Michael Tougias

First sentence: Port Tawfiq, Egypt, simmered in the summer sun of mid-August 1942.

Premise/plot: Nonfiction book suitable for MG, YA, and Adults about the sinking of RMS Laconia on September 12, 1942, in the midst of the Second World War. It was carrying British soldiers, of course, but also women and children--in addition to 1,800 Italian Prisoners of War. The destination was Britain, but it sank shortly it was torpedoed. The German submarine realized afterwards that the ship they'd bombed had been carrying thousand plus ITALIAN POWs. Commander Werner Hartenstein decided to help rescue those he'd just attacked--yes, the Italians, but also all the others. Some he took aboard his own ship, others he helped find accommodations on lifeboats. (The lifeboats were a bit haphazard. Some too full. Others less so. Some more seaworthy than others.) The most in need of medical attention received it. Women and children were prioritized as well. But this isn't a sweet, warm-and-cozy rescue. For things got a LOT more complicated and complex as the rescue unfolded...

My thoughts: WHAT AN ORDEAL. I found this one captivating and fascinating. But also super-intense. I'm not sure I'd have been able to handle it as a child. But it is an incredibly told tale of survival. I do wish it was more well known. (I'd not heard of it before.) I would have been watching documentaries and such about it if I'd known. It tells a big picture story, but it also focuses in on some of the survivors and their MANY ordeals in the days and weeks (yes, WEEKS) spent at sea adrift.… (meer)

This book tells the true story of a 1952 Coast Guard rescue mission off the coast of Cape Cod, where two oil tankers, the Fort Mercer and the Pendleton, each broke into two sections, thirty miles apart, in the same storm. Fighting towering waves, the Coast Guard crews try various methods to get the stranded men off the ships. The story shifts between the two rescue efforts, telling the tale through eye-witness reports and interviews with survivors. The scenes of the rescues are riveting. Toward the end, the narrative shifts to the aftermath, which is not quite as captivating but needed to be told to give a complete account. Unfortunately, they could not save everyone, and the book is dedicated to both the heroic rescuers and those who lost their lives. I read this book in honor of Veteran’s Day. It was turned into a film in 2016.… (meer)