One Hell of a Ride
How Craig Dobbin Built the World's Largest Helicopter Company
By John Lawrence Reynolds

ISBN 978-1-55365-363-9 Hardcover 6" x 9" 272 pages, 16 b&w photographs Price: CDN$34.95 Qty:

Book Description One Hell of a Ride traces the life, triumphs and tragedy of Craig Laurence Dobbin, weaving a tale that is inspiring, amusing, tragic and, like its subject, never less than gripping. Dobbin was an irrepressible Newfoundlander who counted prime ministers and U.S. presidents among his friends, teetered on the edge of bankruptcy for much of his life, and remains a legend among all who knew him. Born during the Great Depression, Dobbin built a small empire in real estate and discovered the joy of fishing in remote salmon pools. To reach these he bought a helicopter. Ten years later, he was running CHC Helicopters, a public corporation earning hundreds of millions of dollars annually, most from ferrying men and equipment to offshore oil platforms. He soon grew the company into the largest operation of its kind in the world. When he died in October 2006, Dobbin left behind a legacy of business and personal achievements unmatched by any Canadian of his time. Everyone who dealt with him agrees: they will never see his like again. About the Author John Lawrence Reynolds is the author of more than twenty fiction and non-fiction books. Free Rider, tracking a Bay Street investment fraud, won the National Business Book Award; his other works include All in Good Time (with Brian Tobin), Straight from the Top (with Robert A. Milton), The Naked Investor, Prognosis and Shadow People, published internationally as Secret Societies. He lives in Burlington, Ontario.