Lynn VincentRecensioni

I am in total awe about this book. Gripping and mind-numbing are understatements. Second only to Pearl Harbor, this is the greatest Navy disaster in US history. And NO ONE knows anything about it. Why? Thats a story in itself; one worth reading and learning about. This book charts the history of and final demise of, the USS Indianapolis, a US Navy ship sunk a few weeks before the end of WWII. 1200 men on board, 317 survived. This is their story. One of heroism, fear, courage, family and loyalty.

True story of the worst sea disaster in US Naval history. It starts with a high-level overview of the U.S.S. Indianapolis, tracing its involvement in various events over its lifetime. It sets the context for how it was involved in the Pacific theatre. It is known for delivering the atomic bomb that was subsequently dropped on Hiroshima. It was torpedoed by the Japanese in the Philippine Sea, resulting in the deaths of 879 sailors. The secondary narrative involves Captain Charles McVay III, who was subsequently court-martialed for not seeing to the safety of the ship by zig zagging, a technique later discredited.

The authors have obviously done their homework. This book is extremely detailed and thorough. They do a top-rate job in covering the sailors (whom they interviewed) – where they were on the ship and their individual experiences in the water. The court martial and subsequent attempt to exonerate the captain become rather tedious. It may depend on which book you read first, but I enjoyed In Harm’s Way by Doug Stanton more than this one, although they are both worth reading. I read this in honor of Veteran’s Day.

Interesting, dragged at the the end.

Ever since Man gathered in groups, formed tribes and opened villages, there have been wars. Frequently, those in power or influence did not have to participate in the wars or battles and those who did, often had little or no idea what they were there. Those who start such conflicts often suffer nothing from them and frequently even become enriched by them.
In wars, good people who have had nothing to do with the decision to fight and kill other good people suffer and die in the conflict. And sometimes in wars, tragedies that one side or the other receives from the other side are too big, too horrible to escape the notice and anguish of the populations who’ve watched their sons and daughters go off to fight.
The USS Indianapolis was torpedoed near the end of the war and hundreds died. Other than the attack on Pearl Harbor it is America’s greatest naval tragedy. The men who sent the ship in harm’s way made many, many mistakes that caused the catastrophic loss of life to be worse than it could have been. Much worse. With the tragedy in the public eye, these men needed a scapegoat to blame for their actions and the book, Indianapolis, tells the story of the tragedy itself, the scapegoating that followed and the crusade by those who survived the tragedy to achieve justice.
Today, two major movements are being led by children—the March for Your Lives movement against gun violence, and the international climate change activities The Navy’s scapegoat for the tragedy was Captain Charles McVay III. The movement to remove the disgrace that was heaped upon him was led by a child a sixth grader writing a school History report.
The research involved in this book is massive, yet minutely detailed. From the “big picture” accounts to the individual stories of victims of the ship’s sinking, every detail is brought forward. The authors give the story life. This is not a dull history book, a factual accounting, or an expose. It s a story of courage, of suffering, of turmoil, of intrigue and of the indomitable human spirt refusing to give up against high odds.
It is no wonder that this bookhas been retold as a movie. Reading the book delivers a plot that is the absolute bedrock of good movies, and the book itself is the about best in fascinating historical reporting.

Wait...wasn't the Indianapolis the one they built that big, white memorial for in Hawaii?? I thought that ship was destroyed right there in Pearl Harbor? Or is that a totally different ship? See, this is why I read. To learn. Otherwise I would obviously be a clueless idiot. LOL

Although this is the only book I’ve read about the Indianapolis, this must be the definitive book on the tragedy. I can not imagine any way more research could be fit into one book. To that end, I should add that so many meticulous details, from eyewitnesses, are included that it makes the reading slow at times. Sadly, as the size of the survivors shrank in the water, the story began to move a little faster since there were fewer personal stories to follow. I was glad the authors included a thorough account of the court marshal of McVay, and his eventual exoneration which he did not live to see himself.
If you are a history buff and also love naval history, this book is a must read.

