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$27.76
1. Airplane Crashes (Man Made Disasters)
$10.95
2. Man Made Disasters (Great Escapes)
$7.65
3. Fire in the Night: The Piper Alpha
 
$252.99
4. Disaster on Green Ramp : The Army's
 
5. The Propeller Era (Air Disaster,
 
6. Man-Made Disasters - Airplane
$14.01
7. Alligators, Freight Trains &
 
$18.00
8. Disaster Survival Handbook
$2.11
9. Natural Disasters (Great Escapes)
10. Twilight Sky: Air Disaster at
 
11. Disaster: 3 Real-Life Stories
$3.90
12. Overboard!: A True Blue-water
$17.85
13. The Pendleton Disaster Off Cape
$12.95
14. Snakes in the Cockpit: Images
$5.49
15. 66 Days Adrift: A True Story of
$5.63
16. Dead Reckoning: The Dunedin Star
$19.90
17. Military Aviation Disasters: Significant
 
$10.00
18. Disaster Survival Guide: Survivors
$12.99
19. Terror at Sea: True Tales of Shipwrecks,
 
20. Disaster at Lunker Lake

1. Airplane Crashes (Man Made Disasters)
by Gina DeAngelis
Hardcover: 96 Pages (2003-09-22)
list price: US$30.85 -- used & new: US$27.76
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 1590180542
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2. Man Made Disasters (Great Escapes)
by Stephen Currie
Paperback: 96 Pages (2003-07-01)
list price: US$30.85 -- used & new: US$10.95
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 1590182774
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3. Fire in the Night: The Piper Alpha Disaster
by Stephen McGinty
Paperback: 304 Pages (2009-07-01)
list price: US$12.95 -- used & new: US$7.65
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 0330471937
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Editorial Review

Product Description
The horrific true story of the world's worst offshore oil disaster.

The fire was visible seventy miles away as a distant, flickering flame on the horizon. The heat generated was so intense that a helicopter could only circle at a perimeter of one mile. Flying at a height of 200 feet, the air crew saw that the tongues of flame extended high above the rotor blades. On the surface a converted fishing trawler inched as close as possible, but the paint on the vessel's hull blistered and burnt, and the rope handrails began to smoke. In the water surrounding the inferno, men's heads could be seen bobbing like apples as their yellow hard hats melted with the heat.

At the centre stood, at least for now, the Piper Alpha oil platform, 110 miles northeast of Aberdeen, once the world's single largest oil producer. On 6 July 1988, its final day, it was ablaze with 226 men onboard. Only sixty-one would survive.

Fire in the Night will tell, for the first time and in gripping detail, the devastating story of that summer evening. Combining interviews with survivors, witness statements and transcripts from the official enquiry into the disaster, this is the moving and vivid tale of what happened on that fateful night inside an oil rig inferno. ... Read more


4. Disaster on Green Ramp : The Army's Response
by Mary Ellen Condon-Rall
 Hardcover: Pages (1997-06)
list price: US$252.99 -- used & new: US$252.99
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 0849062519
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Editorial Review

Product Description
The official account of a major incident early in the careers of then-Colonels Stanley McChrystal and John Abizaid, this book is a powerful and compelling story of pain, terror, pride, courage, and compassion.It celebrates the magnificent spirit of the men and women who make up America's military community. Based largely upon the first-person accounts of those involved in the 23 March 1994 incident, this official study by the U.S. Army's Center of Military History describes the tragic events beginning with the collision of a C-130 Hercules transport and an F-16 fighter attempting to land simultaneously at Pope Air Force Base, North Carolina. The fighter then struck a parked C-141 Starlifter, producing a massive fireball that brought death or injury to more than a hundred paratroopers assembled in an area adjacent to the airstrip known as Green Ramp, preparing to board a transport that would carry them aloft for a training parachute jump--the worst peacetime loss of life suffered by the 82d Airborne Division since World War II. A quick-reaction mission by nearby Fort Bragg's elite XVIII Airborne Corps assisted in responding to the crisis The reader will recognize the troopers, doctors, medics, chaplains, volunteers, and family members who triumphed over tragedy; some by name, but most by type--essentially ordinary people cast in extraordinary roles by fate. What they shared was a fierce loyalty to one another. ... Read more


5. The Propeller Era (Air Disaster, Vol 4)
 Paperback: 184 Pages (2001)

Asin: B000BHK9C6
Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars
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Editorial Review

Product Description
This book looks at the immediate postwar are to look at the way the unforeseen hazards of heavy, high performance long distance transport flying progressively came to light through harsh operational experience. For all their grim consequences, these costly lessons helped prepare the way for todays global transport system. There are the stories behind 20 disasters to four engine transport aircraft in different parts of the world during the developmental years of propeller driven civil aviation. This book covers the period 1948 to 1971. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

5-0 out of 5 stars Fascinating and detailed
I love this entire series for its detailed technical descriptions. If you, like me, find the drama in the details of how it happened, this is the best series on plane crashes.

