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The Finest Hours

The True Story of the U.S. Coast Guard’s Most Daring Sea Rescue

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The Finest Hours

Written by: Michael J. Tougias, Casey Sherman
Narrated by: Malcolm Hillgartner
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About this listen

In the winter of 1952, New England was battered by the most brutal nor’easter in years. As the weather wreaked havoc on land, the freezing Atlantic became a wind-whipped zone of peril, setting the stage for one of the most heroic rescue stories ever lived.

On February 18, while the storm raged, two oil tankers, the Pendleton and the Fort Mercer, were in the same horrifying predicament. Built with “dirty steel,” and not prepared to withstand such ferocious seas, both tankers split in two, leaving the dozens of men on board utterly at the Atlantic’s mercy. The Finest Hours is the gripping, true story of the valiant attempt to rescue the souls huddling inside the broken halves of the two ships.

The spellbinding tale is overflowing with breathtaking scenes, as boats capsize, bows and sterns crash into one another, and men hurl themselves into the raging sea in a terrifying battle for survival.

Not all of the 84 men caught at sea in the midst of that brutal storm survived, but considering the odds, it’s a miracle - and a testament to their bravery - that any at all came home to tell their tales.

©2009 Casey Sherman and Michael Tougias (P)2012 Blackstone Audio, Inc. Armed Forces Engineering Environment Nature & Ecology United States Transportation Natural Disaster Military Solider Military Fiction
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What the critics say

“ The Finest Hours recounts the incredible heroism of the Coast Guard, who risked their lives to save others. A gripping read.” (James Bradley, New York Times best-selling author)
“Look no further for the real-life adventure of the year. The Finest Hours is a rousing page-turner, a fascinating history, and an inspiring ode to the courage and professionalism of men who face bitter winds and black mountainous seas…all to do a dangerous job. Put it on the shelf next to The Perfect Storm. That’s where it belongs!” (William Martin, New York Times best-selling author)
“Tougias and Sherman never sensationalize, never go beyond the facts, and yet capture all the pain, physical and emotional, of the survivors and their families.” ( Providence Journal)

What listeners say about The Finest Hours

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Profile Image for Wes

What a Story!

I've seen the Disney movie and multiple documentaries about this but the book by far surpasses them all. Amazing

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Profile Image for Roberta W

Tragedy and heroics at sea

It’s hard to imagine that a sea-going tanker can split in two and still float, but two of them did, at least for awhile. Daring rescues and many lives saved, very well told. One half-ship actually sailed onto its destination (?!?!), and, remarkably was rebuilt and sent to sea again. You’ll be startled to learn what they do to refloat these ships, and I don’t mean that in a good sense. If you like seafaring tales, it’s a good one.

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