The Finest Hours

Description

A harrowing Coast Guard rescue of two oil tankers that split in half and left sailors hanging on for their lives. On the night of February 18, 1952, during one of the worst nor'easters that New England has ever seen, two oil tankers just off the shore of Cape Cod were torn in half by the force of the storm. This middle-grade adaptation of an adult nonfiction book tells the story of a harrowing Coast Guard rescue when four young men in a tiny lifeboat overcame insurmountable odds and saved more than 30 stranded sailors. It's a fast-paced, uplifting story that puts young readers in the middle of the action. A gripping account of heroism and survival.

Michael J. Tougias is the author of many true rescue stories, including Ten Hours Until Dawn: The True Story of Heroism and Tragedy Aboard the Can Do, which ALA named an Editors' Choice and Booklist praised "as the best story of peril at sea since The Perfect Storm." A frequent lecturer on his work, Tougias lives in Plymouth, Massachusetts. michaeltougias.com Casey Sherman is an award-winning journalist and bestselling author of six books including Animal, Black Irish, and Black Dragon. He received the Edward R. Murrow Award for Journalistic Excellence, and has been nominated for an Emmy Award. He lives in Marshfield, Massachusetts.

"This poignant history should be an easy sell to readers of adventure, seafaring, or rescue stories. A Disney film is in development." --School Library Journal "The Finest Hours is a touching account, a sensitive rendering of what might be called four indescribably chaotic conditions. . . . 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 on The Finest Hours (Simon & Schuster edition) "This book captures the wit, grit and sacrifice of Coasties and their boats." --Minneapolis Star Tribune on The Finest Hours (Simon & Schuster edition) "Tougias and Sherman reach their peak of tension in the sink-or-swim moments when mariners abandoned ship and chanced their lives on their rescuers' skill and bravery. . . . Excellent." --Booklist on The Finest Hours (Simon & Schuster edition) "Nearly 57 years later, it's a breathtaking story that still defies the imagination." --Cape Cod Chronicle on The Finest Hours (Simon & Schuster edition) "It's good to know that real heroes exist. . . . Incredible." --Concord Monitor on The Finest Hours (Simon & Schuster edition) "Gripping. . . . Tougias and Sherman ably narrate the desperate struggles of crew members on both the wrecks and the rescue boats. . . . Will make readers appreciate the bravery of the men who put their lives on the line. . . . Action-packed." --Publishers Weekly on The Finest Hours (Simon & Schuster edition) "A gripping tale of Coast Guard heroism. . . . An action-packed account of rescue at sea." --Kirkus Reviews on The Finest Hours (Simon & Schuster edition)