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"Lively, historically rich romp through America’s daredevil era." — BookLife, a division of Publishers Weekly

Roberts’s debut fictionalizes the story of flagpole sitter Alvin “Shipwreck” Kelly, orphaned and rescued from the streets of New York’s Hell’s Kitchen by Captain Thomas Arnold Jacobi in the early 1900s. Grateful for the fresh start, Alvin works hard and earns the coveted title of Jacobi’s “trusted mate,” sailing with him on the Helene—where he meets and falls in love with Vivian Steele and survives, at just 16 years old, when the Helene is shipwrecked. After returning to New York City—following a stint on the R.M.S. Carpathia as one of the crew members tasked with retrieving the Titanic’s survivors—Alvin is befriended by Joseph Emmerling, a journalist eager to turn his story into a book.

Roberts contextualizes Alvin’s life against the early 20th century’s propensity for daredevil feats like plunging over Niagara Falls in a barrel or partaking in death-defying aviation stunts. Amidst these people and their eccentric obsessions, Alvin comes across as simple and straightforward, with a limitless desire to excel and be adored. Eventually, he turns to flagpole sitting, becoming a popular figure towering above the skyline, with Joseph serving as his manager. He also runs into Vivian once again, marrying her and raising a son together—though their relationship is often troubled by the enduring attachment between Alvin and Joseph.

To avoid narrative lulls during Alvin’s extended performances, Roberts uses historical language and vivid snapshots of this lost art: Alvin's many attempts to pass hours of time spent perched on a 36” by 36” lumber square; the weather conditions of “living in the sky”; the ebb and swell of the crowd’s adulation; Vivian’s petty crime attempts to rake in extra cash on the ground. As the Machine Age takes hold and World War II approaches, Alvin teeters toward oblivion, along with several of his colleagues, heralding the end of a glittering, madcap era in America’s history.

"A bittersweet indie gem about love, loss, and the absurd beauty of starting over." — tertulia.com

Terrific cover art for the book. It looked like Norman Rockwell's work. I had never heard of this person, but I'm glad I read this book. What a character. I would recommend The Luckiest Fool on Earth for people who like historical fiction, as well as those who like biographies — Laurel Z.

The Luckiest Fool on Earth “ is the high-octane, voluble, true-ish telling of the story of Alvin “Shipwreck” Kelly. Although the book chronicles Kelly's gentle and dogged rise to fame for doing very little and then his fall to obsolescence , really this is as much about all of the stories surrounding Alvin: crazed, vicious and vivacious, mendacious, dangerous, frenetic stories of a starry roster of actors, stuntmen, aviators, scammers and Bon Vivants all pushing boundaries to the absolute limit: young stars of the early century feeding the public’s insatiable appetite for curiosities, horror, death, danger and razzmatazz. The telling of this Jazz Age America is done using the language and hyperbole of the carnival Barker. Thank you for the opportunity to read this quirky book. — Sophie A.

The Luckiest Fool on Earth "was everything that I was hoping for and enjoyed from the cover and description, it had that element that I was wanting and enjoyed how it was used in this setting. The characters were everything that I was looking for and enjoyed in this overall. Phillip Roberts wrote this so well and was glad I was able to read this." — Kathryn M.

This was a good read! For fans of historical fiction that is inspired by real life the tale of Alvin "Shipwreck" Kelly is unique and this book retells that story in a very entertaining way. — Ricky L.