The Finest Hours is the gripping, true story of the valiant attempt to rescue the souls huddling inside two oil tankers that split in half during the brutal nor'easter that wreaked havoc on England in the winter of 1952.
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The Finest Hours is the gripping, true story of the valiant attempt to rescue the souls huddling inside two oil tankers that split in half during the brutal nor'easter that wreaked havoc on England in the winter of 1952.
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Add this copy of The Finest Hours: the True Story of the Us Coast Guard to cart. $10.77, very good condition, Sold by The Yard Sale Store rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Narrowsburg, NY, UNITED STATES, published 2012 by Blackstone Audio, Inc.
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Very Good. 6 BRAND NEW AUDIO CDs New in the SHRINK WRAP. Some shelf wear to the shrink wrap. NEW AUDIO CDs inside. Enjoy GIFT QUALITY Audio CD set for you home and library.
Add this copy of The Finest Hours: the True Story of the U.S. Coast to cart. $11.73, good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Baltimore rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Halethorpe, MD, UNITED STATES, published 2012 by Blackstone Audiobooks.
Add this copy of The Finest Hours: the True Story of the Us Coast Guard to cart. $11.99, very good condition, Sold by The Yard Sale Store rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Narrowsburg, NY, UNITED STATES, published 2012 by Blackstone Audio, Inc.
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Seller's Description:
Very Good. 6 BRAND NEW AUDIO CDs New in the SHRINK WRAP. Some shelf wear to the shrink wrap. NEW AUDIO CDs inside. Enjoy GIFT QUALITY Audio CD set for you home and library.
This is a true story written without the hyperbole that accompanies so many heroic adventures. An incredible February storm attacks the Eastern Seaboard, dumping snow, sleet, ice and hurricane-force winds -- almost without warning. It is 1952, before the days of high-tech body coverings like neoprene. Sailors only had old-style rain-slick wear and perhaps wool gloves.
This is truly an adventure of man-against-Mother-Nature. With horrific seas hurling 70 foot waves, two relics of the second World War (built with 'dirty-steel'), break at stress points. During WW II, ships were built with all speed, because the Germans were sinking them so fast. Short-cuts were taken in their construction. After the war, the ships were retrofitted to be oil tankers. After the ships' break up, their cargo was oozing out of their holds in the freezing rain and huge waves. The ships broke so that the officers were in the forward hulk and the crew was in the aft section of the dead ships.
Into this melee, the Coast Guard sends 36 ft. boats to rescue anyone still alive on the ships. The impossible was done just to get to the ailing ship hulks. And then the real work began. The two writers tell the story, often in the sailors' own words. This is truly a unique story.
One engaging aspect of this book is that the authors finished the story. They tell what happened to the Coast Guard men after the rescue and give sketches of their remaining lives. The tribunal conducted after such a large loss of live was also covered.
The rescuers were stunned by the accolades and awards sent their way, 'just for doing our jobs.' The work these young men did was all the more admirable because of their humility.
The book is lean at 224 pages. However the authors' research was obviously extensive. I happened to have 'read' this book via a library 'talking book.' I was disappointed with the narrator; his reading was bland. Without a doubt, this is one story that stays with the reader.
Brian H
Sep 3, 2016
Most Amazing Ocean Rescue in History
As a former Coast Guard officer, I read this account with utter disbelief. The chance that these men would ever return to shore, let alone save men from a ship going down, approaches zero. Disney has made a movie, which I plan to view, but nothing can surpass the drama of this account. PS The boat has been restored and is now, I believe, at the Chatham Lifeboat Station on Cape Cod.
