The Finest Hours: The True Story of a Heroic Sea Rescue (True Rescue: Young Readers Edition))

by Michael J Tougias (Author)

Reading Level: 8th − 9th Grade
Series: True Rescue

This adaptation for young readers of The Finest Hours: The True Story of the US Coast Guard's Most Daring Sea Rescue by Michael J. Tougias and Casey Sherman tells the story of the shipwreck of two oil tankers and the harrowing Coast Guard rescue when four men in a tiny lifeboat overcame insurmountable odds and saved more than 30 stranded sailors. Now a major motion picture from Disney, starring Chris Pine and Casey Affleck.

On the night of February 18, 1952, during one of the worst winter storms that New England has ever seen, two oil tankers just off the shore of Cape Cod were torn in half. With the storm in full force and waves up to 70 feet high, four coast guardsmen headed out to sea in a tiny lifeboat to come to the rescue. They were the only hope for the stranded sailors. Despite incredible obstacles, these brave men risked their lives, remembering the unofficial Coast Guard motto: "You have to go out, but you do not have to come back." This is a fast-paced, uplifting story that puts young readers in the middle of the action. It's a gripping true tale of heroism and survival in the face of the elements.

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Publishers Weekly

Gripping. . . . Tougias and Sherman ably narrate the desperate struggles of crew members on both the wrecks and the rescue boats. . . . Will make readers appreciate the bravery of the men who put their lives on the line. . . . Action-packed.

School Library Journal

This poignant history should be an easy sell to readers of adventure, seafaring, or rescue stories. A Disney film is in development.

ALA/Booklist

Tougias and Sherman reach their peak of tension in the sink-or-swim moments when mariners abandoned ship and chanced their lives on their rescuers' skill and bravery. . . . Excellent.

Kirkus

A gripping tale of Coast Guard heroism. . . . An action-packed account of rescue at sea. 

Review quotes

The Finest Hours is a touching account, a sensitive rendering of what might be called four indescribably chaotic conditions. . . . 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 

This book captures the wit, grit and sacrifice of Coasties and their boats. —Minneapolis Star Tribune  

Nearly 57 years later, it's a breathtaking story that still defies the imagination. —Cape Cod Chronicle 

It's good to know that real heroes exist. . . . Incredible. —Concord Monitor

Michael J Tougias

Michael J. Tougias is the author of many award-winning true rescue stories, including the New York Times bestseller The Finest Hours, A Storm Too Soon, Into the Blizzard, and Attacked at Sea, as well as the young reader's adaptation of In Harm's Way by Doug Stanton. A frequent lecturer, Tougias splits his time between Massachusetts and Florida.

Alison O'Leary is an award-winning journalist based in New England. She is a former correspondent for the Boston Globe and the co-author with Michael Tougias of Attacked at Sea.

Classification
Non-fiction
ISBN-13
9781250044235
Lexile Measure
-
Guided Reading Level
W
Publisher
Square Fish
Publication date
December 08, 2015
Series
True Rescue
BISAC categories
YAN025220 - Young Adult Nonfiction | History | United States - 20th Century
YAN050070 - Young Adult Nonfiction | Science & Nature | Earth Sciences
YAN056020 - Young Adult Nonfiction | Transportation | Boats, Ships & Underwater Craft
Library of Congress categories
History
Massachusetts
JUVENILE NONFICTION / Science & Nature / Eart
JUVENILE NONFICTION / History / United States
Shipwrecks
Shipwreck survival
Chatham
JUVENILE NONFICTION / Transportation / Boats,
Pendleton (Tanker)
CG36500 (Lifeboat)

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