotted once, two small figures moving through a break in the clouds, and then they were gone. Over a hundred years later, we still don't know if they made it to the top. Award-winning filmmaker and author Mick Conefrey, whose book Fallen examines Mallory's final expedition, joins Hugh to separate the man from the myth. What really drove Mallory back to Everest a third time? Was the third attempt an act of heroism, or recklessness? And does it matter whether he reached the summit or not? Along the way, Mick challenges some of mountaineering's most cherished narratives, and asks what "because it's there" really tells us about one of history's most debated climbers. The Art of Adventure is brought to you by Arthur Beale, outfitters to sailors, adventurers and explorers for nearly 500 years. Find out more arthurbeale.co.uk.

On 8th June 1924, George Mallory and Andrew Irvine set out from their high camp on Everest. They were spotted once, two small figures moving through a break in the clouds, and then they were gone. Over a hundred years later, we still don't know if they made it to the top.Award-winning filmmaker and author Mick Conefrey, whose book Fallen examines Mallory's final expedition, joins Hugh to separate the man from the myth. What really drove Mallory back to Everest a third time? Was the third attempt an act of heroism, or recklessness? And does it matter whether he reached the summit or not?Along the way, Mick challenges some of mountaineering's most cherished narratives, and asks what "because it's there" really tells us about one of history's most debated climbers.The Art of Adventure is brought to you by Arthur Beale, outfitters to sailors, adventurers and explorers for nearly 500 years. Find out more <a href="http://atarthurbeale.co.uk" rel="noopener noreferrer">arthurbeale.co.uk</a>.

Mallory's Last Climb: What Really Happened on Everest?

The Art of Adventure celebrates the people who push into the unknown, past and present, and asks: what is the true art of adventure… and where might it take you?Brought to you by Arthur Beale. Find out more <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://arthurbeale.co.uk/">www.arthurbeale.co.uk</a>

The Art of Adventure celebrates the people who push into the unknown, past and present, and asks: what is the true art of adventure… and where might it take you? Brought to you by Arthur Beale. Find out more www.arthurbeale.co.uk

The Art of Adventure celebrates the people who push into the unknown, past and present, and asks: what is the true art of adventure… and where might it take you?Brought to you by Arthur Beale. Find out more <a href="https://arthurbeale.co.uk/" rel="noopener noreferrer">www.arthurbeale.co.uk</a>

Introducing The Art of Adventure

The Art of Adventure is a weekly podcast from Arthur Beale hosted by Hugh Taylor. Each episode dives into one extraordinary journey, from history’s most famous names to overlooked pioneers and modern trailblazers. Along the way, we ask what these stories reveal about the real art of adventure: the preparation, the doubt, the grit, the judgement - and the tiny choices that change everything. New episodes every Wednesday.

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The Art of Adventure is a weekly podcast from Arthur Beale hosted by Hugh Taylor. Each episode dives into one extraordinary journey, from history’s most famous names to overlooked pioneers and modern trailblazers. Along the way, we ask what these stories reveal about the real art of adventure: the preparation, the doubt, the grit, the judgement - and the tiny choices that change everything. New episodes every Wednesday.

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