Torpedo Junction: U-Boat War Off America's East Coast, 1942

by Homer Hickam

Book Overview

In 1942 German U-boats turned the shipping lanes off Cape Hatteras into a sea of death. Cruising up and down the U.S. eastern seaboard, they sank 259 ships, littering the waters with cargo and bodies.... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0440210275
• ISBN13: 9780440210276
• Release Date: April 1991
• Publisher: Dell Publishing Company
• Length: 432 Pages
• Weight: 0.51 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 4.2" x 6.9"

Customer Reviews

Another Grand Slam for Homer Hickam!

In the 1940's, an entire war was fought within sight of America's East Coast, and most of America never knew it. In `Torpedo Junction,' Homer Hickam brings that war alive. Put out to sea with the men who fought, and bled, and died, defending America from a threat we weren't even aware of. This book is more than a history of America's coastal war with Germany; it's also one hell of a great read. Jeff Edwards, Author of "Torpedo: A Surface Warfare Thriller"

One Awesome Book

Torpedo Junction is one of the most exciting and action filled books I have read. It covers the early U-boat war off the East coast. I could not believe that the U-boats were doing so much damage to the U.S. shipping lanes and how long it took the U.S. Navy to do something about it: examples; Ships running with their running lights on at night, no black outs laws for towns and city's located up and down the coast line, ships being able to run by themselves instead of in convoys like the British had already suggested. This book was really hard to put down. A ton of action for only $.... I would buy this book again!

An excellent history about the U-Boat wars

Torpedo Junction was an area off the eastern coast of the United States. During World War II, a handfull of German U-Boats sunk more tonnage than the Japanese fleet sunk in the pacific. War material being transfered across the ocean was the target and many items were lost. In the first days alone, one U-Boat sunk just under ten transports before returning to reload. This part of the war is largely unknown, but played a crusial part in the war. Homer Hickam wrote out this book wonderfully, making it seem if you were right there with the submarine commanders in battle. What I found interesting about the book is the detail and accuracy of the book. Hickam used sources from the commanders to military officials to write this, providing a complete and accurate history of the U-Boat wars.

A well-told exciting page-turner

Torpedo Junction is the best book about men at war on the high seas I've ever read. And I'm a naval history buff! The author is the same Homer Hickam who wrote Rocket Boys and then the subject of the movie October Sky. How he came to write this book I have no idea but he did a great job!