Job's other books in this series, on more recent crashes, often tell a story about a more optimized aeronautic system. In modern times, it often takes a complex series of interactions to bring a plane down. This volume, no. 4, goes back to an earlier, wilder time. Especially notable are the gripping accounts of damaged planes ditching in the middle of the Pacific.

5-0 out of 5 stars Filled in a missing piece of family history for me
I purchased this book because my uncle, Joseph J. Cieslak, was one of the 28 victims of the November 17, 1955, crash in Riverton, WA, described in Chapter 6. Because of this crash, I know my uncle only from photos and personal possessions. I felt compelled to know exactly what happened, and the detailed account given in this book gave me some answers. It also led me to a New York Times news article about the crash.

I'm really glad I found this book.

4-0 out of 5 stars BEFORE THE JET AGE
Although this volume is listed as the fourth in a series, the author admits it ought to have been the first, covering the period from 1950 to 71, before the total dominance of jets in aviation.Chapters here discuss the crashes of the Lockheed Electra, Boeing Stratocrusier and Vickers Vanguard among others.I found the chapter on the 1956 mid air collision between TWA and United to be especially interesting.

It will be clear to the reader very quickly here how much safer planes are today.The propeller craft suffered constant maintenance problems likely to put occupants at risk.In some accidents described, a 'runaway propeller' creates enough drag to bring down a four engined airplane.Apparently ocean ditchings on Pacific routes was common enough to require coast guard ships on stand-by!It would take a brave passenger these days to cross under those conditions.

In many ways this is a five star read.I have given it four due to my bias for major historic crashes.Job includes some of these, but also many of interest for other reasons.And the illustrations are not as good as in the earlier volumes, Matthew Tesch not doing the artwork.If you enjoyed any of the other books in this series, you should like this one.

5-0 out of 5 stars "Air Disaster Volume 4" -- Many Prop Accidents Explored
The fourth installment in Macarthur Job's outstanding "Air Disaster" series of books focuses attention on "The Propeller Era" of commercial aviation accidents.

While not quite as intricately detailed as Volumes 1 through 3 in this series of aviation publications, Volume Four's 184 pages are still filled with many interesting-to-read accounts. There are 20 individual chapters here, covering a timespan of 1950 to 1971.

Prop plane accidents explored include two incidents on the very same day -- September 17, 1961 -- when a Northwest Airlines Lockheed L188 Electra went down in Chicago and a Transair Sweden DC-6 crashed in Northern Rhodesia.

Other air disasters that get a chapter in Volume 4 include the crash of an Eastern Airlines L188 Electra in Boston on October 4, 1960, a Northwest Orient Stratocruiser accident in Washington State on April 2, 1956, and another Stratocruiser accident suffered by Pan Am in October 1956.

Also included is a chapter covering the "Grand Canyon Collision" of June 30, 1956. This terrible accident took 128 lives as a TWA Super Constellation collided in mid-air with a United Airlines DC-7 above the Grand Canyon.

Featuring a wealth of vintage aircraft photographs from the pre-jet age of air travel, plus many excellent illustrations, charts, maps, and original artwork, Volume 4 of "Air Disaster", published in 2001, is yet another worthy addition to the library. ... Read more


6. Man-Made Disasters - Airplane Crashes (Man-Made Disasters) (Juvenile Title)
by Gina DeAngelis
 Hardcover: Pages (2003)

Asin: B001KI7RRA
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7. Alligators, Freight Trains & Near Flying Disasters: How To Fly An Airplane Backwards, And How To Lose Over 18 Engines And Live To Retire Or Mayday, Mayday, Mayday
by Ray Madden
Paperback: 176 Pages (2009-02-11)
list price: US$16.95 -- used & new: US$14.01
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 1438926332
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Editorial Review

