The Sailing of the Intrepid - by Montel Williams (Hardcover)

About the Book

"1944. The USS Intrepid set sail on its first combat voyage, only to be struck by a Japanese torpedo plane, jamming its rudder at a forty-five-degree angle. It could only sail in circles amid treacherous waters. The task force abandoned ship as it tried to make the 3,300-mile voyage to Pearl Harbor. For a day, the captain was able to slalom, alternating use of the ship's engines, but the seas became too perilous. Until one resilient crewman came up with the ingenious idea of rigging a 3,000-square-foot high sail on the second deck to steer the ship home safe. Incredibly, the makeshift sail proved to be their ticket to the shorelines."--Provided by publisher.

Book Synopsis

*A New York Post Best Book of the Week*

From twenty-two-year naval and marine veteran Montel Williams comes a page-turning history of how one World War II aircraft carrier's crew defied all odds, redefining the very meaning of what it means to struggle, persevere and survive.

1944. The USS Intrepid set sail on its first combat voyage, only to be struck by a Japanese torpedo plane, jamming its rudder at a forty-five-degree angle. It could only sail in circles amid treacherous waters.

The task force abandoned ship as it tried to make the 3,300-mile voyage to Pearl Harbor. For a day, the captain was able to slalom, alternating use of the ship's engines, but the seas became too perilous. Until one resilient crewman came up with the ingenious idea of rigging a 3,000-square-foot high sail on the second deck to steer the ship home safe. Incredibly, the makeshift sail proved to be their ticket to the shorelines.

With grit and determination, this spellbinding story details a remarkable survival story against all odds, for readers of Tom Clavin and Bob Drury.

Review Quotes

"With vivid detail, Williams, a Marine veteran - and Fisher recount a little known episode in the carrier's history. After a 1944 torpedo strike crippled its rudder, the crew built a 3,000-square-foot sail to guide it home."-The New York Post