Attacked at Sea, Michael J. Tougias
Attacked at Sea, Michael J. Tougias
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Attacked at Sea
A True World War II Story of a Family’s Fight for Survival

Author: Michael J. Tougias, Alison O’Leary

Narrator: Alex Boyles

Unabridged: 4 hr 59 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 04/20/2021

Synopsis

Attacked at Sea is a riveting account of survival at sea, book four in the True Rescue series from Michael J. Tougias, the author of the bestseller The Finest Hours.On May 19, 1942, during World War II, a German submarine, a U-boat, in the Gulf of Mexico stalked its prey fifty miles from New Orleans. The submarine set its sights on the freighter Heredia. Most onboard were merchant seamen, but there were also civilians, including the Downs family: Ray and Ina and their two children. Fast asleep in their berths, the Downs family had no idea that two torpedoes were heading their way. When the ship exploded, chaos ensued—and each family member had to find their own path to survival.This inspiring historical narrative tells the story of the Downs family as they struggle against sharks, hypothermia, drowning, and dehydration in their effort to survive the aftermath of this deadly attack off the American coast.

About Michael J. Tougias

Michael J. Tougias is the author of many true rescue stories for young readers and adults, including the New York Times bestselling The Finest Hours: The True Story of a Heroic Sea Rescue; A Storm Too Soon: A Remarkable True Survival Story in 80-Foot Seas; and Into the Blizzard: Heroism at Sea During the Great Blizzard of 1978. A frequent lecturer at schools, colleges, and libraries, Tougias divides his time between Massachusetts and Florida.

About Alison O’Leary

Alison O’Leary is an award-winning journalist based in New England. She is a former correspondent for the Boston Globe and the coauthor of So Close to Home and Inns and Adventures.

About Alex Boyles

Alex Boyles has been acting pretty much his entire life. He got his BA in theater–acting/directing performance from CSU Long Beach and his MFA in acting performance from Ohio State University. He started narrating audiobooks in 2019 and hasn’t looked back!

Reviews

Goodreads review by Alex on November 25, 2020

In 1941, the Downs family - father Ray, mother Ina, Lucille, 11, and Sonny, 8 - had hoped that by spending some time in Columbia, South America and Costa Rica in Central America, where Ray worked for the United Fruit Company, they would be able to save enough money to buy a house and new car when th......more

Goodreads review by Jim on December 31, 2023

This is a remarkable story of a family's resilience and the humanity of the ship's crew members. The author provides the right amount of historical background while portraying the drama and terror of one ship's encounter with a German U-Boat in 1942, 40 miles southwest of New Orleans.......more

Goodreads review by Olivia on March 31, 2023

Title: Attacked at Sea Author: Alison O’Leary and Michael J. TOugias Genre: non-fiction world war 2 story Category: Set in historical period (world war 2) Date finished: 12th of March *Spoiler Alert* From reading this book I learned that the war didn’t just affect the people on land but the people out a......more

Goodreads review by John on September 28, 2021

An interesting true story of a family who was travelling on a United Fruits banana boat from Columbia(?) back to New Orleans and were torpedoed by U-506. Told mostly from the point-of-view of the son, Sonny.......more

Goodreads review by Patrick Trent on February 25, 2021

Tells the story of the sinking of the freighter Heredia in May of 1942 shorty after the US entered WWII. The story centers on a family returning from South America to the US on the freighter and how they survived the ordeal.......more

Quotes

“Quotes from letters and diaries evoke the historical era. A well-researched account of one American family during a little-known episode of World War II.” Kirkus Reviews

“A remarkably exciting blow-by-blow account of the family’s ordeal. Their tale of the days on the ship before the attack builds tension and is interspersed with stories from aboard the two German U-boats…This exciting, highly readable story of survival deserves a place on most library shelves. Perfect for young history buffs and older fans of the ‘I Survived’ series.” School Library Journal

"After hours of dehydration, hypothermia, and shark threats, the survivors were sighted by plane and rescued by smaller craft…in this true survival story that judiciously carries forward beyond the relief of the rescue. The peril facing two children lost at sea is convincingly conveyed, and the lasting effect on their family life is equally sobering.” Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

Awards

  • Junior Library Guild Selection
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