I found this book to be fascinating. Compellingly written, it tells an extraordinary story which is deeply moving. The best and worst or human nature is clearly seen.

I am ashamed to admit that I knew nothing of the sinking of the USS Indianapolis during World War II until I saw a documentary on it during Shark Week on Discovery Channel in 2007. Years of history classes...many on the two world wars....for a college degree....and I knew nothing about the most disastrous sinking in US Naval history. Most stories about the sinking of the USS Indianapolis focus on the sharks that attacked both dead bodies and live sailors in the water after the sinking, but this book focuses on the entire story, not just the dramatic survival parts. Information on the ship, its officers and crew, the war, its mission just before the ship was torpedoed, the men who died and the survivors who floated in the ocean for four days before being rescued. The intent of the authors is to present the information necessary to prove that Captain Charles McVay III was not at fault. Captain McVay was court martialed after the sinking, but later pardoned. His naval record was wiped clean decades later after his death.

The authors definitely did a lot of research. The facts are presented in an interesting and detailed fashion, while still being respectful of the Sailors who lost their lives in the sinking. This book dispels a lot of rumors and misinformation caused by movies and television shows. For example, the sharks did not appear for a couple days after the sinking not instantly as portrayed in a recent movie. The animals were lured in by the scent of corpses and injured sailors in the water. A majority of the deaths after the sinking were not due to shark attack. About 300 men went down with the ship. 900 went into the water. After dehydration, injuries, salt poisoning, lack of food, exhaustion....and sharks....took their toll on the survivors, only 316 sailors survived. The book also explains why Captain McVay was not zigzagging the boat at the time it was torpedoed, and why it took four days for suvivors to be rescued. The Indianapolis had just completed delivery of top secret war materials (uranium and materials for the nuclear bombs dropped on Japan) so it's position and orders were secret. Nobody knew where the ship was and when it was supposed to return to port except for a very, very few people. It took days for them to realize the ship was even missing.

Very interesting book! I enjoyed hearing the entire story. I never knew the ship was severely damaged by a suicide bomber just months before a torpedo sank the ship. I never knew why the captain was not zigzagging, as ships were usually directed to do to make it harder to target them. Because I learned about the sinking initially on a Shark Week documentary, I thought most of the men in the water were attacked by sharks. Not true. Some were, but most died of exposure, exhaustion and untreated injuries.

All in all, a great, very informative book. I will definitely read more by these authors!

**I voluntarily read an advanced readers copy of this book from Simon & Schuster via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

Simply put this is an outstanding narrative history, one of the best I’ve ever read. On July 30, 1945 the cruiser Indianapolis with 1200 souls onboard was sunk by a Japanese submarine. 900 went into the water where for four long days they suffered from unimaginable horrors, including being attacked by packs of sharks. Only 316 survived. It was the worst disaster in US naval history. The tale here is not just one of sinking and survival; it’s an expertly woven tale of the ship, her history, the men who sailed her, and the families they left behind. It’s also the story of a systematic wall of silence protecting those who placed the ship in danger, and failed to react to her fate, the scapegoating of her Captain, and the fifty-year fight to exonerate him. Fascinating, horrific, emotional, and moving This is a compelling read whether you’ve never heard of the Indianapolis or are already familiar with her story.

Solid writing and story-telling with some photos. It's long, but not too long, and I preferred reading this one in segments. For history, naval/maritime, and biography lovers. GoodReads FirstReads Giveaway

Impeccably researched and well written account of the U.S.S. Indianapolis, the men, some missions, and it's sinking by a Japanese submarine days before the end of WWII and the role the Indianapolis played in ending the war. The first section jumps around in time ro provide background and information the reader needs to know. It was occasionally a bit hard to keep track of. After the first third or so, the book settles down into an accounting of the events leading up to the sinking of the Indianapolis, the 5 days survivors spend in the ocean while the heads of naval operations in the Pacific did not even realize the ship was missing/sunk, and the many people who dropped the ball. It then details the court martial of the captain of the ship, basically as a scape goat to avoid the truth becoming public of the ineptitude of the staff of naval operations in the Pacific. Extremely well documented, and very interesting for anyone who likes history, WWII, or Naval accounts.

