Barefoot Pirate is the captivating tale of one man’s pursuit of an unshakable dream—a true story of swashbuckling adventures, classic tall ships, and a sailor’s steadfast determination to prove himself right. It is the personal account of Captain Mike Burke and the world-famous Windjammer Barefoot Cruise line he built with his barefoot spirit and his iron will to succeed.

Brilliantly written with full-color photographs and illustrations, this book offers an insider’s view of how Captain Mike managed to save classic sailing ships from sure destruction, and, along the way, put together one of the finest fleets of vessels in the world. Also included are stories of ships that were once owned by Aristotle Onassis, E.F. Hutton, and George Vanderbilt III, to mention only a few.

Robert W. Schachner studied at Carnegie-Mellon University and Duquesne University Journalism School. He is the best-selling author of The Official Scrabble Word Finder and coauthor of How & When to Sue Your Lawyer.

Ed Crowell, a career journalist, has written for daily newspapers for over thirty years. A graduate of the University of Florida, he is currently a features editor for the Austin American-Statesman.