NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * “GRIPPING…THIS YARN HAS IT ALL.” –USA TODAY * “A WONDERFUL BOOK.” –The Christian Science Monitor * “ENTHRALLING.” –Kirkus Reviews (starred review) * “A MUST-READ.” –Booklist (starred review) A human drama unlike any other–the riveting and definitive full story of the worst sea disaster in United States naval history. Just after midnight on July 30, 1945, the … United States naval history.
Just after midnight on July 30, 1945, the USS Indianapolis is sailing alone in the Philippine Sea when she is sunk by two Japanese torpedoes. For the next five nights and four days, almost three hundred miles from the nearest land, nearly nine hundred men battle injuries, sharks, dehydration, insanity, and eventually each other. Only 316 will survive.
For the first time Lynn Vincent and Sara Vladic tell the complete story of the ship, her crew, and their final mission to save one of their own in “a wonderful book…that features grievous mistakes, extraordinary courage, unimaginable horror, and a cover-up…as complete an account of this tragic tale as we are likely to have” (The Christian Science Monitor). It begins in 1932, when Indianapolis is christened and continues through World War II, when the ship embarks on her final world-changing mission: delivering the core of the atomic bomb to the Pacific for the strike on Hiroshima.
“Simply outstanding…Indianapolis is a must-read…a tour de force of true human drama” (Booklist, starred review) that goes beyond the men’s rescue to chronicle the survivors’ fifty-year fight for justice on behalf of their skipper, Captain Charles McVay III, who is wrongly court-martialed for the sinking. “Enthralling…A gripping study of the greatest sea disaster in the history of the US Navy and its aftermath” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review), Indianapolis stands as both groundbreaking naval history and spellbinding narrative–and brings the ship and her heroic crew back to full, vivid, unforgettable life. “Vincent and Vladic have delivered an account that stands out through its crisp writing and superb research…Indianapolis is sure to hold its own for a long time” (USA TODAY).
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This is an absorbing book. The attention to detail is superb, the clear result of lots of plain hard work. Yet the detail doesn’t get in the way, but rather serves, along with a driving narrative, to get the reader as close to experiencing this most tragic episode of World War II as is possible without living through it.
INDIANAPOLIS: The True Story of the Worst Sea Disaster in U.S. Naval History and the Fifty-Year-Fight to Exonerate an Innocent Man by Lynn Vincent and Sara Vladic is one of the most engrossing and riveting nonfiction books I have read. I enjoy reading nonfiction books set during WWII because I truly do believe they were written about an extraordinary generation. This book not only vividly describes the history of the Indianapolis’ war service, sinking and the five days of terror in the sea waiting for rescue, but continues with the survivors’ fight to clear their Captain’s record.
The Indianapolis was a historic ship that had seen major battles in the Pacific, survived to be repaired after a kamikaze attack, delivered the first atomic bomb to the Air Force to be dropped on Hiroshima and then was sunk by a Japanese submarine just after midnight on July 30, 1945. The night began with 1,195 men going about their duties or off-duty past-times. It is estimated that approximately 300 men went down with the ship with the remainder entering the sea. When the survivors were accidentally spotted from the air and rescued, only 316 men lived. The description of burns, dehydration, delirium, drowning and sharks had me in tears several times.
This was an extremely well documented and researched book. From the survivor’s firsthand accounts, naval documents, and previous historical books on this subject. The two authors interweave two timelines, one beginning in 1945 that takes you back to the ship and one that begins in the 1990’s that centers on the fight for justice for Captain McVay. I could not put this book down and I could vividly mentally picture every paragraph past and present.
I HIGHLY recommend this book!
(After reading this book, I watched the documentary USS Indianapolis: The Legacy on Amazon Prime. It was made by the authors of this book and was told in the first person by the survivor’s. It brought faces to the names I read about in the book. Extremely emotional.)
Thank you Good Reads and Simon and Shuster for an advanced copy of Indianapolis, The True Story of the Worst Sea Disaster in U.S. Naval History and the Fifty-year fight to Exonerate an Innocent Man by Lynn Vincent and Sara Vladic. This book is available today at book stores.
Charles McVay is the Captain of the USS Indianapolis, the largest naval fleet in the history of the modern world commissioned in 1932. The ship is like a tank on the water. From bow to fantail the USS Indianapolis was 610 feet, had a beam of 66 feet from port rail to starboard. It spanned 13 presidents from FDR to GW Bush, it inspired filmmaker Spielberg, and a 11 boy name Hunter Scott.
On March 19, 1945 the USS Franklin while in the pacific ocean was hit by Japanese Kamikaze’s and killed 724 and wounded 265 but didn’t sink.
The USS Indianapolis was ordered to carry a top secret package to Tinian, which was successful. After leaving to their next location, on Sunday July 31st 1945 the unthinkable happened, Hashimoto’s submarine (Japanese) hit the ship with two torpedoes and it sunk and fast. Captain McVay made the decision for all aboard to get a life jacket and abandon ship. Most jumped, a lot drown, some committed suicide, some got stuck and went down with the ship. One particular guy got lucky SFC Outland got tangled in a line and the ship dragged him under water and he almost died, just at the last second somehow the line untangled and he got free. On the water the ones that didn’t have life jackets would let others put their arms of someone in front of them. These men fought to stay alive despite watching others getting eaten by sharks and hearing the screams of that horror. Despite the horror, some men managed to keep somewhat of a sense of humor with witticism. They talked a lot to each other, some fights broke out and some men didn’t want the ones that were bit by sharks near them due to the blood. They talked about the most humane way to kill a friend when they were starting to hallucinate, dying from burns, shark bites, dehydration, and pain. The men were covered in so much oil and you couldn’t really tell whom most were.