The horror of what these men went through and the Navy's failure to even admit that the ship went down for some time is appalling. Never forget what these men went through.

Ever since Man gathered in groups, formed tribes and opened villages, there have been wars. Frequently, those in power or influence did not have to participate in the wars or battles and those who did, often had little or no idea what they were there. Those who start such conflicts often suffer nothing from them and frequently even become enriched by them.
In wars, good people who have had nothing to do with the decision to fight and kill other good people suffer and die in the conflict. And sometimes in wars, tragedies that one side or the other receives from the other side are too big, too horrible to escape the notice and anguish of the populations who’ve watched their sons and daughters go off to fight.
The USS Indianapolis was torpedoed near the end of the war and hundreds died. Other than the attack on Pearl Harbor it is America’s greatest naval tragedy. The men who sent the ship in harm’s way made many, many mistakes that caused the catastrophic loss of life to be worse than it could have been. Much worse. With the tragedy in the public eye, these men needed a scapegoat to blame for their actions and the book, Indianapolis, tells the story of the tragedy itself, the scapegoating that followed and the crusade by those who survived the tragedy to achieve justice.
Today, two major movements are being led by children—the March for Your Lives movement against gun violence, and the international climate change activities The Navy’s scapegoat for the tragedy was Captain Charles McVay III. The movement to remove the disgrace that was heaped upon him was led by a child a sixth grader writing a school History report.
The research involved in this book is massive, yet minutely detailed. From the “big picture” accounts to the individual stories of victims of the ship’s sinking, every detail is brought forward. The authors give the story life. This is not a dull history book, a factual accounting, or an expose. It s a story of courage, of suffering, of turmoil, of intrigue and of the indomitable human spirt refusing to give up against high odds.
It is no wonder that this bookhas been retold as a movie. Reading the book delivers a plot that is the absolute bedrock of good movies, and the book itself is the about best in fascinating historical reporting.

Ever since Man gathered in groups, formed tribes and opened villages, there have been wars. Frequently, those in power or influence did not have to participate in the wars or battles and those who did, often had little or no idea what they were there. Those who start such conflicts often suffer nothing from them and frequently even become enriched by them.
In wars, good people who have had nothing to do with the decision to fight and kill other good people suffer and die in the conflict. And sometimes in wars, tragedies that one side or the other receives from the other side are too big, too horrible to escape the notice and anguish of the populations who’ve watched their sons and daughters go off to fight.
The USS Indianapolis was torpedoed near the end of the war and hundreds died. Other than the attack on Pearl Harbor it is America’s greatest naval tragedy. The men who sent the ship in harm’s way made many, many mistakes that caused the catastrophic loss of life to be worse than it could have been. Much worse. With the tragedy in the public eye, these men needed a scapegoat to blame for their actions and the book, Indianapolis, tells the story of the tragedy itself, the scapegoating that followed and the crusade by those who survived the tragedy to achieve justice.
Today, two major movements are being led by children—the March for Your Lives movement against gun violence, and the international climate change activities The Navy’s scapegoat for the tragedy was Captain Charles McVay III. The movement to remove the disgrace that was heaped upon him was led by a child a sixth grader writing a school History report.
The research involved in this book is massive, yet minutely detailed. From the “big picture” accounts to the individual stories of victims of the ship’s sinking, every detail is brought forward. The authors give the story life. This is not a dull history book, a factual accounting, or an expose. It s a story of courage, of suffering, of turmoil, of intrigue and of the indomitable human spirt refusing to give up against high odds.
It is no wonder that this bookhas been retold as a movie. Reading the book delivers a plot that is the absolute bedrock of good movies, and the book itself is the about best in fascinating historical reporting.

Book on CD read by John Bedford Lloyd

The subtitle is all the synopsis anyone needs: The True Story of the Worst Sea Disaster in U.S. Naval History and the Fifty-Year Fight to Exonerate an Innocent Man.

