No Ordinary Being: A Biography of W. Starling Burgess, Inventor, Naval Architect, Poet, Aviation Pioneer, and Master of American Design

 by Llewellyn Howland III

David R. Godine Publishers

Few 20th century Americans led more creative, daring, eventful, and sometimes troubled lives than that of the inventor, poet, aviation pioneer, naval architect, automotive engineer, and America’s Cup yacht designer W. Starling Burgess.

A man of enormous charm, physical courage, and energy, Burgess was also, as his son Frederick lamented, “a child who will not face hard facts, but will hide from them and will love the person who shields him from them….”  This tension in his personal and professional life had consequences both disturbing and tragic.  But it was his genius as an artist and designer that makes this biography of Starling Burgess so fascinating to read—and such a lively and exciting contribution to American sporting, entrepreneurial,  and technological history.

Deeply researched, richly illustrated, and beautifully produced, No Ordinary Being will have a particular appeal to recreational sailors, students of early aviation, and lovers of the New England coast, Newport, Long Island Sound, the Chesapeake Bay, the waters of Florida and the West Indies.

Premium Editions of the 455-page, hard-cover book are available for $150, which include a leather spine.

Special Editions are available for $250 and includes a custom cloth-covered, solid slipcase, a leather spine, numbered and signed by Llewellyn Howland III.