From the bestselling author of Guadalcanal Diary: The thrilling true
story of the future president's astonishing act of heroism during World
War II.
In the early morning hours of August 2, 1943, US Navy motor torpedo boat
PT-109 patrolled the still, black waters of Blackett Strait in the
Solomon Islands. Suddenly, the Japanese destroyer Amagiri loomed out
of the darkness, bearing directly down on the smaller ship. There was no
time to get out of the way--the destroyer crashed into PT-109, slicing
the mosquito boat in two and setting the shark-infested waters aflame
with burning gasoline. Ten surviving crewmembers and their young skipper
clung to the wreckage, their odds of survival growing slimmer by the
instant.
Lt. John F. Kennedy's first command was an unqualified disaster. Yet
over the next three days, the privileged son of a Boston
multimillionaire displayed extraordinary courage, stamina, and
leadership as he risked his life to shepherd his crew to safety and
coordinate a daring rescue mission deep in enemy territory. Lieutenant
Kennedy earned a Navy and Marine Corps Medal and a Purple Heart, and the
story of PT-109 captured the public's imagination and helped propel
the battle-tested veteran all the way to the White House.
Acclaimed war correspondent Richard Tregaskis--who once beat out the
future president for a spot on the Harvard University swim team--brings
this remarkable chapter in American history to vivid life in John F.
Kennedy and PT-109. From the crucial role torpedo boats played in the
fight for the Solomon Islands to Kennedy's eager return to the front
lines at the helm of PT-59, Tregaskis tells the full story of this
legendary incident with the same riveting style and meticulous attention
to detail he brought to Guadalcanal Diary and Invasion Diary.
