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Shop nowTwelve Desperate Miles
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Learn moreThe Dirty Dozen meets Band of Brothers in this true story of how a rusty old New Orleans banana boat staffed with an unlikely crew of international merchant seamen, a gang of inmates from a local jail, and a French harbor pilot spirited out of Morocco by OSS agents in the trunk of a Chevy, were drafted into service in WWII—and heroically succeeded in setting the stage for Patton’s epic invasion of North Africa. While portraying the ship’s journey day by day and describing its colorful crew, Twelve Desperate Miles chronicles the overall November 1942 invasion of Axis forces and its aftermath, as well as the critical but unsung role played by the Contessa.
Tim Brady is the award-winning author of The Great Dan Patch and The Remarkable Mr. Savage and is also a regular contributor to PBS history documentaries. Based in Saint Paul, Minnesota, he is a graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop and currently writes for History Channel Magazine, Minnesota, and Minnesota Monthly.
Joe Barrett, an actor and Audie Award and Earphones Award–winning narrator, has appeared both on and off Broadway as well as in hundreds of radio and television commercials.
Reviews
“Historians have so thoroughly fished the drama of World War II that it is hard to believe the subject still has prize catches to offer up, but here comes a keeper…[Tim Brady] conveys the campaign in an almost novelistic way, bringing seemingly disparate figures and incidents into an engaging narrative…[He] tells the story in a style that will keep readers on the edge of their seats.”
“Tim Brady’s yarn of the Contessa and her role in one of the most crucial episodes in WWII will delight military buffs and those looking for a well-written page turner.”
“Joe Barrett proves the perfect choice to narrate this military thriller. His delivery celebrates the drama of every personal and tactical plot twist.”
“[A] tension-filled, exciting story of the invasion and the Contessa’s role in it. This is an excellent recounting of an obscure but important episode of World War II.”
“An entertaining story of individual heroism, which Brady surrounds by an equally entertaining account of the North African invasion, the largest amphibious operation in history at the time.”
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