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A review by notcolleen
The Finest Hours: The True Story of the U.S. Coast Guard's Most Daring Sea Rescue by Michael J. Tougias, Casey Sherman
4.0
Truly in awe of these Coast Guardsmen and their incredible bravery in rescuing the stranded crew of the Fort Mercer and Pendleton after both tankers split in half during a powerful Nor’easter off the coast of Cape Cod during February of 1952. This book details the strength of human courage when faced with the sublime power of the Mother Nature.
The vivid descriptions of the rescue are riveting, and the high stakes keep the pages turning. The humility of all these rescuers after the fact is amazing. I was especially captivated with the story of Bernie Webber, Richard Livesey, Ervin Maske, & Andy Fitzgerald, who fought against the odds and 70ft waves to rescue all but one of the crew members left on the Pendleton stern.
did find that this book (incorrectly) assumed I already had a lot of maritime knowledge. I found myself start-stopping-start-stopping to look up boating terms and getting easily distracted with some awkward pacing.
Ultimately, I did really enjoy this read and would recommend it. After all, who doesn’t love an underdog story?!
The vivid descriptions of the rescue are riveting, and the high stakes keep the pages turning. The humility of all these rescuers after the fact is amazing. I was especially captivated with the story of Bernie Webber, Richard Livesey, Ervin Maske, & Andy Fitzgerald, who fought against the odds and 70ft waves to rescue all but one of the crew members left on the Pendleton stern.
did find that this book (incorrectly) assumed I already had a lot of maritime knowledge. I found myself start-stopping-start-stopping to look up boating terms and getting easily distracted with some awkward pacing.
Ultimately, I did really enjoy this read and would recommend it. After all, who doesn’t love an underdog story?!