Will Sofrin is an author who brings history and craftsmanship to life with an energy that pulls audiences in. His writing appears in respected publications, where he explores maritime heritage, hands-on mastery, and the human side of adventure. He is also developing a new book on experiential learning built around conversations with remarkable people who forged their skills outside traditional paths. His work has been recognized by some of the most admired voices in American history writing, who have praised the depth of his research and the clarity of his storytelling.
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His forthcoming book tells the full, untold story of the USCGC Eagle, a storied vessel that began as a Nazi training ship before being claimed by the United States as a war reparation and transformed into the Coast Guard’s most iconic training platform. Featuring rare archival images, never before released film footage, and firsthand accounts spanning eight decades, the book reveals a living history few have seen in such detail.
He will launch a national speaking tour with the release, offering an immersive presentation that combines historic film, dynamic narration, and modern footage from Eagle’s recent voyages. His talks are known for being engaging, fast-moving, and deeply memorable, making them a strong fit for museums, maritime institutions, universities, and general audiences who want to experience history in a vivid, modern way.
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“Every American should treasure the long and powerful history of the Coast Guard cutter Eagle. She is truly ‘Semper Paratus’ and every Sailor in the U.S. Navy looks across the pier at her with deep admiration and affection. This book tells her story with truth and beauty!”
— ADMIRAL JAMES STAVRIDIS, US Navy (Ret.), Vice Chairman, Global Affairs, The Carlyle Group; Chair of the Board of Trustees, The Rockefeller Foundation; Former Supreme Allied Commander, NATO (2009–2013); Dean, The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University (2013–2018)
“I spent three summers on EAGLE. It is America’s premier national laboratory for leadership. From coordinated team actions to maneuver the ship, to opportunities to develop, hone, and perfect leadership skills, EAGLE sets the Gold Standard. Big thanks to Will Sofrin for ensuring we understand and remember the value of this national treasure.”
— ADMIRAL THAD W. ALLEN, U.S. Coast Guard (Ret.), 23rd Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard; led the federal responses to Hurricane Katrina and the Deepwater Horizon oil spill
“A fine book about an extraordinary sailing vessel. Through the tale of the cutter Eagle, flagship of the United States Coast Guard, the reader sets sail with generations of young mariners committed to serving their country.”
— RICK ATKINSON, Pulitzer Prize–winning historian and author of An Army at Dawn and The Liberation Trilogy
“For the past eight decades, Eagle has served as the flagship of the Coast Guard fleet and a tool of international diplomacy while helping grow the future leaders of the Service. Will Sofrin’s impressive and lively account of the men and women who sailed onboard — of how they were pushed to their limits and found ways to grow — and how their stories trace a course through our Nation’s history — is a fitting tribute to those who earned their salt on America’s tall ship.”
— CAPTAIN KRISTOPHER ENSLEY, U.S. Coast Guard, Commanding Officer, USCGC Eagle
“A legendary ship deserves an excellent biography. Will Sofrin provides that, not only detailing Eagle’s fascinating history and the vital role it plays in supporting the Coast Guard’s mission, but also profiling the exemplary men and women who have served on its decks over the years.”
— ERIC JAY DOLIN, Best-selling author of Leviathan, Rebels at Sea, and Black Flags, Blue Waters
“This is a long-overdue history of a U.S. national treasure. By describing a series of dramatic events over the past 80 years, the author moves the Eagle’s narrative from her German origin into the 21st century. Through sailing with the crew and talking with many who served on board, he has absorbed the soul of a marvelous ship. Every page is a learning experience.”
— PAUL STILLWELL, Naval historian and author of Battleship New Jersey: The Complete History, and longtime editor at U.S. Naval Institute Proceedings
“In this book, I couldn’t help but think of my own time in the Coast Guard — and that of my brother and father — and of the long nautical tradition in my family. For me, the EAGLE is more than a ship — she’s a living reminder of that legacy of courage, seamanship, and service that has guided so many of us through our own voyages in life.”
—BEAU BRIDGES, Emmy, Golden Globe, and Grammy Award–winning Actor, Director, and U.S. Coast Guard Veteran
As Captain of this magnificent ship, I have seen young Coast Guard men and women develop extraordinary confidence and leadership skills in their time onboard EAGLE, climbing aloft to the royals, furling sails, and when in port, proudly escorting visitors around. The best years of my career were spent in command of EAGLE, and Will Sofrin’s writing illustrates so well the opportunity that EAGLE provides for officers to fulfill the Coast Guard Academy’s mission, to pass along to cadets “a liking for the sea and its lore.”
— CAPTAIN ERNST M. CUMMINGS, U.S. Coast Guard (Ret.), Commanding Officer, USCGC Eagle (1983–1988)
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ADVANCE PRAISE
OTHER WRITING
A maritime adventure memoir that follows a
crew of misfits hired to sail an eighteenth-century warship six thousand miles to Hollywood
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In the late 1990s, Patrick O’Brian’s beloved, massively bestselling historical novel series was destined for film, with Master & Commander: The Far Side of the World. With director Peter Weir and stars Russel Crowe and Paul Bettany signed on, there was only one problem: The Rose, the replica eighteenth-century warship that filmmakers bought for the production, was in Newport, Rhode Island, two oceans and thousands of miles away from Hollywood.
Enter a ragtag crew of thirty oddballs and tall-ship fanatics, including author Will Sofrin, at the time a twenty-one-year-old wooden-boat builder and yacht racer looking for some direction in his life. Together, the crew embarked on an epic adventure, racing a ticking clock and fighting against Mother Nature, and occasionally each other, to deliver the Rose, hopefully in one piece.
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“Will Sofrin’s thrilling account of the eventful, sometimes terrifying delivery of the tall ship that starred in Peter Weir’s adaptation of Patrick O’Brian’s The Far Side of the World is a must-read. Even if you haven’t seen the movie or read O’Brian’s novels, this is an adventure story of the highest order.”
—NATHANIEL PHILBRICK, author of the National Book Award–winning In the Heart of the Sea and Travels with George
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“Fact stalks fiction in this epic tale. Huzzah!”
—PETER WEIR, Academy Award–winning co-writer, producer, and director of Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World
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“High-spirited and finely detailed . . . Sofrin intersperses details of life aboard the Rose with tidbits of tall ship history and enlightening commentary on Patrick O’Brian’s Aubrey-Maturin novels . . . this adventure tale will delight sailors of all stripes.”
–PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY​​
“Enthralling . . . Experienced sailors and landlubbers alike will find Sofrin’s work a pleasure to read.”
–KIRKUS
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“Will Sofrin takes us on an unbelievable ride on the high seas . . . I have played pretend on the open ocean. Will Sofrin has lived the real experiences and survived to tell the tale.”
—DAN SHOTZ, executive producer of the Emmy Award–winning Starz series Black Sails
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“All Hands on Deck is a fascinating read: a combination of a travelogue to distant lands, maritime history, and adventures
and misadventures on the high seas. Through it all, author Will Sofrin is learning to live in tight and uncomfortable quarters
on a tall ship alongside crewmembers of very divergent personalities. They ultimately form into a team with the common goal of staying alive on an unforgiving and unpredictable ocean.”
—MICHAEL TOUGIAS, New York Times bestselling author of Extreme Survival and A Storm Too Soon
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