The Finest Hours: The True Story of the U.S. Coast Guard's Most Daring Sea Rescue (English Edition)

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		The Finest Hours: The True Story of the U.S. Coast Guard's Most Daring Sea Rescue (English Edition)
		The Finest Hours: The True Story of the U.S. Coast Guard's Most Daring Sea Rescue (English Edition)

The true story of an incredible disaster and heroic rescue at sea told by two masterful storytellers.

In the winter of 1952, New England was battered by the most brutal nor'easter in years. As the weather wreaked havoc on land, the freezing Atlantic became a wind-whipped zone of peril.

In the early hours of Monday, February 18, while the storm raged, two oil tankers, the Pendleton and the Fort Mercer, found themselves in the same horrifying predicament. Built with "dirty steel," and not prepared to withstand such ferocious seas, both tankers split in two, leaving the dozens of men on board utterly at the Atlantic's mercy.

The Finest Hours is the gripping, true story of the valiant attempt to rescue the souls huddling inside the broken halves of the two ships. Coast Guard cutters raced to the aid of those on the Fort Mercer, and when it became apparent that the halves of the Pendleton were in danger of capsizing, the Guard sent out two thirty-six-foot lifeboats as well. These wooden boats, manned by only four seamen, were dwarfed by the enormous seventy-foot seas. As the tiny rescue vessels set out from the coast of Cape Cod, the men aboard were all fully aware that they were embarking on what could easily become a suicide mission.

The spellbinding tale is overflowing with breathtaking scenes that sear themselves into the mind's eye, as boats capsize, bows and sterns crash into one another, and men hurl themselves into the raging sea in their terrifying battle for survival.

Not all of the eighty-four men caught at sea in the midst of that brutal storm survived, but considering the odds, it's a miracle—and a testament to their bravery—that any came home to tell their tales at all.

Michael J. Tougias and Casey Sherman have seamlessly woven together their extensive research and firsthand interviews to create an unforgettable tale of heroism, triumph, and tragedy, one that truly tells of the Coast Guard's finest hours.

网友对The Finest Hours: The True Story of the U.S. Coast Guard's Most Daring Sea Rescue (English Edition)的评论

it would be nice had Amazon indicated that this was a version of the book made for kids. There is an adult version too (and by that I don't mean Adult version, or maybe it is, I don't know since I only got this one). but come to think of it, this is probably the one to get because soon this will be a big screen movie with really good looking people in it, and the kids version is about all you need to compare to that.

BUT, having read it and gotten most of the way through before I realized it was for kids, I would still say this is an excellent kids book. would recommend at around age 11 or 12 kids might find this interesting. A good gift if you are in to giving kids books for gifts.

My dad, Fred Brown, was a survivor of the SS Pendleton. I was anxious to read this book to compare it to the stories my dad repeatedly told over the years. I was surprised to find accurate references to an unfortunate incident which claimed the life of Dad's close friend, Tiny Myers. Tiny asked my dad to take his wallet because he had a bad feeling that he would not survive. My dad refused to take it and put it back in his pocket in an effort to boost Tiny's confidence. I didn't expect that part of the story to be included in the book. There is a lot of history in the book as well which I enjoyed very much. It truly was a miracle rescue! I was only four-years-old, but I well remember how happy I was to see my dad as was told in the Portland Herald Press "Her Daddy Came Home" where my dad was pictured holding me. I gave this book 5 stars not only because of the personal connection, but because it is so-well researched, accurate and gives credit where credit is due...to those brave, selfless Coast Guard rescuers who literally put their lives on the line, and grieved the loss of Tiny Myers for the remainder of their lives. An inspiring read!!!

My husband and I read this book together before going to see the movie that has arisen from it. The two -- book and movie -- are best when consumed as a package. The book is reasonably well organized, but is dealing with a time in which many actions are being taken at the same time. So its sequence of events is a little difficult to follow. However, having a pretty good idea of the truth helps when viewing the movie, which exaggerates the romance, but accurately dramatizes the actual rescues, which were amazing!

On February 18, 1952 at the Chatham Lifeboat Station on Massachusetts' Cape Cod, Boatswain's Mate First Class Bernie Webber is watching a growing storm intensify as a midwinter nor'easter is stalled over New England. He is 24 years old but had 10 years experience first serving in the U.S. Maritime Service during World War II, and now in the United States Coast Guard. The waters off of Cape Cod are the most dangerous, often called the Graveyard of the Atlantic. Historically, there were more than 3,000 shipwrecks scattered on the ocean floor from Chatham to Provincetown. On this day, the 503-foot, 10,448-ton T2 tanker,"Pendleton" with 122,000 barrels of kerosene and home heating oil broke in half not far from the Boston coastline. Nearly at the same time during the record breaking arctic-like storm, with waves sometimes higher than 70 feet, the "Fort Mercer," another 503-foot tanker, breaks in half off Cape Cod. The U.S. Coast Guard is tasked with the nearly insurmountable rescue task of the crew members trapped on the bow and stern sections of both ships. This is a true event that could be happening in February 2015 with the record breaking storms attacking the east coast today. The events are well written and documented with many quotes of the coast guardsmen and tanker crew members. This is a short read, but unforgettable. A honorable achievement by co-authors Michael J. Tougias and Casey Sherman.

With "The Finest Hours" Michael J. Tougias and Casey Sherman have written one of the most compelling, captivating, and fast-paced accounts in the history of maritime drama. On February 18, 1952 off Cape Cod not one but two World War Two vintage oil tankers, the "Pendleton" and the "Fort Mercer," broke in two in a tremendous storm. Depending on which of the four sections of the ships people were on greatly influenced their ability to survive in the frigid Atlantic. While the premise sounds incredible enough, the heroic battle of the US Coast Guard to rescue survivors is an amazing testament to the skill and determination to those men. I was especially impressed with the actions in Bernie Webber's tiny and obsolete CG 36500 (fortunately now restored and on display in a museum) and the accounts of the crew's quiet heroism as related by the authors.

This edition is for young readers, but is perfectly suitable for adults as well: the interview with the authors at the end clarifies what was removed from this version (largely technical information on the construction methods used in building oil tankers, etc.) As it is this version is eminently readable and thoroughly engrossing. Buy whichever version you prefer, but don't miss out on this incredible and incredibly well written tale of the sea.

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