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Title: So Close to Home
Subtitle: A True Story of an American Familys Fight for Survival During World War II
Author: Michael J. Tougias, Alison OLeary
Narrator: Elijah Alexander
Format: Unabridged
Length: 7 hrs and 40 mins
Language: English
Release date: 05-03-16
Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.
Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 9 votes
Genres: History, Military
Publisher's Summary:
A true story of men and women pitted against the sea during World War II - and an unforgettable portrait of the determination of the human spirit.
On May 19, 1942, a U-boat in the Gulf of Mexico stalked its prey 50 miles away from New Orleans. Captained by 29-year-old Iron Cross recipient Erich Würdemann, the submarine set its sights on the freighter Heredia with 59 souls onboard. Most of the crew were merchant seamen, but there were also a handful of civilians, including the Downs family, consisting of the parents, Ray Sr. and Ina; along with their two children, eight-year-old Ray Jr., nicknamed "Sonny", and 11-year-old Lucille. Fast asleep in their berths, the Downs family had no notice that two torpedoes were heading their way. When the ship exploded, Ina and Lucille became separated from Ray Sr. and Sonny.
An inspiring historical narrative, So Close to Home tells the story of the Downs family as they struggled against sharks, hypothermia, drowning, and dehydration in their effort to survive the aftermath of this deadly attack off the American coast.
Members Reviews:
A True Adventure..........
Very well-researched and written book. The reader gains a real-life perspective on US Coastline-German Sub warfare in 1942-1943 and just how pervasive, horrifying, and costly it was in lives and shipping assets. The real-life insights into the lives of German Sub crewmen were a major added plus.
My late Dad was Thomas Burke, the third officer of the Heredia when it was torpedoed and sunk. He passed at 91, on December 30, 2009. Many of the book's details and high spots were related to me over the years, especially those involving Lucille and Roy Sorli. I actually provided Sonny Downs some news articles used for the book. I'd located Sonny in 2002, and in fact, re-connected him and my Dad. They were only 15 miles away from each other in Eastern Massachusetts when they talked by phone.
I've maintained some communication with Sonny since 2002. His recollection of the events before, during, and after May 19, 1942, is just short of amazing, so I can further attest to the veracity of so many facts provided by Sonny and included in the book. I also located Sorli's son, who re-confirmed certain facts shared by my Dad.
My Dad went on to become a Captain with United Fruit. He came ashore in late-1947, after sailing since mid-1939, and then maintaining a connection with the Merchant Marine Industry for the next 50 years. In May, 1943, as Chief Officer, he was again torpedoed off The Cape of Good Hope, aboard the SS Cape Neddick. Despite serious damage, the vessel did not sink, and made its way to Cape Town and then New York for temporary and permanent repairs.
Kudos to Michael, Allison, and Sonny for a job well-done and a great read, despite Sonny's schoolteacher claiming his written story must be fiction.
WHAT A STORY!!!
WOW! We've read almost every book about U-boats that have been published so far, and they've pretty much all been written by the German captains and crews.
