In Harm's Way by Doug Stanton

In Harm's Way by Doug Stanton

A harrowing, adrenaline-charged account of America's worst naval disaster - and of the heroism of the men who, against all odds, survived.

On July 30, 1945, the US Indianapolis was torpedoed in the South Pacific by a Japanese submarine. An estimated 300 men were killed upon impact; close to 900 sailors were cast into the Pacific Ocean, where they remained undetected by the navy for nearly four days and nights. 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 the Indianapolis was missing? Why was the cruiser traveling unescorted in enemy waters? And, perhaps most amazing 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 - 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 a little-known chapter in World War I history, In Harm's Way is destined to become a classic tale of war, survival, and extraordinary courage.

Doug Stanton is the author of the New York Times bestsellers In Harm's Way: The Sinking of the USS Indianapolis and the Incredible Tale of Its Survivors and Horse Soldiers: The Epic Story of a Band of US Soldiers Who Rode to Victory in Afghanistan, the latter of which is the foundation for a Jerry Bruckheimer-produced film starring Chris Hemsworth and Michael Shannon, which will be released in theaters on December 1, 2014.