Product Description
Down through the years with my unusual amount of engine failures, over 18, most pilots with total engine failures usually died.Also, how many 16 year old teenagers have thumbed and hopped the freight trains to see the states from coast to coast and border to border, starting with a twenty dollar bill?Not only is this an interesting, fun read, but it has some simple rules that help to keep pilots in general aviation alive, even the best.Before retiring from the airline, I met a flight instructor that had instructed at the same airport in Monroeville years before.He was an excellent pilot.He told me he was ferrying airplanes all over the world, even single engine aircraft.I was amazed that he would fly over the ocean to reach some of the countries with a single engine airplane.The last thing I asked him, "What will you do if the engine quits?"He just laughed.A few years later his picture was on the front page of a Pittsburgh newspaper.He was flying near the Canary Islands and his engine quit.They never found him.So, if you have any pilot friends, you may want to give them a copy of this book if only to read the chapter on, "Staying Alive". ... Read more


8. Disaster Survival Handbook
by Alton L. Thygerson
 Paperback: 248 Pages (1979-05)
list price: US$7.95 -- used & new: US$18.00
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 0842516298
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9. Natural Disasters (Great Escapes)
by Stephen Currie
Hardcover: 96 Pages (2004-02-13)
list price: US$30.85 -- used & new: US$2.11
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 1590182782
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10. Twilight Sky: Air Disaster at the World Trade Center and the Pentagon
by Tim Vasquez
Paperback: 63 Pages (2001-10-11)
list price: US$14.95
Isbn: 0970684010
Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars
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Editorial Review

Product Description
September 11, 2001 was a catastrophic day in American history. Four Boeing jets were hijacked and brought down, precipating the collapse of the World Trade Center and part of the Pentagon, and leaving America in an unprecedented state of shock. Twilight Sky focuses on the cause of these tragic events: the takeover of two Boeing 767 and two Boeing 757 jets from American Airlines and United Airlines. Each chapter of Twilight Sky is devoted to each aircraft that was destroyed, describing the known events on board, how the hijackers might have taken control, the technical challenge they faced, and the flight profiles based on all available data. The text is lavishly supplemented by aeronautical charts and diagrams, as well as photos of the exact planes involved thanks to the contributions of some of aviation's most talented photographers.

The book closes with an overview of the state of the airline and aerospace industry in the wake of the disaster, summarizing national defense security measures and the resulting economic impact. Finally, procedural security lapses are discussed, some not yet touched by the news media, which if addressed and resolved will strengthen and solidify the safety of American skies. Every idea, from steel cockpit doors to "knockout gas", is reviewed and analyzed in detail to consider its weaknesses and viability. With prudent measures in place, tempered by the very liberty that American freedom preserves, the twilight sky will give way to a new dawn.Contains 63 pages, 25 photographs, and 21 maps and diagrams; color cover with b&w content. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

5-0 out of 5 stars Detailed, very detailed
Most of the titles I've seen fall into the category of tributes, remembrances, and anecdotes.I liked this title as it bypasses regurgitated news fodder and lays out the groundwork for what happened on this significant day.The one thing I didn't like about Twilight Sky is that it's a little on the short side, but the incident remains a criminal investigation and very little detail has been officially released.This book fortunately avoids treading into the realm of speculation.Other titles fill that void nicely.Overall, a great purchase given the reasonable price, and a great place to start in trying to understand the aviation threads of what occurred.I have to add the flight maps were quite interesting.

1-0 out of 5 stars Twilight Sky
the book is pamphlet sized, and, even at 60 pages, is filled with standard photographs of airplanes, charts and such...it is an hour's read, and is quite outdated, since it was apparently written only days after the September 11 attacks, when little was known about the hijackers...it would be of little interest to the person seeking an in depth account of the events of September 11...

5-0 out of 5 stars Great information for aviation buffs
There's plenty of information about September 11th out there, but this book is the single best source of reliable and unbiased information I've found on the aviation aspects of the attacks.It's well worth the investment for anyone interested in flying or commercial aviation.I especially liked how it wasn't sensationalized.Great book!

