Satellite Boy

The International Manhunt for a Master Thief That Launched the Modern Communication Age

By: Andrew Amelinckx

Narrated by: Patrick Lawlor

On April 6, 1965, Georges Lemay was relaxing on his yacht in a south Florida marina following one of the largest and most daring bank heists in Canadian history. For four years, the roguishly handsome criminal mastermind hid in plain sight, eluding capture and the combined efforts of the FBI, Interpol, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. His future appeared secure.

What Lemay didn't know was that less than two hundred miles away at Cape Canaveral, a brilliant engineer named Harold Rosen was about to usher in the age of global live television with the launch of the world's first twenty-four-hour commercial communications satellite. Rosen's extraordinary accomplishment would not only derail Lemay's cushy life but change the world forever.

Brimming with criminal panache and technological intrigue, and set against a turbulent and iconic period that includes the moon landing and the civil rights movement, Satellite Boy tells the largely forgotten, high-stakes story of the two equally driven men who inadvertently launched the modern era.

©2023 Andrew Amelinckx (P)2023 HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books

Similar to an Erik Larson book. Excellent!

Great book in terms of storytelling and no issues with the narration. Good story on aerospace and crime history.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED — this is a gripping history!!

If I could rate this 10 stars, I would! Once I started listening, I couldn’t put my phone down. The author weaves together two disparate histories of two very different men in a compelling way. You’ll learn how the commercial communication satellite industry began, and was fostered, by the actions of my dynamic and brilliant late husband Harold Rosen… and how the worldwide hunt for a crafty bank robber was facilitated by this new technology. And so much more! You’ll love it!

This was fun

I’m the kind of nerd that enjoys all brands of history so this book which bridges science history and true crime was quite a bit of fun.

Interesting at times

I found parts of this historical novel interesting, but the fawning depiction of a largely immoral bank robber and murderer certainly could have been shortened.

Surprised how well it kept my interest

This is not something I normally would have listened to, pretty random. Once I started listening, I found it hard to stop. I was really surprised how fascinating the stories were as they developed. Very well read/performed.