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Uncharted Course
Anthony Drexel Duke was born into three prominent American families--the Dukes of North Carolina and the Drexels and Biddles of Philadelphia-- but from his birth on July 28, 1918, he has charted his own course. It has been an eventful and often surprising journey--a nearly epic tale of world war and high adventure, grandeur and poverty, personal struggle and unflagging good will. In Uncharted Course, Tony tells the stories of his Growing up in the wake of his father's accidental drowning when he was five; being part of a colorful family surrounded with the likes of Charlie Chaplin, Mayor Jimmy Walker, Irving Berlin, Gene Tunney, and the future President John F. Kennedy; his six-year Navy career during which he commanded, at age twenty-five, an amphibious ship--his beloved USS LST 530--that landed thousands of men on the beaches of Normandy and Okinawa; his four marriages that produced eleven children; and, of course, the complete history of his life's Boys & Girls Harbor, the highly lauded educational institution that began with Tony at age 19 setting up a camp for half a dozen disadvantaged boys in Southampton, Long Island, in 1937. Seventy years later, The Harbor is an East Harlem and East Hampton institution that has touched the lives of literally tens of thousands of young people and has been hailed as a great American success story. In this thoughtful, candid, and highly entertaining memoir, Tony Duke regales us with the voyage of his life--so far.
348 pages, Hardcover
First published April 1, 2007
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
July 18, 2021
This is a very interesting story of a unique man, his celebrated family (Dukes and Biddles), and his charitable efforts.
September 9, 2019
Just finished reading it. What a wonderful book. If you need your faith in human nature reignited do read it. ...I'm grateful to have lived in the same town as Tony Duke, and for having had the chance to know him.
In the mid-fifties,I was a trail guide at Roy Lester's Livery Stable. Once or twice a week we had a visit from the Boy's Harbor Kids. Usually Mr. Duke would come too. He was a good rider, and I got a chance to talk with him. He told me about rides he'd taken in different parts of the world. ...Years later, I often saw him, with Lonnie Williams and some of the other counselors, at The Cottage Inn. I remember at least one time going to an after hours party at Tony's place. ...In June of 1998 I interviewed him at his home in East Hampton, for The History Project, an Oral History of the Town of East Hampton.
It seems usual when speaking of him to mention that he came from a privileged background and that "nonetheless" he was extremely selfless and charitable. I find that whole way of thinking, which is almost universal, to be pure humbug. People are people and they don't divide
up along the lines of poor-good, bad-rich. Only pathologically envious people think that. If you've grown up in East Hampton and you haven't figured that out, you must have lived a very sheltered life.
There are giants among the people of our world, but they are rare, and they come from all classes. Tony Duke was one of the giants.
In the mid-fifties,I was a trail guide at Roy Lester's Livery Stable. Once or twice a week we had a visit from the Boy's Harbor Kids. Usually Mr. Duke would come too. He was a good rider, and I got a chance to talk with him. He told me about rides he'd taken in different parts of the world. ...Years later, I often saw him, with Lonnie Williams and some of the other counselors, at The Cottage Inn. I remember at least one time going to an after hours party at Tony's place. ...In June of 1998 I interviewed him at his home in East Hampton, for The History Project, an Oral History of the Town of East Hampton.
It seems usual when speaking of him to mention that he came from a privileged background and that "nonetheless" he was extremely selfless and charitable. I find that whole way of thinking, which is almost universal, to be pure humbug. People are people and they don't divide
up along the lines of poor-good, bad-rich. Only pathologically envious people think that. If you've grown up in East Hampton and you haven't figured that out, you must have lived a very sheltered life.
There are giants among the people of our world, but they are rare, and they come from all classes. Tony Duke was one of the giants.
July 28, 2011
Tony Duke knew everyone of major importance in the twentieth Century. Not really of course yet his family and their social prominence led him to cross paths with Presidents, Kings, great statesmen, generals,the super-rich, and even Hitler. This autobiographical memoir charts the course of a life that was at times simply serendipitous.
While bordering on what easily could have been an exercise in name dropping and self congratulation this scion of Dukedom relates a fascinating and mostly hilarious tale of family antics. The Duke's not only were Big Tobacco people, but got really rich selling power to New England. Really Rich. Yes they bought Trinity College (bought may be harsh) and made it over into Duke University.
Family members personally planned landscaping, buildings, early curricula, and many other details of the Duke campus. Anthony Duke contributed by being a real estate developer and aiding in establishing a successful and profitable hotel on the campus.