5-0 out of 5 stars Surprisingly good read
This is an impressive collection of facts and data regarding the four plane crashes of 9/11 into the WTC, Pentagon, and a field in Pennsylvania. The author avoids emotional pandering and instead takes the reader on a technical overview of the airplanes that the terrorists had at their disposal, pointing out some of the things that (unfortunately) made their work easier. There's many photographs of the exact planes involved while they were in airline service as well as cockpit photos.Disaster images are presented in the form of excellent maps, navigation charts, and line drawings rather than sensational photos. The content is noticeably objective with opinions surfacing only in the final chapter where the author weighs in with a constructive look at the current risks to the flying public and how agencies can do better. This book is barely 70 pages but packs quite a punch of info and exposes some facts poorly researched by the press. Having read it on October 18 I'm amazed by how quickly it was written, too. For anyone who learned a lot from the Air Disaster series by Macarthur Job, this title belongs alongside them. ... Read more


11. Disaster: 3 Real-Life Stories of Survival
by Ellen Leroe
 Hardcover: 1 Pages (2000-09)

Isbn: 0786805447
Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars
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Customer Reviews (3)

2-0 out of 5 stars Disaster
Bought this book for my grandson's summer reading project.It was used but condition was satisfactory for this purpose.

4-0 out of 5 stars MAYDAY! HELP! SOMEBODY! hello? Is anyone there?
I give Disaster a 4.5. This book is good, but it could have been better without the frist story of the Empress of Ireland. The thing that made this book really good was the last two storys of the dirigibles. Captain Noble set out on an adventure to the South Pole. But when caught in a storm somthing goes wrong. In the R-101 case the story was much diffrent. The engineers were rushing to met an up coming deadline. The voyage starts out ok but becomes a DISASTER! If you like things that blow up as much as me then you should read this one.

5-0 out of 5 stars Highly recommended!
This book of survival is the best book I've ever read. The disasasters are the 1914 sinking of the Empress of Ireland, the 1928 Arctic crash of airship Italia, and the 1930 crashing of the R-101 dirigible. All of the tales are exciting and thrill and I highly recommend this to people of all ages! ... Read more


12. Overboard!: A True Blue-water Odyssey of Disaster and Survival
by Michael J. Tougias
Hardcover: 224 Pages (2010-03-16)
list price: US$24.00 -- used & new: US$3.90
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 1439145741
Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars
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Editorial Review

Product Description
From masterful storyteller Michael J. Tougias comes a new, heart-stopping true-life tale of maritime disaster, his most thrilling and amazing story yet.

In May 2005, Tom Tighe, captain of a forty-five-foot-long sailboat named the Almeisan, and his first mate, Loch Reidy, welcomed three new crewmembers for a five-day voyage from Connecticut across the blue waters of the Gulf Stream to sun-drenched Bermuda. The new crew included forty-six-year-old Kathy Gilchrist, seventy-year-old Ron Burd, and thirty-four-year-old Chris Ferrer. Although Tighe had made the trip forty-eight times, with Reidy accompanying him on twenty of those voyages, the rest of the crew had joined to learn more about offshore sailing.

Four days into the voyage, an enormous storm struck, sweeping two of the crew into the towering sea. The remaining crewmembers managed to stay aboard the vessel as it was slowly torn apart by the rampaging ocean. Overboard! follows the simultaneous desperate struggles of both those still on the boat and those fighting for their lives in the sea.

The Coast Guard, alerted to the Almeisan’s distress, rushed to the storm-tossed scene. Their ensuing search and rescue mission proved so spectacularly difficult and dangerous that it was later selected—from among thousands of incidents—as the Guard’s search and rescue case of the year. Highly trained helicopter pilots and rescue swimmers alike found themselves in almost as much trouble as those trapped by the ferocious ocean.

By turns tragic, thrilling, and deeply inspiring, Overboard! is a riveting, fast-paced story of death and survival at sea—amazing, unforgettable, and all true. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

5-0 out of 5 stars "Overboard" is a great read
I have been acquainted with Loch Reidy and his wife, Sandy, for many years through other friends in Connecticut who told me about the book.However, I hadn't seen them for several years since I now live in New York.Both my husband and I found the story riveting.We still can't imagine how Loch survived - or any of the others on that ship for that matter.I also learned a lot about the Coast Guard rescue teams and think they are beyond amazing as are the commercial ships that aid them when needed.

5-0 out of 5 stars Riveting!
Excellent book, start this one when you have time a good long time to read.

5-0 out of 5 stars interesting aviation angles
In addition to the obvious maritime interest, this well-written book has a lot of good aviation angles. The C130 pilots have to do a lot of work at 400' above sea level, just under a 600' overcast, while searching for survivors. Even in a heavy airplane, this can't be easy with winds gusting well over 60 mph. The Coast Guard helicopter crews contend with challenges that are almost incomprehensible to civilian pilots.

