No Ordinary Joes

The Extraordinary True Story of Four Submariners in War and Love and Life

De: Larry Colton

Narrado por: Robert Fass

Their names were Bob Palmer, Gordy Cox, Tim McCoy, and Chuck Vervalin, and in 1941, when they joined the Navy, they were not trying to prove their patriotism - they were just looking for a job that would provide "three hots and a cot". But on April 22, 1943, the war took a terrible turn for them. While on patrol deep in enemy waters, their submarine, the USS Grenadier, was torpedoed and sent crashing to the ocean floor. Listed as lost in action and given up for dead, all four had in fact miraculously escaped the ship, only to be captured by the Japanese. The four men spent the next two and a half years as POWs, enduring barbaric torture and starvation, unable to communicate with their wives and families. When they were freed, they were forced to find a new kind of resilience as they struggled to resume their lives in a world that seemed to have forgotten them.

In Bob’s case, it would be more than 30 years before he was reunited with the love of his life - the wife who had left him for a well-bred naval officer after he came back from the war.

By turns panoramic and intimate, No Ordinary Joes shows us, through the lives of four "ordinary" men who endured extraordinary circumstances, the tragedy of war and its aftermath, and the restorative power of love.

©2010 Larry Colton (P)2010 Tantor

A Must Read

The story is incredible. The best thing that I can say is that if you really want to know about what went on with the people in this book, read it.

The Audible performance is outstanding.

Horray

Great story by teally good author and excellent narration

Cant wait for more of lc’s books

Excellent book for any WW2 or military history buff

Amazing story, narrator does a great job. At a loss for words for how much we owe these men.

Prisoner of War Tale

Larry Cotton is reporting the story of four submariners who were captured by the Japanese and held for two years. Prisoner of war books are not unusual, but his one is very welll researched and brings the reader up to the latter days of their lives. We find out how the four fared as they went through life and about their children. This is an emotional book and I have read a number from this genre. The most interesting portions of the book to me were about how their sub was taken and their later lives. At the end of the book, Colton digresses to reflect on the various life views of each of these men and what it might mean for those of us who remain after them. His insights are instructive. This is well written and the reading of Robert Fass is flawless.

this book will leave you in tears

the horror these young boys endured as prisoners of war is unspeakable and not taught in any history book in school. the ending will leave you in tears. this should be made into a movie

Chuck Was my friend

I enjoy the book very much and Chuck Shared his Story with me
somethings he shared with me weren't in the book. we also worked together and became friends at the dog pound. he would always refer to me by my last name.
I guess we got along so well. Because I was a marine and he was navy.

Incredible

Incredible story, well researched and well told. Incredible narrator brought it to life! A must-listen.

the war details were interesting

too many unnecessary details on their sex lives. We don't need to know how long and how many times in a day.