No Greater Glory: The Four Immortal Chaplains and the Sinking of the Dorchester in World War II

by Dan Kurzman

Book Overview

The sinking of the Dorchester in the icy waters off Greenland shortly after midnight on February 3, 1942, was one of the worst sea disasters of World War II. It was also the occasion of an astounding... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0375508775
• ISBN13: 9780375508776
• Release Date: May 2004
• Publisher: Random House (NY)
• Length: 250 Pages
• Weight: 1.07 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 6.5" x 9.7"

Customer Reviews

Interfaith in action

Everyone who's already reviewed this book has said so much about it that it's hard to find anything more to say about how well it's written, what a great gripping true story it is, and the amazing heroism of the four chaplains. This book is so well-written and has such a compelling and involving story that I read it in like two days, and wished there had been even more. Additionally, this heroic tale from WWII has special meaning to many of the people in my area (New York State's Capital District) because Rev. Clark Poling's church was in nearby Schenectady, providing a local connection. The book itself follows a somewhat nonlinear format, going back and forth between the pre-war lives of the four chaplains and their lives during the war, particularly after they boarded the Dorchester and arrived in Greenland for a very brief stay before going back on the ill-fated ship. After this point, the narrative switches entirely to a linear format, discussing the ship's final night before being torpedoed by a German U-boat and the chaos, heroism, and tragedy that ensued. Not many people could honestly say that they would give up their lifejackets if their ship went down in freezing waters in the middle of the night (Rabbi Alex Goode even gave up his gloves) or remain calm in the midst of such frantic circumstances and such a life-and-death situation. Many people back then also weren't so forward-thinking about interfaith relations, with a Reform rabbi, a Catholic priest, and two reverends from different Protestant denominations being such close friends and reaching out equally to everyone on the ship, largely being nonsectarian apart from when they did things like conduct services. This was still an era in which many Protestants and Catholics didn't associate with one another, to say nothing of the rampant institutionalised prejudice against Jews, and, in a number of areas, against Catholics as well. They set a moving and heroic example for all time, not just in the area of interfaith relations, but also in the area of selfless sacrifice. It was interesting to read in the Afterword about some of the people who have since been awarded the Immortal Chaplains Prize for Humanity Award, such as the Japanese Righteous Gentile Chiune Sugihara, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and Omri Abdel-Halim al-Jadah, a Palestinian Muslim who died while saving a young Israeli Jewish boy from drowning. The Afterword also provided information on what happened to the survivors of the Dorchester sinking and the near and dear ones of the chaplains. As we find out all throughout the book, this tragedy could have been prevented (it was kind of like a smaller-scale Titanic) if only the Dorchester had been inspected more closely or refurbished, or if there had been enough lifejackets and safety instructions provided, and even after disaster struck, the casualties could have been reduced if the nearby American ships had begun searching for survivors and bringing them onto their

A remarkable true story

With a sickening thump, an explosion wracked the troop transport S.S. Dorchester - a German torpedo had found its mark. It was shortly after midnight, February 3, 1942, and the ship was about to sink into the deadly cold waters off of Greenland. As men panicked and struggled to find a way to save their own lives, four men walked amongst them spreading calm and encouragement. Helping everyone they could find, even giving away their own precious lifejackets, the four chaplains - Rev. George Lansing Fox (Methodist), Rabbi Alex Goode, Rev. Clark Poling (Dutch Reformed) and Fr. John Washington (Catholic) - sought to serve their God and the fellow men. And when the end came, survivors saw the four chaplains, locked arm in arm, praying on the upside-down hull of the ship, just before it dove beneath the waves. This book tells the remarkable true story of four men who joined the American military as chaplains, their experiences at their Massachusetts training camp, and their final tragic mission. It is a story that is bound to bring a tear to your eye, but it is also a great story of faith and truly living the life of godly sacrifice. Overall, I think that this is a great book, on that I highly recommend to everyone.

Great on So Many Levels

I became intrigued by this story when I was no moare than 10. I was a stamp collector and came into the possession of the stam honoring the four. In those very pre-internet days and in a very small town with few resources I was only able to learn a small amount of the story. Since then there were pieces here and there but it was not until this book that the whole story was made available to me. I was almost uable to put this book down once I started. It's well written. It's abook that you can read for factual historical content or faith and inspiration. The story of the four chaplains is one of the many little known inspiring and interestng stories of World War Two. Don't pass this book over thinking it is just another relilgous book. It is much more. In this day and age when we hand out superlatives like they were penny candy, the story of the Chaplains and the sinking of the Dorchester is an almost must read not just for people of faith, but all people.

