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A Captain's Duty  By  cover art

A Captain's Duty

By: Richard Phillips, Stephan Talty
Narrated by: George K. Wilson
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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

What listeners say about A Captain's Duty

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    4 out of 5 stars
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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.

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14 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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EXCITING BOOK

I KNOW THIS BOOK HAS BEEN MADE INTO A MOVIE WITH TOM HANKS AS CAPTAIN PHILLIPS; HOWEVER, I HEARD A REVIEWER WHO HAS SEEN 112 MOVIES SO FAR THIS YEAR AND HE READ THE BOOK, AND STILL GAVE THE SCREENPLAY A 5 STAR. HE SAID, TOM HANKS JUST MADE THIS BOOK COME ALIVE. SO OF COURSE, I HAD TO READ THE BOOK. I CANNOT IMAGINE A MOVIE CAPTURING THE BACK-STORY AND ENDING AS WELL AS THE BOOK, WE WILL SEE. I JUST HAD TO TELL YOU ABOUT THIS "HERO", CAPTAIN PHILLIPS AND HOW BRAVE AND TRUE TO HIMSELF HE WAS THAT ENABLED HIM TO SURVIVE A SOMALIA PIRATE ATTACK OF HIS CARGO SHIP. HE JUST TRICKED THESE KIDS UP ONE SIDE AND DOWN THE OTHER, UNTIL THEY LAUNCHED THE LIFE RAFT AND THEN THE WHOLE FORCE OF THEIR EVIL WAYS TESTED HIS WHOLE CHARACTER. HE SAID, "WE ALL HAVE THIS COURAGE WITHIN US, OURS HAS JUST GONE UNTESTED." "STICK TO YOUR BELIEFS THAT YOU CAN OVERCOME EVIL, EVEN DEATH", YOU STILL WILL WIN. BELIEVE ME, YOUR CREDIT WAS NEVER SPENT BETTER BY PLACING YOUR TRUST IN THIS BOOK. GET READY FOR A RIDE.

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12 people found this helpful

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Superior to the movie!

What did you like best about this story?

The details of what was going on.... Capt Phillips's thoughts... the rescue fron the Navy's eyes...

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The rescue.... (the moves did a terrible job with it)

Any additional comments?

The audiobook was far superior in detail... the movie changed many things to shorten the story. I am glad I did the audiobook first, my wife didn't believe me so we listened to it together after seeing the movie.... we both agree the book is much better.

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9 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars

Interesting...

I'd give this three and a half stars. The first 2/3 of the book is really interesting, both in learning about the author's background and what the Merchant Marine industry is like. The last couple of hours describing the actual hostage incident are a bit monotonous and confusing, and by the very end you have a lot of questions that aren't clearly answered (it needs a better epilogue). Not the best I've read but probably worth the time.

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    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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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.

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I watched the film and wanted some more background

As it turned out I liked the book even more than the film. This story is very moving and sad, which was because it was true. The tone is very genuine which all works together to make it like you were there. It did not feel like this book had a hollywood makeover, which suits me as it made you realize that this happened to a real person and that the kidnappers were real people too.

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4 people found this helpful

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  • Me
  • 01-21-14

Good story

This is fun story with plenty of action. Not fabulous writing, but what it lacks in style it is more than makes up in passion. I've not seen the movie, but now plan to.

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Great insight

If you could sum up A Captain's Duty in three words, what would they be?

Great mental insight.

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

Spoofing the pirates.

Which scene was your favorite?

Successful hostage recovery.

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

No

Any additional comments?

Riveting story from recent history.

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Capt’n Phillips Review

I have seen the movie many times and always enjoy it, however, the book gives so much more into the mind of the captain and additional details about his captivity than the movie possibly could.

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Amazing

One of the best ways someone has told a story. Suspense throughout. Thank You Captain

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