5-0 out of 5 stars Overboard

This is the best book I have read in a long time. Michael Tougias puts the reader on the disabled sailboat,hundreds of miles from land,in a fierce storm with the least experienced
sailors and in the water with the Captain and the other experienced sailor. I needed frequent breaks just to calm myself down. A true story that will renew your faith in the lengths people
will go for one another. Two thumbs up for this book.

5-0 out of 5 stars The writer makes you feel like your are on board
I am an experienced sailor and have read many, many books about adventures at sea but this one is the best.You really have a hard time putting it down.It is all true and yet unbelievable.The events are portrayed so well you feel like you are actually on the boat yourself.I would not be surprised if a movie gets made about this one. ... Read more


13. The Pendleton Disaster Off Cape Cod: The Greatest Small Boat Rescue in Coast Guard History, A True Story
by Theresa Mitchell Barbo, John Galluzzo, W. Russell Webster
Paperback: 126 Pages (2007-07-01)
list price: US$19.99 -- used & new: US$17.85
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 1596292482
Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars
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Product Description
On February 18, 1952, four Coast Guardsmen set out from Station Chatham in a thirty-six-foot motor lifeboat to locate the mortally wounded T2 tanker Pendleton and rescue its crew during a Nor'easter. All four men knew the odds of finding the Pendleton and surviving the storm were slim. Whether by a miracle, luck, fate or able seamanship, amid sixty-foot seas with only a small engine and a single spotlight, the crew of the 36500-Bernie Webber, Ervin Maske, Andy Fitzgerald and Richard Livesey-found the hulk of the Pendleton and rescued thirty seamen, bringing the survivors safely to shore. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

4-0 out of 5 stars Excellent insights into an historic rescue
The Pendleton Disaster gives new and important insights into Bernard C. Webber's impossible rescue of the crew of the SS Pendleton stern in 1952.The authors have done in-depth interview with the rescue crew and what emerges is heart-touching as well as insightful.The organization of the book is a bit choppy here and there with free-standing chapters on various aspects of the wreck.But the sum is far more than the parts and any fan of Cape Cod history, the Coast Guard or maritime rescues in general will be rewarded with this read. ... Read more


14. Snakes in the Cockpit: Images of Military Aviation Disasters
by Douglas Keeney
Paperback: 120 Pages (2002-12-19)
list price: US$24.95 -- used & new: US$12.95
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 0760312508
Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars
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Editorial Review

Product Description
Formerly classified, restricted, and never-before published photographs combine to deliver this exciting assortment of incredible military flight mishaps. Youve seen his extraordinary photos before in his best-selling book Gun Camera World War II (0-7603-1013-0). Now, after five years of intensive research, L. Douglas Keeney releases his latest treasury of photographs that serve as a window into the unfortunate circumstances military pilots occasionally encounter. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

4-0 out of 5 stars Nice pictures
I do agree with some of the other reviews of this book, but I have my own spin on it. True, some of the photos are rather dark and yellowed, but they are still very discernible and well taken. There are several good sequential shots of aircraft ditching or crash landing that are worth a second look, such as the shots of a B-17 being ditched in the Gulf of Mexico in 1947. There are also several still images of the XB-70 Valkerie during it's infamous crash in 1966. True, some of these images can be found on various websites, but most cannot. It's also worth having all of these mishaps and accidents in one photo journal. The captions and text are well worded throughout. This is a great photo book for any aircraft historian or anyone in the aircraft design/maintanance industry. It helps to point out that, while these are beautiful and amazing machines, they are also very deadly and far from perfect.

3-0 out of 5 stars Not enough Snakes!!!
Warning! There are no pictures in this book of snakes on a plane.There are lots of pictures of airplane wrecks that are caused by the snakes... but no pictures of the snakes themselves.

3-0 out of 5 stars Good, but buy used.
I need to state up front that I'm an airplane fanatic.If they put a picture of an airplane on rat poison I'd buy it.Ok, so I've thought about buying this book for a while, and have.Here's what I think:the book is solid, good, and well printed.The content, though, is a little "fluffy."What the author has done is blown up old grainy pictures, and included brief descriptions of what he supposes happened (which as other reviewers have mentioned is sometimes just DEAD WRONG!). IMHO, Googling airplane military crash would get you about the same results.I'm a little disappointed with the deliberate sepia toning that's been done here too.
On the plus side, the book is well bound, printing is crisp (despite lousy image quality in some cases) & the sheer variety of subject matter is mildly impressive.
Summing up, this is an odd book, worth a quick look at the library, but not essential to the military aviation buff.

