Product Description

Returning to America after delivering the fatal bomb for Gnola Gay, The USS Indianapolis was out of radio contact when it was torpedoed. Consequently its sinking remained undetected by the Navy for nearly five days as the 900 survivors of the impact were lost into the Pacific Ocean to face savage seas, hypothermia and sharks. Of the 1196 men on board, only 316 survived. Interweaving the stories of three survivors - the Captain, the ship's doctor and a young marine - this is an account of a little-known chapter in World War II history.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1111934 in Books
• Published on: 2001-05-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 352 pages

Review
This is "one of the untold stories of the Second World War": the sinking of the USS Indianapolis, in fact the last ship sunk during the conflict. Torpedoed by a Jap sub, it went down in a matter of minutes. Of the 1,200 men who went into the water, only 321 were to survive. What happened to them over the next five days makes up the subject of this book. The physical and mental hardship of those who remained, left floating without supplies and at the mercies of sharks make gripping reading. The book is also the story of one man in particular, Captain Butler McVay, who was held responsible for the loss of his ship and court-martialled - the only naval captain to be so disciplined. Years after the events, tormented by guilt, he took his own life. Stanton's book is part historical account, part survival story, and part reappraisal of McVay's culpability, leading to a revisionist view of events. It utilises recently released government documents and can be recommended.

From the Back Cover
A harrowing, adrenaline-charged account of America's worst naval disaster.

On 30 July 1945 the USS Indianapolis was returning to America after delivering the atom bomb that was to decimate Hiroshima seven days later, when she was torpedoed in the South Pacific by a Japanese submarine. An estimated 300 men were killed upon impact; nearly 900 sailors were cast into the Pacific Ocean, where they remained, undetected by the Navy, for nearly five days. Battered by a savage sea, they struggled to stay alive, fighting off sharks, hypothermia and dementia. By the time rescue arrived, all but 317 men had died.

The captain's subsequent court martial left many questions unanswered. How did the Navy fail to realize that the Indianapolis was missing? Why was the cruiser travelling unescorted in enemy waters? And, perhaps most amazingly of all, how did these 317 men manage to survive?

Interweaving the stories of three survivors - the captain, the ship's doctor and a young marine - Doug Stanton has brought this incredible human drama to life in a narrative that is at once immediate and timeless. The definitive account of a little-known chapter in Second World War history, In Harm's Way is destined to become a classic.

About the Author
Doug Stanton
Doug Stanton has written extensively about politics, travel and celebrities for numerous publications, including Esquire, US, Outside and Men's Journal, where he is currently a contributing writer. In Harm's Way began as a lead feature story in the March 2000 issue of Men's Journal. It led to more letters to the editor than any other piece in the magazine's history. Warner Brothers is currently developing a screenplay based on the book.

Customer Reviews

In Harm's Way will take you there!
The Sinking of the USS Indianapolis & the Extraordinary Story of Its Survivors. In July of 1945, the cruiser USS Indianapolis set out from San Francisco with a secret & dangerous cargo, headed for Tinian, a distant South Pacific island. With a record-breaking run to Hawaii & then on to Guam for fuel & fresh supplies, she delivered her load with no notable incidents.

For this child of an island nation, who cut her teeth on plane & ship silhouettes & sang the Seaman's Hymn in school chapel; who never tasted a fresh orange or banana; who lived on reconstituted eggs & milk & learned to count with ration books. For this little sister who heard older brothers' incessantly talk of The War. For this daughter who listened to her father's memories of the War to End All Wars & who, with the entire family, heard the BBC Radio broadcasts of the battles on land, in the sea & in the air - In Harm's Way touched me as only naval sagas can.

This is an astonishing read - which starts with the end of an old tar's life & then tells the story of one venerable ship upon which President Franklin Roosevelt had sailed to South America; of her mostly young crew with a sprinkling of seasoned hands & her captain, a scion from a naval tradition & her most secret mission. Through the memories of three particular crew members & the researching of hundreds of documents, this author unearths the accidents & snafus that cast the Indy's fate as she island-hopped across the Pacific.

There were 1,196 souls aboard the USS Indianapolis, many sleeping on deck, a handful incarcerated in the brig, a few in the infirmary. The cooks & dishwashers had finished their work & were at last also off duty. Captain Butler McVay went through his usual routine & headed for his watch bunk.

Unbeknownst to the US Navy & the high-level secret agents that covered the Pacific war zone, young Lieutenant Commander Hashimoto, captain of the I-58 submarine, was prowling the same waters looking for trouble. Early one evening, his sonar man picked up a noise that was coming closer. Hashimoto ordered his submarine to surface & couldn't believe his luck when they caught a bearing on a possible enemy ship.

At 12:05 A.M. on July 30, 1945 all hell broke loose aboard the USS Indianapolis.

Interweaving the stories of three survivors - the captain, the ship's doctor, & a young marine - journalist Doug Stanton has brought this astonishing human drama to life in a narrative that is both immediate & timeless. As the definitive account of a little-known chapter in World War II history, In Harm's Way is destined to become a classic tale of war, survival & extraordinary courage.

I learnt so much about the war in the Pacific - how it was fought, survived, its final submission & the attitude of a nation eager to be done with war. A remarkably lively, respectful & detailed read that breathes life back into a dusty tragedy of naval snafus, bureaucratic complacency & eventual punitive actions.

It is, however, the valor & tenacity of every one of those souls who died & survived that earns the respect of this child of war!

live the nightmare
In Harms way is a detailed and gripping account of the sinking of the USS Indianapolis On the 30th of July 1945. The ship sank after being torpedoed by a Japanse submarine and was engulfed by the merky pacific ocean within 12 minuits of being hit. Doug Stanton tells the horrific story of the brave men left to the mercy of the cold ocean after watching their ship capsising. Close to 900 men were tosed into the pacific to witness and endure gut-wrenching shark attacks and physical and mental exhaustion, before accidentally being dicovered. This heartbreaking account will grap you and pull you into the nightmare. definately a must read book!!!

fascinating + frightening
like most people i know of the USS Indianappolis from Quints speech in Jaws. I saw this book and remembered the speech and the godawful film staring john boy walton. the book looks a little hyped and glossy but it is a thrilling read and very character driven. the build up to the torpedoing is riviting, the description of the ship and life on board thoroughly engrossing. once torpedo'ed the book wains a little. the sections in the water are terrifying but they are so brief. i'm not saying i wanted gore and guts but since the main part of the story is the 4 days in the water i expected a little more. nonetheless it is a gripping story - excellently told and heartbreaking in parts. the end is a little patriotic but given the subject matter that it more then forgivable. the image that will haunt you is the pilots view downwards of the survivors with hundreds of sharks circling them below.