Book Review: In Harms Way
This is the book that inspired the Editor of BZO to begin his own writing.
Doug Stanton masterfully recreates the epic and tragic story of the sinking of the USS Indianapolis, and the following saga of her sailors as they fought for survival in the water. After their ship was torpedoed out from under them, the crew of the Indy clung to life for four days in the face of hypothermia, dementia, and a shark infested ocean. Stanton puts the reader in the water alongside the sailors, and makes unimaginable circumstances animate with stunning clarity. Stanton also helps the reader grasp the why and how behind everything going on, giving us an understanding of events the sailors could never possibly known at the time.
Another vital piece of this story comes from the "Afterword," now included following the initial publication of the book. Stanton describes what happened to the sailors who survived the ordeal and lived to read his work, and describes what happened to himself as he came to understand the power his writing could have on others.
This is an important story of service and sacrifice, and Stanton has done a great service as well by telling the story so wonderfully. Don't miss this book.
BZO Rating:
Info:
- Author: Doug Stanton
- Publisher: Macmillan, 2003
- 320 Pages