3-0 out of 5 stars Agonizing Photos
I bought this book at the Warner Robins Air Museum in Georgia. What grabbed me is the agonizing photo of a Loring AFB Maine B-52 burning. Having been stationed there and very fond of the B-52 it was like looking at a old friend pass away. Lots of good photos and I agree with the reviewer about the lack of text. Should have had more information on the incidents. Overall I would buy this book again just for the pictures.

2-0 out of 5 stars ..where's the text..?
landscape format, fascinating if rather dark images but next to no information on what is going on in the pictures...this could have been so much better..the pictures of the Cutless missing the carrier deck and ramming into the ship's beam in a ball of fire with ant-like figures silhouetted against the flames scurrying for some non-existant cover are horribly fascinating...as are the pictures of the Russian Tu -16 Badger that plunged into the sea near a US ship after flying a series of low level passes alongside it...why, where, what and how ..? surely the complier could have attempted more than the rather feeble answers here... ... Read more


15. 66 Days Adrift: A True Story of Disaster and Survival on the Open Sea
by William Butler
Paperback: 288 Pages (2005-01-18)
list price: US$16.95 -- used & new: US$5.49
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 0071438742
Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan
Editorial Review

Product Description

A Powerful Account of Struggle and Survival at Sea

The lure of paradise was unmistakable, and Bill Butler was on a quest to find it with his wife Simonne—riding the Pacific currents on their sloop Siboney, with a world of possibilities ahead. But, twelve hundred miles from land, the alluring ocean showed its deadly side when, without warning, a pod of pilot whales attacked their sailboat, battering it until it sank beneath the waves. The dazed couple was left drifting in midocean in a leaky six-foot raft meant for coastal waters, with only a few hastily grabbed provisions to sustain them. Simonne, who had never truly shared Bill's dream of circumnavigating the globe, blamed him bitterly for their desperate plight.

In this powerful account of their 66-day odyssey, Butler tells a gritty, harrowing tale of their battles against nature, despair, and their own demons. He reveals how he and Simonne found the strength to survive despite the ravages of hunger, storms, and sharks. Based on Butler's faithful log entries, 66 Days Adrift is both a chilling cautionary tale for sailors with big ideas and an inspiring story of love, faith, and survival against long odds.

"How a lifetime dream to sail around the world becomes a fight to survive."—Yachting

"A vivid account of the complete will to live."—The San Juan Star ... Read more

Customer Reviews (20)

5-0 out of 5 stars Inspiring story
William Butler's memoir "66Days Adrift: A True Story of Disaster and Survival on the Open Sea" is a riveting account of his 66-day odyssey in a life raft with his wife Simonne in 1989.
A pod of pilot whales attacked and sank "Siboney" their sailboat twelve hundred miles west of the Panama Canal in the Pacific Ocean. Bill was in his late 60s and Simonne in her early 50s. The couple drifted back east towards the Panama Canal in their leaky six-foot raft meant for coastal waters. Theirraft was battered by sharks over 80 times a day. They also endured violent storms, near misses by a few of the over forty vessels that passed without seeing them, a three-inch rip in the bottom of their raft, open sores and their own inner demons of fear and anger.
They survived by catching and eating trigger fish by hand, using a manual desalinator for water and with their determination, hope and faith.
Reading their story made me feel as if I was right there with them. Their highs and lows were my highs and lows. Their book gave me a new appreciation for what's important in life.
Bill has, surprisingly, lost three sailboats. The first in manila in 1967, the second in the Pacific in 1989 and the third in 2000 near Halifax, Nova Scotia.
The Butler's story was featured in the 2004 Outdoor Life Network TV program "Countdown: Survival 25."

5-0 out of 5 stars WOW
You would think that an account of one's life for 66 days might become boring.But nothing is further from the turth when it comes to this book and the Butler's 66 days adrift at sea.A must read for all sailors.

5-0 out of 5 stars Interesting and Sometimes Funny
This survival tale was interesting and well written.Butler's wife proved to be a great sailor and the way she sometimes express her anger at her husband made me laugh at times. Makes me wonder if all that praying they did actually helped them through their ordeal especially with that flimsy raft for so many days. The story was very descriptive I couldn't put it down.

4-0 out of 5 stars Gripping TRUE life survival of an imperfect man
I spent a few days on a windy beach in Hawaii reading this gripping tale of survival.As an experienced sailor, I found his tale rings true of the days of monotony, fear and terror that you sometimes encounter in a single 24 hour period on the open ocean.

