The Finest Hours

The True Story of the U.S. Coast Guard’s Most Daring Sea Rescue

By: Michael J. Tougias, Casey Sherman

Narrated by: Malcolm Hillgartner

Length: 5 hrs and 56 mins

Publisher's summary

In the winter of 1952, New England was battered by the most brutal nor’easter in years. As the weather wreaked havoc on land, the freezing Atlantic became a wind-whipped zone of peril, setting the stage for one of the most heroic rescue stories ever lived.

On February 18, while the storm raged, two oil tankers, the Pendleton and the Fort Mercer, were in the same horrifying predicament. Built with “dirty steel,” and not prepared to withstand such ferocious seas, both tankers split in two, leaving the dozens of men on board utterly at the Atlantic’s mercy. The Finest Hours is the gripping, true story of the valiant attempt to rescue the souls huddling inside the broken halves of the two ships.

The spellbinding tale is overflowing with breathtaking scenes, as boats capsize, bows and sterns crash into one another, and men hurl themselves into the raging sea in a terrifying battle for survival.

Not all of the 84 men caught at sea in the midst of that brutal storm survived, but considering the odds, it’s a miracle - and a testament to their bravery - that any at all came home to tell their tales.

©2009 Casey Sherman and Michael Tougias (P)2012 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

“ The Finest Hours recounts the incredible heroism of the Coast Guard, who risked their lives to save others. A gripping read.” (James Bradley, New York Times best-selling author)

“Look no further for the real-life adventure of the year. The Finest Hours is a rousing page-turner, a fascinating history, and an inspiring ode to the courage and professionalism of men who face bitter winds and black mountainous seas…all to do a dangerous job. Put it on the shelf next to The Perfect Storm. That’s where it belongs!” (William Martin, New York Times best-selling author)

“Tougias and Sherman never sensationalize, never go beyond the facts, and yet capture all the pain, physical and emotional, of the survivors and their families.” ( Providence Journal)

Masterful telling

What did you like best about this story?

Full of insightful history which built a context unlike most other historical tellings.

Any additional comments?

Tear-jerker, to be sure. Beware listening and driving... I had to pull over a few times to clear my vision.

Great story

I wasn't familiar with the story, but after hearing this one, I did a few Google searches. I'm always in awe of the Coast Guard. They go out in conditions that most everyone else deems too dangerous. This is a great story of heroism. Looking forward to the movie

Well researched, at times I felt like I was there. The ending was also well done. Very clean I believe there was less than 5 swear words overall. Wonderful true story.

A little jumpy at times, but a good story

The story is good, but jumps around too much at times giving backstories and tangential story lines. I prefer to have history in one section, then get into the main story and let it flow in a logical order.

Great read would also recommend seeing the movie

if you enjoy an adventure and facinating storytelling I'd recommend listening to this story of courage , suspense and humility by the US Coast Guard.

Great story honoring true heroes

So often the folks who deserve recognition for heroism get lost in the fluff of modern discourse. Not so with all of the seamen and guardsmen in this narrative. A worthy memorial.

Inspiring

There are a lot of heroes out there. It’s good to read their stories. This was a good one.

Very good...

This story was very good... mainly because it was a true story. The character building and the descriptions could have been better. Especially when it came to the description of the actual rescues. I felt like it would jump from "the waves were big... to.... and 30 people were saved/died".

Overall it was good and I would recommend it. This might be a case where the movie does a better job describing it than the book does.

Good Story

I knew of the high sulfur steel issues and of the ship splitting at the dock on Swan Island. I didn't realize these ships kept sailing and sinking after the war. A testament to what we didn't know about metallurgy in the 40s and 50s.

Mind Blowing Moxie!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Saw the movie trailer for the upcoming Disney adaptation of this story so I had to hear the story first. Not really sure if Walt's team will do this great story of true heroism any justice or not but very glad I listened.

What did you like best about this story?

The story of the CG 36-500 and her crew is simply amazing. It is very hard to imagine the shear scale of the events as they unfolded and the courage to take them on without hesitation.

Any additional comments?

The bottom line is that I like history- especially WWII era. This book has real heroic history. Because it made me feel and made me think...I recommend.