Review
WL Rating
My initial interest in the story of the U.S.S. Indianapolis came via an unlikely and not terribly credible source: Captain Quint in the movie Jaws. One of the most captivating scenes in that blockbuster was Quint’s (Robert Shaw) monologue describing his experience as a sailor on the sunken battleship. While his historical facts aren’t exactly accurate, Quint does manage to brilliantly deliver the drama of the event. Fast-forward to a week ago when I picked up Stanton’s book, In Harm’s Way. While I was excited to delve deeply into what is called the worst disaster in U.S. naval history, I was also slightly anxious that the book wouldn’t be able to convey the drama of the event. Was I wrong. Stanton’s book reads like the best summer thrillers, managing to communicate deep historical content with an engaging narrative. The book moves the reader through the story at a steady clip, covering the preparations for delivering the Hiroshima bomb, the key people involved, the failures in process that left 900 men stranded in the water for more than four days, and finally, the tragic story of the Indy’s captain, Charles McVay. Ultimately, the book serves as posthumous redemption for McVay, and a scathing indictment of the post-WWII Navy leadership. This is an excellent, fast-reading book that I consider a WL Essential. (June 2009)
In Harm’s Way - Doug Stanton
