In Harm's Way The Sinking of the U.S.S. Indianapolis and the Extraordinary Story of Its Survivors

by Stanton, Doug

• ISBN13: 9780805073669
• ISBN10: 0805073663
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2003-05-01
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin

Summary

Now available for the first time in trade paperback, the bestselling account of America's worst naval disaster-and of the heroism of the men who, against all odds, survivedOn July 30, 1945, the USS Indianapolis was torpedoed in the South Pacific by a Japanese submarine. An estimated three hundred men were killed upon impact; close to nine hundred sailors were cast into the Pacific Ocean, where they struggled to stay alive, battered by a savage sea and fighting off sharks, hypothermia, and dementia. By the time help arrived-nearly four days and nights later-all but 317 men had died. How did the navy fail to realize the Indianapolis was missing? Why was the cruiser traveling unescorted in enemy waters? And how did these 317 men manage to survive? Interweaving the stories of three survivors-the captain, the ship's doctor, and a young marine-journalist Doug Stanton has brought this astonishing human drama to life in a narrative that is at once immediate and timeless. The definitive account of this harrowing chapter of World War II history-already a bestseller in its hardcover and mass market editions-In Harm's Way is a classic tale of war, survival, and extraordinary courage.

Author Biography

A former contributing editor at Esquire, Outside, and Men’s Journal, Doug Stanton received an M.F.A. from the Writers’ Workshop at the University of Iowa. He lives in Traverse City, Michigan.

Table of Contents

The Final Crew of the USS Indianapolis (CA 35)	xv
PROLOGUE: Sailor on a Chain	1	(276)
Part One: SAILING TO WAR
All Aboard	13	(26)
Good-bye, Golden Gate	39	(24)
The First Domino	63	(28)
Part Two: SUNK
The Burning Sea	91	(28)
Abandon Ship	119	(20)
Hope Afloat	139	(24)
Shark Attack	163	(20)
Genocide	183	(26)
Part Three: RESCUE
Dead Drift	209	(28)
Final Hours	237	(14)
Aftermath	251	(18)
Back in the World	269	(8)
Epilogue	277	(6)
Afterword: 2001	283	(6)
Notes	289	(18)
Bibliography	307	(12)
Author's Note	319	(10)
Index	329

Excerpts

A few men were vomiting so violently that they were actually doing somersaults in the water. Trying to keep his wits, Dr. Haynes called out, "Here! Right here! Where is the sick sailor?" And then he moved into the throng. It was not a happy sight. In the crowd, about a dozen sailors were holding a body aloft, an incredible feat of strength considering they were all treading water furiously to stay afloat beneath the added weight.

The man in question was in terrible shape. His eyes had been burned away. The flesh on his hands was gone and what remained were bare tendons. The boys held him in an effort to keep these terrible wounds out of the salt water. Haynes recognized the man as his good friend and liberty buddy, gunnery officer Stanley Lipski. Miraculously, Lipski had made his way blind from the quarterdeck, off the ship, and into the water.

Haynes knew that Lipski's pain must be unbearable—he himself could barely look at his old friend, who was moaning softly. Stanley, he knew, was one tough bird; Haynes also understood that he didn't have long to live. Reluctantly, he turned away to those he could actually help.

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Excerpted from In Harm's Way: The Sinking of the USS Indianapolis and the Extraordinary Story of Its Survivors by Doug Stanton
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