At All Costs, Sam Moses
At All Costs, Sam Moses
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At All Costs
How a Crippled Ship and Two American Merchant Marines Turned the Tide of World War II

Author: Sam Moses

Narrator: Michael Prichard

Unabridged: 11 hr 13 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 12/01/2006


Synopsis

In this astonishing untold account of heroism and history, two American Merchant Mariners board a burning and sinking ship in the Mediterranean and change the course of World War II.

In 1942, the small Mediterranean island of Malta was the most heavily bombed place on earth. Its submarine and air attacks on Axis supply convoys were all that kept Rommel from marching across North Africa to take the oil in Iran and Iraq for Hitler. But Malta was out of fuel, down to its final days. Operation Pedestal was Malta's last hope, a giant convoy with more that 50 warships escorting thirteen freighters and one life-or-death tanker, the SS Ohio, carrying 103,000 barrels of oil from Texas. It was bombed, torpedoed, and abandoned. Two American Merchant Mariners, Frederick Larsen and Francis Dales—their own freighters sunk in towering flames along with eight others—boarded the Ohio, repaired the guns, and fought the Axis dive-bombers for two days as the sinking tanker was towed by destroyers. Malta was saved, Rommel was turned back, and the Allies started to turn the tide of war.

At All Costs is a gripping story reported in grand historic fashion. It is a tale of unimaginable personal courage and indomitable determination.

About Sam Moses

Sam Moses is the author of the acclaimed race-driving memoir, "Fast Guys, Rich Guys, and Idiots," and a former senior writer for "Sports Illustrated." He began writing as a U.S. Navy Seaman on a heavy cruiser in action off Vietnam. He lives with his two sons in White Salmon, Washington.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Eric_W

Malta is an archipelago of seven small islands between Sicily, the boot of Italy, and Africa. As such it held a strategic place during WW II, and despite heavy pressure from the Italians and Germans, withstood nearly incessant bombing. But to do so required food and fuel necessitating many convoys w......more

Goodreads review by Karl

This book's sub-head may not be hyperbole. There are a number of battles in WWII that are generally said to have been decisive: [air] Battle of Britain, Stalingrad, Battle of Midway, and later [German] operation Citadel, D-day and the battle for Normandy. Here is one that ranks with these other batt......more

Goodreads review by Gwen

Operation Pedestal in August 1942 to resupply Malta- the convoy of 13 freighters and one oil tanker would be escorted by 2 Royal Navy battleships, 4 aircraft carriers, 7 cruisers, and 25 destroyers, along with support ships such as oilers, corvettes, and minesweepers. “Malta might be lost to the Axi......more

Goodreads review by Anson

Moses made his reputation as a sports writer, and that means he’s capable of writing rousing sentences even if adjectives sometimes run away with him—like the ship with a “fantastic top speed” (91) and a sun “sinking into the sea like a flaming red beach ball” (124). Citations are not as identifiabl......more