In Harm's Way: JFK, World War II, and the Heroic Rescue of PT 19
JFK, World War II, and the Heroic Rescue of PT-109
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- €8.99
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- €8.99
Publisher Description
A thrilling true survival story that follows one of America's most beloved presidents, John F. Kennedy, as he fought to save his crew after a deadly shipwreck in the Pacific during World War II.In September 1941, young Jack Kennedy was appointed an Ensign in the U.S. Naval Reserve. After completing training and eager to serve, he volunteered for combat duty in the Pacific and was appointed commander of PT 109.On August 2, 1943, Kennedy's PT 109 and two others were on a night mission to ambush an enemy supply convoy when they were surprised by a massive Japanese destroyer. The unsuspecting Americans had only seconds to react as the Japanese captain turned his ship to ram directly into Kennedy's. PT 109 was cut in half by the collision, killing two of Kennedy's 12 crewmen and wounding several others in the explosion.In Harm's Way tells the gripping story of what happened next as JFK fought to save his surviving crew members who found themselves adrift in enemy waters. Photographs round out the exciting narrative in the first book to cover this adventurous tale for young readers.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In this well-researched, dramatic account of JFK's life, with a particular emphasis on his naval career, Martin (Gettysburg: The True Account of Two Young Heroes in the Greatest Battle of the Civil War) reprises famous events in short, riveting chapters enhanced by abundant photographs, World War II facts and trivia, Kennedy family scrapbook items, and quotations from contemporary writings. Kennedy's ambition to "make a difference" drove him from a cushy desk job to volunteering to command the new navy patrol boats at the age of 25. The tension-filled narrative of his assignment to the Solomon Islands in 1943, his rescue of the PT 109 crew, and the later rescue by PT 59 of stranded combatants from Choiseul constitute half the book. Martin argues that these events along with "Survival," John Hersey's widely read 1944 story about them were formative and crucial to Kennedy's subsequent political success. Martin's sympathetic, balanced rendering of Kennedy's postwar career includes reconciliation with Japan, the two Melanesian islanders who played a determining role in the PT 109 crew's survival, and the fate of each major figure in the story. Archival photos and illustrations, recommended reading, sources, and an index round out this offering. Ages 8 12.
