IN HARM'S WAY The Sinking of the U.S.S. Indianapolis and the Extraordinary Story of its Survivors

The USS INDIANAPOLIS, a WWII cruiser, was sunk by a Japanese submarine a few days before the war ended; the Navy took four days to discover the loss. Grover Gardner's clear and well-paced narration melts into the vivid images he portrays while recounting, without excitement, the death throes of the ship, the smell of burned flesh in fuel oil, the eating of survivors by sharks, and the madness of dehydration. Gardner's somber portrayal of the captain's suicide in the opening chapter sets the mood for a true story of military tragedy, survival, heroism, and courage, stained by the government's refusal to blame itself for the sinking. J.A.H. (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine [Published: APR/MAY 02]