Even though the SOS was sent it was ignored by George Atteberry whom recalled the rescue boats saying it could be an enemy trap “jap trap.” No one reported that the Indianapolis did not arrive at it’s next scheduled location either.
On Thursday after 4 days on the oil slick waters burnt from the sun, starving,and dehydrated, some of the survivors noticed a plane in the sky and then were screaming and using mirrors from the kits of the rafts to reflect. It was Aviation Jim Graham that noticed the oil slick, then several hundred men in the water several miles apart from each other. From the plane more rafts were dropped for the floaters. Then from Chuck Gwinn’s plane whom was checking an antenna line flapping from the rear of his plane noticed people in the water too. Lt Andrian Marks is flying his plane the Doyle reported a message at Peleliu of the survivors to send help. The office didn’t pass on the message and sat on it.
Soon there is a court marshall for Captain McVay for not zig zagging to avoid enemy sub. Then comes Hunter Scott an 11 yo boy who did a project on USS Indianapolis for school and went to interview survivors on the horror suffered by these men, he took it all the way to the President. It took Hunter to help exonerate Captain McVay convicted due to not zig zaging.
After the rescue, Captain McVay told his wife: everyday I will see the faces of men I lost, I will live a long, long time with that punishment, Then chapter 6 ends with: He was wrong about that which keeps you reading for more.
In court to exonerate, the guy Hashimoto is called to the stand, you know the guy who torpedoed the USS Indianapolis. I mean could you imagine if Bin Laden showed up in court?
I enjoyed this book very much, my book is full of sticky’s as I kept notes, the Authors told you just enough about the USS Indianapolis crew that you could remember them throughout the book. This book has a lot of emotions, including shock, funny moments, horror, faith, courage, and tragedy. It is full of scandal then ultimate justice. This book will stay with me a long time plus knowing that my dad served for over 20 years and this could of happened to him aboard his ship. Not likely in the 80’s and 90’s but there is always that chance.
Thank you to the Authors for their thorough research and not giving up on this book and I have an understanding of the importance and legacy of the USS Indianapolis.
Cherie’
This book is a wonderfully researched and compassionately told tale of one of the brightest and simultaneously darkest stories in American history. The courage of the men, especially the minority of survivors, of the Indianapolis sinking stands in the starkest possible contrast to the cowardice of the military and political leaders who tried to shape the narrative of the event. It will make you profoundly proud, and abjectly ashamed to be an American. The heroism and fortitude of the ships crew will inspire you. The callousness and pusillanimity of the military brass will leave you mortified. A great book that should be part of every high school and military training curriculum.
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!
*I have reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are completely honest, and my own.
Simply awesome! Fantastic real life tribute to some of our greatest WWII heros.
This was an amazing book. It is very well-written as well as well-researched. It is afast read despite the length of it. (There are many notes, bibliography, etc. in the back.) As you are reading you are unable to put the book down because the subject matter is so interesting; and yet there are times you have to stop your reading because the story (especially the scenes with the survivors in the water) becomes so sad and/or horrifying. I don’t really have the word to encourage anyone to read this becausse I am not a writer. However, I want to give my heartfelt approval of the book to all readers. You will not be disappointed!
It is amazing how so much could be messed up by the military for this to have happened and how they destroyed the life of the caption in a cover up attempt. An excellent read
Vincent and Vladic have rendered this long-overdue story in a way few writers of narrative nonfiction could ever achieve. They are consummate storytellers, and their research is impeccable, including accounts not only from the sailors and officers who survived, but also from the Japanese kamikaze and submarine commanders who were there. The authors reveal all that is good and all that is bad about humanity: the destruction and the courage, the selfishness and selflessness, and ultimately the shared respect and dignity of those who were once enemies. Few other books will satisfy a reader’s longing for a true and truly great story more than Indianapolis.
Valuable and illuminating. Vladic and Vincent’s work brings to life the history of this valorous and extraordinary ship.
The voices of the Greatest Generation come alive in Indianapolis. Through first-person accounts we hear horrific stories of fear, pain, and anger but also of resilience, hope, and courage. Stories of the friendships the sailors forged with each other on board and the sacrifices they made for each other in their darkest hours are inspirational. Ultimately, Indianapolis is about the sacrifice these men made for our country at a time of unparalleled risk and of their lifelong search for justice for the captain of their ship. It’s a beautifully told and incredibly detailed narrative that brings this famous disaster to life.
I’ve read several books on the story of the Indianapolis but this one covers a more in depth account of the history before during and after the sinking. Lives were lost but miraculously many survived. I’m in awe of the five days of survival in shark infested waters, the strength of the men that “held on”. I’m also astounded by the time it took for the sinking to be realized. Also the court martial of Captain Charles McVay was a shame and a disgrace. I’m saddened to know that he passed away before he was cleared of the charges brought against him. But at least his two sons knew. He was blamed for not making radio contact but how could he when the Japanese torpedo destroyed all the equipment. It took fifty years for that to be recognized and just this last year remains of the ship were discovered. My father in law served in the navy during WWII, so anything relating to that time period is so interesting to me. Those that survived the sinking of the Indianapolis as well as those that survived the war is a true testament to the human spirit.
I received a complimentary ebook copy of this novel from the publisher through Netgalley.
History buffs will love this one. It is coming out in July 2018 Very well written and well researched,