The other reveiwers who rate this low for monotony and the bravado of the author miss the point about the story.The author clearly has personal issues and suffers from a lack of objectivity.For example, he appears very unkind at times to his wifes and children.

But Butler is a survivor.It is interesting to follow the tale and try to understand what makes the author tick.

It would have been a better book if his wife Simmone had written a parallel account to balance the enormous ego driven Butler.An objective professional writer could have written a better treatment but then it may have been sensationalized and lose the genuine quality of the tale.

It is worth a read.

5-0 out of 5 stars Survival Book Enthusiast
I believe there are some stories that are so compelling that a robot could tell it and it would still be riveting. This is how I feel about this book. To the previous reviewers who said it would be more "heart pounding" if written better...

A 13 foot shark circles the raft.

Those words are scary as hell. I don't care who writes them or how they say it! It doesn't need to be massaged. This story is outstanding. I was mesmerized.

And to clarify, I think Butler is a pretty good writer. The dialogue was a little forced, but he's just telling it as he remembers it. I give the guy credit for his extreme patience with his wife. I don't know if I would be as good to her, as she is a major negative force, constantly yelling and blaming him. I've read survival books and a calm, assertive attitude is everything. I can't believe BUtler dealt with that for hours a day and didn't go mad. I'd go mad even if I wasn't on a raft. I'd go mad dealing with that in a hotel room in Maui.

I also got a lot of laughs out of this. He writes something to the effect that the Pacific is not a good name for the Pacific, because it doesn't mention predatory fish, storms and swells, rain and lightneing and pissed off wives. That was LOL funny.

I thought he was honest. He comes off a bit egotistical, but at least he is honest about it and doesn't fake emotions or thoughts he didn't experience.

To those who say this is repetitive, do you understand what is going on here? They are stranded at sea for 66 days. Everyday is similar. The repetitive nature of the book really brings you into the situation they were dealing with. Plus, much of the repetition is absolutely heart pounding stuff. Crashing waves, sharks, hunger...what do you expect in a story about being stranded at sea?

This book is great. Right up there -- and in some ways better in my opinion because he travels with a companion -- than Adrift .

Moral of the story: Always spend the extra money on top of the line life rafts, don't ever give up, and be quiet when sharks are around. ... Read more


16. Dead Reckoning: The Dunedin Star Disaster
by Jeff Dawson
Hardcover: 320 Pages (2006-02-01)
list price: US$39.95 -- used & new: US$5.63
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 0297848798
Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars
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Editorial Review

Product Description

In November 1942, the Dunedin Star, a ship of Britain’s Blue Star Line, was bound for the Middle East, her consignment of munitions for the 8th Army supplemented by 21 civilians escaping the Blitz. Three weeks into her voyage, her hull mysteriously holed, the Dunedin Star ran aground off Namibia’s infamous Skeleton Coast—the most violent and desolate shore on earth. Sixty-three passengers were to defy unfathomable odds to reach land—but their struggle for survival had only just begun.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

5-0 out of 5 stars Skeleton Coast Story
This story was an amazing read. The author did an excellent job telling thecircumstances, and events that lead you through the tale of an ill fated voyage. The dilemmas of a blue-star liner, and it's rescuers during wartime are unfolded and interesting.

1-0 out of 5 stars Dead Reckoning: The Dunedin Star Disaster
I ordered and paid for a hardcover copy of this book.A soft cover was sent which I returned with an explanation.The second copy received was also softcover.I suggested that a hardcover copy be sent as ordered and paid or I receive an adjustment for the softcover.I am still waiting to hear from Amazon. ... Read more


17. Military Aviation Disasters: Significant Losses Since 1908
by David Gero
Hardcover: 192 Pages (2010-06-15)
list price: US$34.95 -- used & new: US$19.90
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 1844256456
Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars
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Editorial Review

Product Description

Each year dozens of military aircraft come to grief, ranging from fighters and bombers to trainers and transports. David Gero covers major military disasters worldwide and gives full details of the aircraft involved, its operator, route, location of crash, loss of life, and where known the reason for the crash. The author has undertaken considerable detective work to piece together details of many of the incidents recorded here. In this revised and updated second edition, he has investigated significant military aircraft disasters from 1999 to 2008, including the conflicts in Bosnia, the Second Gulf War and Afghanistan.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

4-0 out of 5 stars Amazing History
Ever wonder about not wanting to fly because you're afraid of crashing into a mountain?After browsing "Military Aviation Disasters", you won't wonder any more.This book documents dozens and dozens of military planes crashing into mountains even in the "modern" age of flight technology.One can only imagine how many more civilian aviation planes have crashed into mountains during the history of flight.