I’ve known about the U.S.S. Indianapolis since I was about eleven years old. In 7th grade I became fascinated by sharks and read virtually every book in my public library about them. Many of those books included the story of the Indianapolis sinking and the days at sea that the survivors endured. So, this was not a new story for me, nor the first book about the tragedy that I’ve read.

But knowing the story did nothing to lessen my fascination or divert my attention from the tale. Vincent and Vladic did extensive research, including interviews with survivors and their families. The result is a detailed, thorough and still intimately personal story. There was more than one section that brought me to tears, and I cheered at the eventual success the survivors had in clearing their captain of charges of culpability.

The audiobook is masterfully narrated by John Bedford Lloyd. I listened in rapt attention.

Crazy story. Well researched. So sad a tale. The age (so young) and heroism is astounding. And the selflessness.

The sinking of the Indianapolis near the end of WWII was one of the worst disasters of the naval war. This book describes the history of the ship, the events surrounding its sinking, the events going on in Japan, US, and world, and the rescue of the survivors. Blame for the events were quick to come, and very slow to be corrected.

I have never been drawn to stories of war, but there is something intriguing about the Indianapolis tragedy. I was completely blown away by the story itself, but the detail within the pages of this book is incredible. The vivid imagery is breathtaking, putting you on board the USS Indianapolis, being submerged into the life aboard a ship deep in battle during World War II.

Reading about everything that happened is absolutely heartbreaking, the loss overwhelming and impossible to comprehend. Superbly written in unbelievable detail, I took my time reading this great work, absorbing every morsel, allowing the account to come alive on the page. There were times I had to actually lay the book down and take a deep breath, the situation unimaginable, and hard to read. So much tragedy and all of it mind blowing.

I am so glad I had the opportunity to learn about the Indianapolis disaster and believe that everyone should read and reference this account. Highly recommend!

Summary: A narrative of the sinking of the U.S.S. Indianapolis by a Japanese submarine at the end of World War Two, the five day struggle for survival that took the lives of nearly two-thirds of those who made it into the water, and the fifty-year effort to exonerate her court-martialed captain.

The U.S.S. Indianapolis was a storied ship. For a time, it was the ship of state for Franklin Roosevelt. Subsequently, it was the flagship of the naval fleet in the Pacific theater, winning ten battle stars. After refitting due to a kamikaze strike, it is sent on a super-secret mission to deliver the components of one of the atomic bombs that ended the war. Then, just after midnight on July 30, 1945, a Japanese submarine surfaced within striking distance as Indianapolis, under command of decorated Captain Charles McVay III, was steaming unescorted to the Philippine Island for crew training. Two torpedos sink the ship in twelve minutes. Nine hundred of the twelve hundred men, including McVay make it off the ship due to his abandon ship orders. SOS messages had been sent, although whether the radio equipment was working at that point was in doubt.

Days and nights elapse in the oil-slicked waters where survivors board rafts, nets, or simply hold onto each other, staying afloat with their slowly water-logging life jackets. Somehow, no one realizes the ship is missing and no search is mounted. Men succumb to injuries, or the consequences of drinking salt water when desperately thirsty, or to sharks. After five nights and four days, only a little over 300 are still alive. Only then are they spotted by a patrol plane and a rescue operation mounted, some dying even as they attempt to swim to rescue. Only 316 survive.

While the men's physical ordeal has come to an end, that of Captain McVay is only beginning. Before leaving for the Philippines, he was assured there was no enemy activity along his route, despite intelligence to the contrary never communicated him. Because of overcast conditions, he had secured the ship from zig-zagging, a defensive measure, which was normal practice given what he knew. Nevertheless, he faced a rushed court martial for negligence that resulted in the ship's sinking, on which he was found guilty, even while exculpatory evidence was either being covered up or developed. The failures of others were covered up, only he was held to account.

