A Captain's Duty

Somali Pirates, Navy SEALs, and Dangerous Days at Sea

By: Richard Phillips, Stephan Talty

Narrated by: George K. Wilson

Length: 8 hrs and 42 mins

Publisher's summary

"I share the country's admiration for the bravery of Captain Phillips and his selfless concern for his crew. His courage is a model for all Americans."
President Barack Obama

It was just another day on the job for 53-year-old Richard Phillips, captain of the Maersk Alabama, a United States-flagged cargo ship that was carrying, among other things, food and agricultural materials for the World Food Program. That all changed when armed Somali pirates boarded the ship.

The pirates didn't expect the crew to fight back, nor did they expect Captain Phillips to offer himself as a hostage in exchange for the safety of his crew. Thus began the tense five-day standoff, which ended in a daring high-seas rescue when U.S. Navy SEALs opened fire and picked off three of the captors.

"It never ends like this," Captain Phillips said. And he's right. A story of adventure and courage, A Captain's Duty provides the intimate details of this high-seas hostage-taking - the unbearable heat, the death threats, the mock executions, and the escape attempt. When the pirates boarded his ship, Captain Phillips put his experience into action, doing everything he could to safeguard his crew. And when he was held captive by the pirates, he marshaled all his resources to ensure his own survival, withstanding intense physical hardship and an escalating battle of wills with the pirates. This was it: the moment where training meets instinct and where character is everything. Richard Phillips was ready.

©2010 Richard Phillips (P)2010 Tantor

This book could have been so much more.

I bought this book through a 2 for 1 deal, and it is worth half its list price, but not more. It's a very topical treatment of the piracy incident; I'm sure there's some way to make a good nautical pun about it being shallow, for it is.

Captain Phillips, his life, and his family are mildly interesting, so this is a mildly interesting book. An examination of the modern merchant marine: the sailors, their culture, and their lives; the ships: their cargoes, machinery, the dangers of the sea: piracy, modern and historic, the extremity of the culture which creates and tolerates piracy, the lives and families of the pirates; the Navy: its mission regarding piracy, its tactics, the lives and training of the sailors; and finally the economics and politics of modern day piracy; any or all of these topics could be covered in light of this particular incident and would make fascinating reading. Unfortunately, none of these issues are covered, other than in a very shallow, cursory fashion.

I found myself bored, skipping through the book. It's an OK true story about a fascinating incident and if you're focused on Captain Phillips, it does a good job of telling you who he is, where he was, and what he did. But that story is just not all that engrossing, at least not 8 hours worth of engrossing, and I find myself frustrated, deeply curious, and disappointed by this book.

The reading is very adequate, but not inspired. It complements the book well.

If you only see the movie…

If you have only seen the movie you are missing out on so much more of this story. Well done from start to finish

Outstanding!

Very gripping story! This is one I will keep in my library to read again

Pirates of the ... Gulf of Aden

STORY - (True story) Captain Phillips is a very exciting account of an American cargo ship which was attacked by Somali pirates in 2009. There is a 2013 movie starring Tom Hanks which, as far as I know, is based on this book.

The story opens with a scene which really occurs toward the end, so you get an immediate preview of what's to come. Then it shifts to background of Captain Phillips' life and how he became a merchant marine. Some of this middle portion is a little slow, but some of it is pretty interesting. Once his ship, the Maersk Alabama, is at sea and the action begins, the story becomes fast-moving and intense. I don't want to give too much away, but the book is very good, and I hear the movie is great. (You can Google Maersk Alabama if you want to get a spoiler preview of what happens).

PERFORMANCE - Pretty good narration that neither enhances or detracts from the book. I would rate it higher if he'd done a better job of distinguishing between different characters.

OVERALL - Recommended, and not just for guys.

Equally As Good

I don't normally read the book after I watch the movie because what is the point. Unless they butcher the film base on the novel, you already know what is to come. "Captain Phillips" was an awesome movie. My eyes were glued to the screen during the whole time. I ended up buying the book because it was on sale and I wanted to know what they miss in the movie. They didn't miss much.