David Gero defines a "Significant Loss" as those incidents where at least 20 people lost their lives, but also includes in this volume a few other incidents that were "particularly noteworthy."You'll find military accidents from countries all over the world included.

I bought this book because I'm a fan of the Lockheed Orion P-3 aircraft, and there are three P-3 incidents described here.I found it amazing how many years the military persued the use of blimps in the early 1900s despite horrific accidents occuring on a regular basis.Also included is the 1972 crash of the airplane carrying the Uruguayan rugby team over the Andes Mountains where the survivors committed canibalism (which has been made famous by a movie).

Each incident described has the date, approximate time, location, aircraft type, and the operator of the aircraft.The text of the incident describes the weather conditions and the apparent cause of the incident (when that information has been released). Almost every two-page spread has at least one photo or diagram.

--lynellen.com

4-0 out of 5 stars Invaluable but incomplete
Gero has done the aviation safety community a great service by putting out this book.Students of the subject would be well advised to read it cover to cover.The most noteworthy content is the peek behind the veil at former Soviet accidents (which may have been the impetus for the writing of the book in the first place).

Where Gero falls short is in his failure to mention a number of well-documented, high-profile accidents with significant implications to public safety.For example, the June 1995 crash of a B-52 at Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington made international news, but is not discussed in this book.A 2002 update of both this book and his equally readable "Air Disasters", perhaps combined in a single volume, would be welcome to both add to the current content and bring attention to the final rulings on a number of high-profile accidents that occurred in the late 1990s. ... Read more


18. Disaster Survival Guide: Survivors Nutritional Pharmacy
by Cass Igram
 Paperback: 137 Pages (1992-05)
list price: US$13.95 -- used & new: US$10.00
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 0911119442
Average Customer Review: 1.0 out of 5 stars
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Customer Reviews (1)

1-0 out of 5 stars For your information
IOWA BOARD OF MEDICAL EXAMINERS
PRESS RELEASE
For release, April 9, 2003


Cassim Igram, D.O., a 47 year-old physician from Batavia, Illinois, entered into a Settlement Agreement
with the Board to resolve pending disciplinary charges. Dr. Igram was charged with being disciplined by the
Illinois Medical Board. The Illinois Board accused Dr. Igram of engaging in unprofessional, unethical and
dishonorable conduct in his care and treatment of several individuals who sought nutritional consultation.
Dr. Igram was fined $4,000 and his Illinois medical license was placed on permanent and irrevocable
inactive status. Under the terms of the Iowa Settlement Agreement, Dr. Igram must provide the Board 90
days written notice and fully comply with any and all requirements established by the Iowa Board prior to
beginning the practice of medicine under his Iowa medical license. ... Read more


19. Terror at Sea: True Tales of Shipwrecks, Cannibalism, Pirates, Fire at Sea, and Other Dire Disasters in the 18th & 19th Centuries
by Barbara Darrah Smith
Paperback: 117 Pages (1995-06)
-- used & new: US$12.99
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 0931675049
Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars
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Customer Reviews (1)

3-0 out of 5 stars True stories!
This little book presents a series of tales from the seven seas, the best of which include a very interesting account of cannibalism due to shipwreck on a desert island, and story of the disaster of the Lexington. All the stories include only the original narrative, and therefore the language is at times very old fashioned, but overall this adds to the originality and the general appeal. Not all the stories, in my opinion, are worth reading, but some are striking. ... Read more


20. Disaster at Lunker Lake
by Donald G. Kramer
 Hardcover: 94 Pages (2000-12)
list price: US$5.95
Isbn: 0789150964
Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars
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Customer Reviews (1)

5-0 out of 5 stars Lunker Lake is, well...a lunker!
I teach a special education literacy course for 7th graders.The first novel we completed this year was 'Disaster At Lunker Lake'.The kids in my room read anywhere from 2nd to 5th grade level material.Because of the high interest content of this book, even the lower level readers were disappointed on the days we didn't get to read.They even volunteered to read first on the days we did read.Every time we completed a chapter and were at a 'cliffhanger' the kids whined to read more.I highly recommend this book to other special ed teachers, and to those whose kids are reading at a 5th grade level.I recommend this book to those reading at a 3rd or 4th grade level who want a challenge with high interest content.This is a well-written story.I will definitely be using this story again next year! ... Read more


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