The last part of the story is about the efforts of a group of the survivors, the captain of the modern namesake submarine, William J. Toti, and a precocious eighth grade boy. Hunter Scott's history project turns into a crusade that takes him to the halls of Congress and an appearance as witness in a Senate hearing, and is the most inspiring and heartening part of the book. Sadly, Captain McVay did not live to see this, only one of his sons.

This is a wonderfully told story that manages to fuse human and technical elements into a page-turning narrative. We experience the moments of fear, panic, and the shipboard disciplines of those last twelve minutes of Indianapolis. We sense the growing despair and struggles to sustain hope and sanity as hours stretch into days, and good friends succumb to injuries or sharks. We share the growing awareness of all who look into the court martial of McVay that a cover up has taken place, and an injustice done. All of this propels us to keep reading to see how this will resolve, and will there be survivors to celebrate. Whether you are a naval history buff, or simply enjoy a good story, this one has all the elements to be your next great read.

How do you review a book like this? Where do you even begin? I originally received a free copy of this book from NetGalley, but knew within just a few pages of this beautifully written non-fiction account of the USS Indianapolis's history that I HAD to own a finished copy. I was unable to finish my ARC before the publication date, but the week it was published, I bought my hard copy. Let me say that the physical book itself is just as gorgeous as the prose within.

Lynn Vincent and Sara Vladic have put together a well-written, unputdownable account of the USS Indianapolis, her last voyage, the sinking of the ship, the incredible, harrowing experiences of the survivors and the unthinkable final moments of those who lost their lives, as well as the court-martial of Indy's captain, and his eventual exoneration. This is a book that will make you sob hysterically, copious amounts of tears that will come so hard and fast you won't be able to see the page in front of you. It will make you gasp in horror, shake with rage and indignation, and give you immense joy and comfort.

Embarrassingly, I knew NOTHING of the USS Indianapolis before I picked up this book on NetGalley. I am heartily ashamed of the gap in my education. I am beyond grateful to NetGalley and to the authors and publisher of this book for providing such a complete, compelling account. Whether you know a lot about US Naval History or you know nothing, please, I beg you...get your hands on a copy of this book. The saga of the USS Indianapolis and her crew is one that deserves to be told, honored, and remembered.

“Japanese submarine slammed two torpedoes into her side, Chief. We was comin’ back from the island of Tinian to Leyte. We’d just delivered the bomb. The Hiroshima bomb. Eleven hundred men went into the water. Vessel went down in 12 minutes.
Didn’t see the first shark for about a half-hour. Tiger. 13-footer. You know how you know that in the water, Chief? You can tell by lookin’ from the dorsal to the tail. What we didn’t know, was that our bomb mission was so secret, no distress signal had been sent. They didn’t even list us overdue for a week. Very first light, Chief, sharks come cruisin’ by, so we formed ourselves into tight groups. It was sorta like you see in the calendars, you know the infantry squares in the old calendars like the Battle of Waterloo and the idea was the shark come to the nearest man, that man he starts poundin’ and hollerin’ and sometimes that shark he go away… but sometimes he wouldn’t go away.
Sometimes that shark looks right at ya. Right into your eyes. And the thing about a shark is he’s got lifeless eyes. Black eyes. Like a doll’s eyes. When he comes at ya, he doesn’t even seem to be livin’… ’til he bites ya, and those black eyes roll over white and then… ah then you hear that terrible high-pitched screamin’. The ocean turns red, and despite all your poundin’ and your hollerin’ those sharks come in and… they rip you to pieces.
You know by the end of that first dawn, lost a hundred men. I don’t know how many sharks there were, maybe a thousand. I do know how many men, they averaged six an hour. Thursday mornin’, Chief, I bumped into a friend of mine, Herbie Robinson from Cleveland. Baseball player. Boson’s mate. I thought he was asleep. I reached over to wake him up. He bobbed up, down in the water, he was like a kinda top. Upended. Well, he’d been bitten in half below the waist.
At noon on the fifth day, a Lockheed Ventura swung in low and he spotted us, a young pilot, lot younger than Mr. Hooper here, anyway he spotted us and a few hours later a big ol’ fat PBY come down and started to pick us up. You know that was the time rest, June the 29th, 1945.
Anyway, we delivered the bomb.”
- Robert Shaw (Jaws 1975)
I'm not going to lie this is the reason I read this book. This speech from the movie Jaws inspired such fear and terror and added to the movie so well that the real story had to be even scarier.
And so it was in 1945 that after the USS Indianapolis carried the Hiroshima bomb it sank into the Philippine Sea leaving its crew to either sink, die of hypothermia or starvation, commit suicide, or simply wait for their turn.
A gripping and heated journey through the life and death of this ship and its crew. Amazingly written in a format that uses many naval terms but not so many that the layman cannot follow. Instead of just listing off the facts the authors decided to turn the book into a play-by-play story. Which makes it a lot easier for the reader to read. But there is no mistaking that the authors definitely did their homework on this one. This might possibly be the perfect maritime novel.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone who's interested in the military, Naval History, US History, the history of World War II or even just history in general.