Inspirational story of love and peace in a fractured world

It is a profound irony that war, man's most inhumane treatment of his fellow man, oftentimes provides the most poignant lessons in humanity, selflessness, and heroism. The four men honored as the Four Immortal Chaplains would doubtless have eschewed the kind of praise their actions have won over the years, arguing that they were just men doing God's work on earth, but their story will be a source of inspiration and an example of true honor and bravery for all years to come. The tragedy of 9/11 helped inspire Dan Kurzman to tell their story anew; with No Greater Glory: The Four Immortal Chaplains and the Sinking of the Dorchester in World War II, he succeeds admirably in bringing a spirit of hope and unity to today's fractured world. The Four Immortal Chaplains came from different backgrounds and religious faiths, but the bond of goodness and friendship that bound them together made them spiritual brothers united in the face of a common fate. George Lansing Fox was a Methodist minister who had already fought heroically and been wounded in World War I; Father John Washington was a young and scrappy Catholic priest who cheated on his eye test in order to qualify for the Army; Clark Poling was a Dutch Reformed minister who left his young family and his famous evangelist father to serve; and Alexander Goode was a brilliant Jewish rabbi consumed by a mission to promote universal brotherhood among all men of all religions. Each man had not only joined the services as chaplains after the attack on Pearl Harbor, they had each adamantly pursued a combat post overseas. They never made it to the front, finding themselves posted on the USAT Dorchester as she made her way from the nation's east coast, through Tornado Alley, to Greenland in early 1943. German U-boats lay in wait underneath the icy waves of the North Atlantic, and on February 3, 1943, the U-223 fired a torpedo which sent the Dorchester to the bottom of the ocean. It was one of the worst naval disasters in American history, as over 900 men went into the icy sea, two-thirds of them to their deaths - in part due to highly questionable orders from the transport commander who delayed any rescue effort. Among the dead were the four chaplains, who live on in spirit thanks to their heroism on that awful night. The first half of the book describes the inspiring lives these four chaplains led before joining the army during World War II and the remarkable bond they seemed to share once fate brought them together. The remainder of the book details the tragedy of the Dorchester and the inspiring actions of the chaplains in reaction to the disaster. Drawing upon scores of personal and videotaped interviews with survivors and rescuers, Kurzman takes us back to that awful night and details the heroic acts of the Four Immortal Chaplains as they aided and supported the men around them, encouraged and inspired them with the power of their faith, and selflessly gave their own life jackets to others befo

"Whoever Saves One Life is as if he Saves the Entire World"

In this wonderfully written book, author Dan Kurzman describes how four army chaplains of different faiths banded together in a remarkable show of faith and courage as they, while giving up their own lives, helped others so that they might live. The story begins with four army chaplains, each of different faiths, being placed aboard the U.S. troop ship Dorchester. Chaplain George Fox was a World War I hero who had recieved wounds that had not completely healed. Nevertheless, he volunteered to serve again in World War II. Chaplain Alexander Goode had a dream of uniting all people of all faiths. It was this drive for universal harmony that led him to enlist. Chaplain Clark Poling, the son of a famous evangelist, loved football and the spiritual world. He even had a conversation with God on a mountaintop, much like Moses. He enlisted to share his beliefs and enthusiasm with others. Finally, Chaplain John Washington, a priest from a struggling family, faked an eye exam so he would be allowed to serve. These brave men left behind wives and children so they could follow their heavenly calling to minister to our fighting men overseas. God must have had a plan for each of the chaplains, as if by providence, each was assigned to the Dorchester. While on their way to Greenland, the Dorchester was forced to pass through an area known as "Torpedo Junction"; an area with a high concentration of German U-Boats. Shortly after midnight on the night of February 3, 1943, the German submarine U-223 launched three torpedos at the small convoy that the Dorchester was in. One of the torpedoes slammed into the side of the Dorchester. In a matter of minutes, the Dorchester had taken on a sharp list and was surely going to sink. During this time, the four chaplains were passing out life jackets (even their own) and giving the men encouragement as the order to abandon ship was given. But a huge problem faced the men. The water temperature was barely above freezing, and after a period of about twenty minutes, hypothermia would set in. Many of the men had not followed the earlier order to put on their heavy clothes and lifejackets, so they had on only shorts and t-shirts as they went over the side. The chaplains, seemingly having made up their minds to remain on board, continued to provide encouragement and assistance until the Dorchester slid beneath the waves approximately 45 minutes after the torpedo hit. The chaplains, linked arm and arm and voices raised to heaven, went down with the ship, but not after each chaplain had surrendered their own life jacket so some other terrified soldier might live. The task of rescuing the survivors fell upon the coast guard cutters screening the convoy. However, due to a procedural order, the cutters were not able to begin rescuing survivors immediately, for fear that the German submarine may still be in the area. Most of the men who died in the water passed away during this interval between the sinking and the b