In Harm's Way

Rating:
Summary: An excruciating ordeal, wonderfully told
Review: I first remember hearing about the USS Indianapolis when I was a boy from Dr. Lew Haynes, himself...(Dr. Haynes was married to Elizabeth Dodge, my mother's first cousin). Since then the story has remained fresh in my mind as one of the most tragic but in many ways heroic sagas from World War II. Doug Stanton has put together a moving and important account of the ship's sinking and aftermath.

Almost sixty years after the ship went down it remains hard to fathom that so many errors could have occurred in not keeping track of the whereabouts of the Indianapolis. The fact that the ship played such a pivotal role just before its demise (the delivery of the atom bomb parts to Tinian) puts the story in an even more macabre light; hundreds of seamen did not live long enough to know the importance of their mission.

The stories told by the survivors as they endured shark attacks, blistering sun, a lack of drinking water, fuel oil all around them, broken limbs, delirium, and for most of them, death, is of such shocking proportion that the term "hero" is almost not enough to bestow on each of them. Captain McVay's court-martial and eventual suicide has always been a sad epilogue to the whole chronicle. Stanton tells of the dozens of letters from families of the Indianapolis who for years after the tragedy blamed him for the loss of their loved ones and how McVay carried that with him to his own death.

The silver lining to be found in "In Harm's Way" is that survival against incredible odds can and does happen and that we need to be reminded of what it takes to be faced with such adversity. This book is a tribute to the survivors of the Indianapolis and their brethren who perished.

Rating:
Summary: Profiles in courage
Review: Whether you have a love of history or page-turners that keep you up all night, this book is for you. This compelling account of the sinking of the USS Indianapolis goes a long way to convince any reader that this may be the worst catastrophe in the history of the US Navy. Shortly after delivering key parts of the A-bomb to an island in the South Pacific, the USS Indianapolis was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine. The ship sank within minutes, leaving approximately 900 crewmen stranded at sea. Unbelievably, the ship's brief distress call went unnoticed. Most of the surviving crewmen were badly injured. The Navy did not realize that the ship was missing for over 4 days. Crewmen battled the sun, sea, sharks and each other. Eventually, 321 men were pulled from the sea.

Stanton's masterful chronicle of this tale is a worthy tribute to these courageous survivors. Most impressively he combines the historical record with powerful and poignant personal stories of key survivors. The end result is a dramatic book that you will long remember.

Rating:
Summary: Riveting account of an amazing survival story.
Review: You don't have to be a history buff to be fascinated by Doug Stanton's compelling chronicle of the sinking of the USS Indianapolis, the worst catastrophe in the history of the US Navy. Shortly after delivering the atomic bomb that was dropped on Hiroshima and hastened the end of World War II, the USS Indianapolis was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine. The ship sank within minutes, leaving approximately 900 crewmen stranded at sea. Incredibly, the ship's brief distress call was ignored and the Navy did not notice that the ship was missing for over 4 days. Most of the surving crewmen were badly injured and virtually without survival equipment or even basic clothing. After battling vicious shark attacks, dehydration, exposure and exhaustion for days, 321 men were eventually rescued. Stanton's masterful recounting of this epic tale is a worthy testimonial to these courageous surviors. He adroitly combines the historical record with the powerful and poignant personal stories of key survivors. The result is a vivid, forceful book that you will long remember.