In a highly classified naval mission during the Second World War, the crew of the USS Indianapolis delivers the materials for the atomic bomb to the Pacific Islands. Just days later, on July 30, 1945, the Indianapolis, sailing alone in the Philippine Sea, is struck by two Japanese torpedoes and sinks. While about three hundred sailors go down with the ship, almost nine hundred others find themselves in the water. But, after five nights and four days in the sea, hundreds of miles from the nearest land, injured sailors battle the elements . . . and the sharks . . . to stay alive.

Based on exhaustive research and interviews with survivors and eyewitnesses, this is tragic the story of a ship, her crew, and their final mission to clear Captain Charles McVay III, who was wrongly court-martialed.

Although some strongly dispute accounts of events in the aftermath of the ship’s sinking, readers should consider these events in light of the conditions the sailors faced. While no one seeks to dispute the sailors’ memories of those horrific days spent waiting for rescue, traumatic memory is, at best, problematical. All of the men, including the interviewed survivors, suffered from severe exposure, dehydration, saltwater poisoning, hallucinations, stress, and both physical and mental impairment. Therefore, readers should view reports of these events in the context of their situation at that time.

This saga of heroism, courage, sacrifice, horror, and grievous errors is a must-read account of the worst sea disaster in the history of the United States Navy.

Recommended.

Even if you know the story of the Indianapolis, this book is a must read. You may know there were 1,195 men on the ship when it was torpedoed, about 300 died initially, about 900 went into the water alive and ultimately 316 survived 5 days in the water before they were rescued. This well-researched, well-written telling gives us so much detail not only from the survivors but also from the loved ones of those who were lost. It will break your heart and it will also make your heart swell with joy and pride. Highly recommend.

I received a free advance e-copy of this book from the authors and have chosen to write an honest and unbiased review. I have no personal affiliation with the authors. This was a well-written novel that told the complete story of what really happened to the Indianapolis on its very important final mission. What a shame that Captain Charles McVay is wrongly court martialed for the sinking and has to live out the rest of his life under that shadow and finally ends his life. Even Hashimoto, the Japanese sub commander who sunk the Indianapolis joins the battle to exonerate the captain. Finally a young boy researches the sinking extremely thoroughly and persistently and with the help of others is able to exonerate Captain Charles McVay posthumously. This was a very interesting book though quite detailed and long. At times it was difficult to read because of the horrors the men suffered. I look forward to reading more in the future from these authors.

maritime, WW2, nonfiction, historical-research, historical-places-events-----
Reads like fiction: big time admiralty SNAFU allowing an important USN ship, cargo, and crew to be torpedoed and sunk without support so that too many died then and there and those who were alive weren't rescued for nearly a week. Then came the cover up, wrongful accusations, driving the captain to opt out of life. But it's not fiction, it's a well researched documentation of a very shameful event near the end of WW2. The survivors suffered badly without water in the remorseless South Pacific Ocean waiting for rescue and continued to suffer even afterwards. Extremely well written and meticulously researched, it brings it all to life and reality. A rewarding read.
I requested and received a free review copy via NetGalley. Thank you!