The author wasn't even one of the wildly wealthy members of the Family. He worked for a living and did so to be philanthropic. His cousin Doris Duke was the big money cousin. This book relates the truest story of why she didn't bequeath money, any money, to Duke University. A. D. Duke takes pretty much full responsibility for that happening. Well Tony and his mother and some outsized mixed drinks. You will have to read the book to find out the rest!
Duke's grandfather was the inspiration for the the 1967 Disney Movie The Happiest Millionare . Alligators, boxing matches for Jesus, martial arts before most people had heard of them let alone knew anything about them. Grandpa Biddle at 67 plus years of age training the WWII Marines in hand-to-hand combat, today what are called combatives. Tough old bird. He may have taken San Juan Hill and fought the battle of Belleau Wood single handedly if they would have let him. So there's a bit of hyperbole in my commentary, but the real stories seem to exceed the best Disney could have imagined.
Now this is more than a tale of the last of the Gilded Age people. Duke from the time he was in College reached out to inner city kids and built camps and learning institution that survive successfully today in the form of Boys and Girls Harbor . His life's work can be found in this institution.
This book also details Duke's 11 children by 4 wives. He doesn't dwell on but gives a pretty realistic account of how and why the marriages failed. Anecdotes abound not only about his blood relatives but his close friends and extended family that are laugh out loud funny and poignant at the same time.
There are jewels of stories that are matter-of-factly related to the reader that they will never forget even if the origin becomes vague. From a relative who couldn't stand the noise of a building under construction across the street and bought the site to shut it down to charitable donations that started at a few thousand dollars and suddenly jumped to several million; stolen cars, power boats, illicit booze delivered by his mother to the U.S. Navy to celebrate victory and many more will all entertain from page one until the end.
Not a perfect Autobiography. Obviously biased. But what an entertaining life story. A goodread!
While bordering on what easily could have been an exercise in name dropping and self congratulation this scion of Dukedom relates a fascinating and mostly hilarious tale of family antics. The Duke's not only were Big Tobacco people, but got really rich selling power to New England. Really Rich. Yes they bought Trinity College (bought may be harsh) and made it over into Duke University.
Family members personally planned landscaping, buildings, early curricula, and many other details of the Duke campus. Anthony Duke contributed by being a real estate developer and aiding in establishing a successful and profitable hotel on the campus.
The author wasn't even one of the wildly wealthy members of the Family. He worked for a living and did so to be philanthropic. His cousin Doris Duke was the big money cousin. This book relates the truest story of why she didn't bequeath money, any money, to Duke University. A. D. Duke takes pretty much full responsibility for that happening. Well Tony and his mother and some outsized mixed drinks. You will have to read the book to find out the rest!
Duke's grandfather was the inspiration for the the 1967 Disney Movie The Happiest Millionare . Alligators, boxing matches for Jesus, martial arts before most people had heard of them let alone knew anything about them. Grandpa Biddle at 67 plus years of age training the WWII Marines in hand-to-hand combat, today what are called combatives. Tough old bird. He may have taken San Juan Hill and fought the battle of Belleau Wood single handedly if they would have let him. So there's a bit of hyperbole in my commentary, but the real stories seem to exceed the best Disney could have imagined.
Now this is more than a tale of the last of the Gilded Age people. Duke from the time he was in College reached out to inner city kids and built camps and learning institution that survive successfully today in the form of Boys and Girls Harbor . His life's work can be found in this institution.
This book also details Duke's 11 children by 4 wives. He doesn't dwell on but gives a pretty realistic account of how and why the marriages failed. Anecdotes abound not only about his blood relatives but his close friends and extended family that are laugh out loud funny and poignant at the same time.
There are jewels of stories that are matter-of-factly related to the reader that they will never forget even if the origin becomes vague. From a relative who couldn't stand the noise of a building under construction across the street and bought the site to shut it down to charitable donations that started at a few thousand dollars and suddenly jumped to several million; stolen cars, power boats, illicit booze delivered by his mother to the U.S. Navy to celebrate victory and many more will all entertain from page one until the end.
Not a perfect Autobiography. Obviously biased. But what an entertaining life story. A goodread!
August 8, 2025
This was an absolutely enjoyable look at the life of a descendant of the Happiest Millionaire. Also a scion of the famous Duke family, Anthony Drexel Duke took his life and fashioned it into something worthy of his two great families. He honorably served his country during World War II, and he became a role model and mentor for thousands of kids across America through his Boys and Girls Harbor camps. In this book, he tells us about his family, his work, his experiences, and the people he met, both famous and everyday heroes.
I would definitely recommend this to people looking for a book that makes you feel good after you've finished it.
I would definitely recommend this to people looking for a book that makes you feel good after you've finished it.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews