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Sign up todayThe Finest Hours
The True Story of the US Coast Guard’s Most Daring Sea Rescue
Narrator
Malcolm Hillgartner
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Length
5 hours 56 minutes
Language
English
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 eighty-four 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.
Michael J. Tougias is the author of many true rescue stories, including A Storm Too Soon: A Remarkable True Story in 80-Foot Seas; Overboard!: A True Blue-water Odyssey of Disaster and Survival; Fatal Forecast: An Incredible True Tale of Disaster at Sea; and Ten Hours Until Dawn: The True Story of Heroism and Tragedy Aboard the Can Do, which ALA named an Editor’s Choice and Booklist praised as “the best story of peril at sea since The Perfect Storm.” A frequent lecturer at schools, colleges and libraries, Tougias lives in Plymouth, Massachusetts. MichaelTougias.com.
James Patterson is the world's bestselling author. The creator of Alex Cross, he has produced more enduring fictional heroes than any other novelist alive. He lives in Florida with his family.
Casey Sherman is a New York Times bestselling author of eleven books including The Finest Hours and Hunting Whitey. He's an award-winning journalist who's written for the Washington Post, Esquire, and the Boston Herald.
Dave Wedge is a New York Times bestselling author of four books, including Boston Strong and Hunting Whitey. He's an award-winning journalist who's written for the Boston Herald, Vice, and Esquire.
Malcolm Hillgartner has narrated over 175 audiobooks. He was named an AudioFile Best Voice of 2013. His work ranges from children's titles such as On the Blue Comet (AudioFile Best of 2011, Earphones), and Neal Stevenson's sci-fi epic REAMDE (Audible.com Best of 2011) to the biographies Kissinger (AudioFile Best of 2013, Earphones) and Cheever (AudioFile Best of 2009, Earphones). He is also an accomplished actor, writer, and musician. With his wife and partner, Jahnna Beecham, he has written over 130 books for teens and young readers, as well as the musicals Chaps! and The Best Christmas Pageant Ever Musical, which have been produced in the U.S. and Canada.
Reviews
“In February of 1952, eighty-four men were in danger of drowning off the coast of Cape Cod when a ferocious nor’easter split their ships in two. The Finest Hours recounts the incredible heroism of the Coast Guard, who risked their lives to save others. A gripping read.”
“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!”
“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.”
“This book captures the wit, grit, and sacrifice of Coasties and their boats.”
“Nearly fifty-seven years later, it’s a breathtaking story that still defies the imagination.”
“It’s good to know that real heroes exist…Incredible.”
“Tougias and Sherman have told a mesmerizing story about Coast Guardsmen under the stress of extreme conditions and the self-imposed pressure to perform. The events they describe so vividly occurred in 1952. As extraordinary as the collective performance by the boat crews, cutter crews, and aircraft crews were that night, the real miracle is that such performances are timeless.”
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.”
“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.”
“A gripping tale of Coast Guard heroism…[An] action-packed account of rescue at sea.”
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