New Book! Ohio-Pedestal Convoy

Discussion in 'Books, Films, TV, Radio' started by PeterRiva, Jul 25, 2006.

  1. PeterRiva

    PeterRiva Junior Member

    From Random House USA:
    In this gripping, page-turning account, Sam Moses has told a story in the tradition of Sebastian Younger’s A Perfect Storm, Robert Kurson’s Shadow Divers, and Hampton Sides’s Ghost Soldiers.

    It's a story about the heroism of two men in battle at sea during World War II, and one woman fleeing Nazi Norway with her child. It's about how courage can change the course of history.

    AT ALL COSTS: How a Crippled Ship and Two American Merchant Marines Turned the Tide of World War II (Random House; Publication Date: November 14, 2006) is the astonishing untold account, with original historical reporting, of how two men faced unfathomable danger to help save the island of Malta, Churchill's crux of the war.

    In 1942, the tiny island of Malta was the most heavily bombed place on earth. Hitler needed Malta as a stepping-stone to get to the oil in Iraq and Iran (Persia at the time). Blockaded by sea, Malta was running on empty, in food, fuel and ammunition. Axis U-boats and dive-bombers made supply convoys to Malta more like suicide missions.

    In this last-hope convoy, 50 warships escorted 13 freighters carrying aviation fuel, and a single critical tanker, the SS Ohio, with 107,000 barrels of oil from Texas. Winston Churchill had traveled to Washington and asked FDR for the tanker—his prime ministership was at stake over this mission to Malta.

    Relentlessly dive-bombed and repeatedly torpedoed, the Ohio suffered huge hits and was abandoned. Two young American merchant mariners—pulled from the sea after their own ship went down in flames—boarded the ravaged tanker, repaired her guns and fought off German and Italian dive-bombers, as the sinking Ohio was towed at 4 knots toward Malta with a tiny crew of volunteers.

    Sam Moses’s AT ALL COSTS is a triumphant story of human bravery: fearless, selfless acts by men determined to save a ship and win a war; profound communal courage from an island under brutal siege; and leaders who understood the cause of freedom.

    ABOUT THE AUTHOR

    Sam Moses is the author of the acclaimed race-driving memoir, Fast Guys, Rich Guys, and Idiots, and a former senior writer for Sports Illustrated. He began writing as a U.S. Navy Seaman on a heavy cruiser in action off Vietnam. He lives with his two sons in White Salmon, Washington.

    AT ALL COSTS Ÿ Publication Date: November 14, 2006 Ÿ ISBN 1400063183

    Reviews/Blurbs:
    Mark Whitmore, Director of Collections, Imperial War Museum, London, England:
    "Sam Moses has skilfully blended the vivid recollections of many eyewitnesses
    with a wealth of original documentary research to produce an immensely
    readable and authoritative account of this crucial operation."
    Ken Auletta, best-selling author: "This book tells a great story. But Sam Moses is not just sharing a gripping tale. He is sharing an important and oft neglected story about a battle that played a decisive role in shaping the outcome of WW II. You will meet people who will linger in memory for their bravery, foolishness, or wisdom. And you will never again think of the Merchant Marines as a fourth team. This book could as easily be called, "Surprise.""
     
  2. kibeth

    kibeth Member

    That actually sounds really good, Im going to have to ebay for that :D Thanks I have been looking for a good read for a while now!
     
  3. Kiwiwriter

    Kiwiwriter Very Senior Member

    The ordeal of the Ohio is an epic of the sea...I wrote an article about it for World War II magazine some years ago.

    I'm glad it's finally got its own book. I'll have to get it.
     
  4. spidge

    spidge RAAF RESEARCHER

    Sounds like it will be a good read.

    Reminds me a bit of the true storyline of "San Demetrio London".
     
  5. lancesergeant

    lancesergeant Senior Member

    Malta Convoy covered the Ohio voyage as well. Authored by Frankland and Hunter I think could be Parker.
     
  6. PeterRiva

    PeterRiva Junior Member

    I am pleased to inform all fellow members that the new book "At All Costs" by Sam Moses on Operation Pedestal has been released. Don't let the sub-title fool you - in America they had to have an American hook to sell the book... and there are two American Merchant Mariners who are prominently featured - indeed the wife of one of them was simultaneously escaping from nazi-held Norway! Quite a saga.
    But what makes the book so powerful is the reasearch. As Mark Whitmore, director at the Imperial War Museum says on the dust jacket: "Sam Moses has skilfully blended the vivid recollections of many eyewitnesses with a wealth of original documentary research to produce an immensely
    [FONT=&quot]readable and authoritative account of this crucial operation." He should be pleased, the research done for this book was extensive: 14 survivors interviewed at length, 1500 original documents (including some never before seen in Pedestal context) and - a big surprise - 2 missing telegrams to Winston Churchill found in the wrong file at the National Archives which help explain how (and why) he got Stalin to become an ally.
    Heroes? Too many to count. Some of their stories are breathtaking.
    Stories never before told: Many (some of the older interviewees didn't want to take the truth to their graves - and four have gone since the writing began).
    A wonderful tribute to those brave men and women - a really thrilling page-turning read.
    Oh, and there's a web site: www.atallcoststhebook.com with VIDEO.
    [/FONT]
     
  7. Ramiles

    Ramiles Researching 9th Lancers, 24th L and SRY

    Dan Snow's History Hit

    https://podbay.fm/p/dan-snows-history-hit/e/1626148800

    "SHOW NOTES
    By the summer of 1942 Malta had been under siege by Axis forces for over a year and the situation on the island was bleak with food and fuel almost exhausted. This vital allied foothold in the Mediterranean had to be held at all cost in order to prevent the collapse of the allied effort in North Africa where Rommel's forces were finding much success. In a desperate bid to prevent the loss of Malta, Winston Churchill ordered that a convoy like no other be dispatched to run the air and sea gauntlet in the Mediterranean. In August 1942 4 aircraft carriers, 2 battleships, 7 light cruisers, 32 destroyers, 11 submarines and a host of smaller vessels and aircraft accompanied 14 merchant ships as they attempted to battle their way to the beleaguered island fortress. The legendary Max Hastings joins Dan to tell the story of the incredible bravery and tenacity of the men who took part in Operation Pedestal
    ."

    Operation Pedestal: The Fleet that Battled to Malta 1942
     
    Last edited: Jul 13, 2021
  8. Dave55

    Dave55 Atlanta, USA

    Hard pass on anything involving Max Hastings :(
     
  9. Ewen Scott

    Ewen Scott Well-Known Member

    Does this contain any new information or is it simply a republication of the same author’s 2007 book of the same title?
    https://www.amazon.co.uk/At-All-Cos...ds=At+all+costs&qid=1626254926&s=books&sr=1-4

    Unfortunately I can’t access the link you provided to find out.
     
  10. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

  11. Ewen Scott

    Ewen Scott Well-Known Member

    Oops! Obviously gave it a “man look”!
     
    Owen likes this.
  12. dbf

    dbf Moderatrix MOD

    2 threads merged, started by same OP.
     
    Ramiles likes this.

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