The Boy Behind the Gate

How His Dream of Sailing Around the World Became a Six-Year Odyssey of Adventure, Fear, Discovery and Love

By: Larry Jacobson

Narrated by: Larry Jacobson

Length: 11 hrs and 57 mins

Publisher's summary

Larry had dreamed of sailing around the world ever since he first stepped foot into a sailboat at the age of 13. He held onto that dream for 30 years, until one day he realized that "it's now or never". He left his corporate job, trading his comfortable executive life for adventure.

Award-winning author Larry Jacobson brings you aboard JULIA as he embarks on a six year odyssey at sea after leaving everything behind to make his lifelong dream a reality. He and his crew dodged pirates in the Gulf of Aden, battled 30-foot seas and 60-knot winds in the Red Sea, were chased by Komodo dragons in Indonesia, had multiple equipment breakdowns, nearly lost their mast in the Coral Sea, and pushed the envelope with Larry nearly losing his life scuba diving.

A true story memoir packed with lessons from the ocean that served as a teacher of seamanship, personal strength, growth, leadership, and perseverance, while Larry and his crew discovered themselves, and the world. You'll sail 44,000 nautical miles and live the ups and downs of this incredible adventure.

This is not just the story of fulfilling a lifelong passion. It is also a story of absorbing wisdom from the sea, and from the people they met along the way. And it's a deep dive into Larry's thinking as you experience the changes that took place in him, recounted in his very personal journals. Step aboard and share the life lessons earned on the voyage as you sail around the world from the comfort of your home.

This audiobook is life-changing. If you are wondering whether you should start living your dreams, this audiobook will confirm you should. We are each given one great opportunity in life. What are you going to do with yours?

©2011 Larry Jacobson (P)2012 Larry Jacobson

Just couldn't take it anymore

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

How about emphasize the sailing experience.

What do you think your next listen will be?

James Baldwin's Across Islands and Oceans from Good Old Boat magazine

What about Larry Jacobson’s performance did you like?

Good voice, carries well in vehicle travel. I really like that the author read his own book.

What character would you cut from The Boy Behind the Gate: How His Dream of Sailing Around the World Became a Six-Year Odyssey of Adventure, Fear, Discovery and Love?

Reduce the incessant emotional departures,the unending hugs, the tears. I kept pushing on hoping to get to some serious sailing but by chapter six, my wife just couldn't stand it anymore and suggested we cut our loses and switch to James Baldwin's book.

Any additional comments?

Maybe it moves more into the sailing experience after chapter six, but the repetitive emotions, tears, hugs, etc. just got boring. We may skip ahead a few chapters and see if the emotional baggage is left behind or at least delivered in a way that the listener can empathize with the feelings expressed.

Terrible

Would you try another book from Larry Jacobson and/or Larry Jacobson?

No

What didn’t you like about Larry Jacobson’s performance?

This turned out not to be the inspiring sailing adventure I thought it would be.

Instead of adventure, inspiration & insight we have endless tales about personal relationships, things breaking on the boat & getting weather predictions wrong.

And for the life of me I cannot understand why the author chose to do the reading himself.

Any additional comments?

This is the first Audible book I literally could not bring myself to finish.

Truly awful

This is a badly written and cliche ridden account, filled with immature and endlessly repeated self-musings--all self-indulgent egoism. Worst of all, it is read by the author himself, thus making all this inescapable. Could not get beyond a few chapters.

Great story for very few

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

Delete 9 of 10 gay Love and/or heartbreak passages. I might have finished the book had he not tried to sell the positive aspects of homosexual relationships.

What was most disappointing about Larry Jacobson’s story?

This is a story about man/man love set in the cruising world. Although he makes it cutesy and stays away from the dark graphics, the lifestyle permeates this book. I slogged through the adventure while girding against the kissing and cuddling...... until he reunites with his true love. (chap 12 of 17). ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. Label this book dime store.

What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?

Good narration. clear and precise speech.

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from The Boy Behind the Gate: How His Dream of Sailing Around the World Became a Six-Year Odyssey of Adventure, Fear, Discovery and Love?

See above!

Too many personal details!

What disappointed you about The Boy Behind the Gate: How His Dream of Sailing Around the World Became a Six-Year Odyssey of Adventure, Fear, Discovery and Love?

Way too many details about his love life and not enough about sailing around the world!

Would you ever listen to anything by Larry Jacobson again?

Sure... he was best part of the listen!

Have you listened to any of Larry Jacobson’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Good

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

It had some good details about sailing

Any additional comments?

Author is a gay male. I am not a homaphobe but I bought the book to hear stories of sailing not stories of his love and lost male companions while at sea!

Gay lust story in first chapter

Probably was a good story, but i can't listen to a gay lovers adventure. After listening to the sample of this book, I figured it would be a good read. I had no idea the guy was gay, nor would share his gay lifestyle. I stopped about halfway through the first chapter. Unfortunately, I am returning yet again another book.

More about his sexuality and the gay than sailing

Would you ever listen to anything by Larry Jacobson again?

no

Any additional comments?

I bought this book hoping to hear about high sea adventure and was disappointed because it was more about the authors gay relationships than sailing around the world. I couldn't go take it any more and had to stop listening. Not a great sailing book. More of a book about a sailor and his struggles with other gay men.

False Advertising

What would have made The Boy Behind the Gate: How His Dream of Sailing Around the World Became a Six-Year Odyssey of Adventure, Fear, Discovery and Love better?

Less of a focus on the author's sexuality.

What was most disappointing about Larry Jacobson’s story?

To much of a focus on the author's sexuality. Neither the title, nor the description of the book, suggest that this is a central theme of the book. It is deceptive to draw the reader/listener in with the promise of a book that is primarily about a sailing adventure, and instead feed them the ramblings of a middle-aged gay man so focused on himself and his relationships.

How could the performance have been better?

The author could have focused more on the background of his business story, and what prepared him for this journey. It is fine for him to share his biographical background, but unfortunately that became the central theme of the book and detracted from the sailing aspects of the book. Had the author focused more on the technical and descriptive aspects of the journey, the book might have been better.

What character would you cut from The Boy Behind the Gate: How His Dream of Sailing Around the World Became a Six-Year Odyssey of Adventure, Fear, Discovery and Love?

If I could choose only one, Larry.

Any additional comments?

I was looking for a book primarily about a sailing adventure. Instead, I listened to a middle aged man drone on about his various relationships and his penchant for being naked. It would be easy to dismiss my review as one who is simply "homophobic" (which I am sure the author would do) but that is not the case. My problem is that the fact that the author made his sexuality such a central theme of the book but failed to be up front about that in the title, subtitle or description of the book, which I read before I selected it. I have two credits per month to select books to listen to while I am driving, walking, etc., and I wasted one of them on this book. It was a real disappointment.