Richard Phillips' hostage story in "A Captain's Duty" was well told. I am just a very visual person. If a book can paint a picture in my mind, then the author has done their job. As I kept listening to the audiobook, my mind kept flashing back to Tom Hanks and the Somalis, and how they develop each scene base on the book.

My friends' say that I need to watch the Danish film, "A.Hijacking." I should see if it is base on a book and read it first.

Background was too detailed, but excellent book!

The introduction of his childhood a bit too detailed and seemed unrelated to the story. Otherwise, it was an excellent book!

Okay story, could have been great

Would you try another book from Richard Phillips and Stephan Talty and/or George K. Wilson?

I read A Perfect Storm right before listening to this and the two can't compare. This book could have been fascinating with better research and story telling. The book is still okay because it was such a crazy situation, unfortunately the storytelling was mediocre and really no background research was done to give substance to the shipping industry, pirates, military, etc.

Exciting true story of danger and courage at sea.

What made the experience of listening to A Captain's Duty the most enjoyable?

Well-done narration of an well-paced true story.

What was one of the most memorable moments of A Captain's Duty?

The boarding of the ship by the pirates. I couldn't help thinking that a few guns on board could have prevented the whole tragedy. I am not a fan of casual gun ownership. But there are times and places for weapons of self-defense, and this voyage certainly qualified as such.

Which character – as performed by George K. Wilson – was your favorite?

Captain Phillips, of course.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Even though I knew the outcome, I still found myself hoping that the story would unfold differently--that the pirates would be repelled before climbing on board, that the crew would be rescued sooner, and so on. It was well known at the time that Somali pirates were becoming increasingly bold, taking more and more ships and meeting little effective resistance from either crews or patrol vessels. I think the authorities and shipping companies failed to admit the full danger and left the ships' crews unprotected and vulnerable.

Any additional comments?

This is a great read or listening experience. Captain Phillips seems a likable guy, a good captain, and a cool-headed man under pressure. There is no doubt that by his actions, he saved his ship and the lives of his crew members.

Thomas Jefferson was right...

Thomas Jefferson understood that the Barbary Pirates were a problem...and today they are still causing some problems. The events surrounding Captain Phillips tested the patience of a nation, but in the end it worked out well. This is another time I thank God for the training of Navy Seals...and all SF personnel.

Somalia and Piarcy

I know that Somalia is lawless and extremely poor but that does not allow them the freedom to commit piracy. This memoir about Captain Phillips exemplifies that piracy by Somalian men continues with no end in sight.

The men who commit piracy do not gain any substantial reward. Most of their money will be turned over to the man back in Somalia who orchestrated the crime.

Captain Phillips showed extreme courage when his ship was boarded by the Somalian pirates. Especially noted was the fact that the safety of his men remained first and foremost in how he inserted himself as the leader. Therefore, the pirates had to deal with only him and not his men. Captain Phillips didn't plan on being captured himself but when all was said and done he knew his men were safe. The first rule of being the captain of the ship was successful.

Captain Phillips and his first mate were able to alert the British that the ship was being boarded and taken over by pirates. Captain Phillips knew that his rescue was being organized. His hope was that the rescue would take place before the Somalian pirates killed him.

The narrator, George K. Wilson, was okay but did not bring authenticity as to whether the book was truth or fiction. I wasn't able to allow myself to become a part of the book. I listened with a sense of detachment.

This memoir was different to other memoirs that I have listened to. Captain William's family became a part of the dialogue in the book. There were also friends and the clergy. There were repetitious fillers in the book. Those words did add length but did not add substance to the dialogue.

I feel that there was a need to write this book and have it published because it was the first American vessel that was attacked by Somalian pirates. Apparently, piracy has become a Somalian's way of earning a salary that is more then the norm of $600.00 per year.

Captain William's memoir again gave credence that one man's life is important and cannot be ignored. The rescue was organized and implemented. I'm very proud to be an American as Captain William's is himself.