Alive on the Andrea Doria! The Greatest Sea Rescue in History [Paperback]

Pierette Domenica Simpson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 2006

Recollections and Revelations! One-half century later, the catastrophic ramming of the MS Stockholm into the Italian luxury liner Andrea Doria in July 1956 is relived in this candid, heartrending account. Author and survivor Pierette Domenica Simpson shares the human and technical aspects of what has become known at the "greatest sea rescue in history" and provides the general public, for the first time, with truth about the error that led to the collision.

Editorial Reviews

Review

It is difficult to constrain the fascinating and intricate story of the Andrea Doria tragedy within the pages of a book. But this has been done, thanks to Pierette Simpson. If you like mysteries, do not read this book, because she was there, and she'll tell you the untold truth, putting an end to the Andrea Doria mystery. A praiseworthy achievement -- Maurizio Eliseo "Naval inspector, author, professor, historian"

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

About the Author

Pierette Domenica Simpson was born in northern Italy and was immigrating to the United States with her grandparents on the fatal night of the collision. She now lives in Michigan, where she teaches languages and writes for several periodicals.

Product Details

• Paperback: 312 pages
• Publisher: Purple Mountain Press Ltd; First Edition edition (June 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 193009874X
• ISBN-13: 978-1930098749
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 5.9 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,058,473 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

In 1956, Piera Domenica Burzio and her grandparents left their village of Pranzalito, near Torino, Italy, to begin a new life in America. They made their journey on the last voyage of the Andrea Doria. The family settled in Detroit, where Pierette attended Wayne State University. Later she did graduate work in France.

Pierette pursued her love of foreign languages by teaching high school French and Spanish in the Farmington Public Schools, near Detroit. In the course of her twenty-seven-year teaching career, she was recognized as Michigan Foreign Language Teacher of the Year (1994-95) by the Michigan Foreign Language Association. Upon her retirement, she was inducted into the Farmington Teachers' Hall of Fame.

For many years, Pierette played the violin and performed with several local symphony orchestras and chamber groups. She also has traveled extensively to foreign lands, with an annual trek to Italy, where half of her family resides.

Present:

Pierette is the first survivor in history to publish an all-inclusive book about one's own shipwreck, including humanistic and scientist aspects. She is the only shipwreck survivor to write a technical report in collaboration with a naval architect about the loss of a ship. The author speaks to varied audiences about the human and scientific aspects of the Andrea Doria-Stockholm shipwreck, and her gratitude for life lessons learned from her personal experience.

After publishing Alive on the Andrea Doria! The Greatest Sea Rescue in History, Pierette has been inspired to serve on several projects within the maritime world:

* writing and presenting technical reports on the Andrea Doria shipwreck
* writing articles on maritime safety
* collaborating with marine scientists and divers in the field of shipwreck exploration and marine archeology
* collaborating with maritime museums to create exhibits based on shipwreck artifacts and other memorabilia

The author/survivor plans to continue the Andrea Doria legacy by speaking about her book to national audiences. She also continues to be the gate keeper of Andrea Doria survivor stories for historical documentation.

Pierette also works on projects which create awareness and pride of her Italian roots:

* locating people of Piemontese (northern Italian) roots in the U.S.
* working with Italian cultural associations, consulates, museums, and the media

In 2009, Pierette is returning to Italy to receive a global award given by her native region: the Piedmont. The Association of Piemontese in the World honors annually an emigrant living outside of Italy. The award recognizes patriotism and talent in piemontese who have contributed works or projects highlighting culture, language, literature, and the arts.

Also in 2009, the New England Book Festival recognized Alive on the Andrea Doria for general excellence and the author's passion for telling a good story; and also for the potential of the work to reach a wider audience. The award category was for biography/autobiography.

Pierette is also the recipient of the most prestigious award from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences of Wayne State University. It recognizes alumni who have made contributions in their field of study to the community at large. Pierette's research, publishing, and presentations about Alive on the Andrea Doria and L'Ultima Notte dell'Andrea Doria (Italian version), as well as other contributions to the Italian community were the main factors considered.

Amazon.com is currently rating Pierette as a best-selling author for Alive on the Andrea Doria in three categories: maritime science, ships and shipwrecks, and admiralty law.

Pierette is also an author in an inspirational book series called Thank God I... Stories Inspiration for Every Situation--an Amazon.com best-seller. Her story, "Thank God I Had a Catastrophe: Surviving the Andrea Doria Shipwreck", expresses the blessings that have resulted from the ocean tragedy.

Pierette has been featured on American and Italian documentaries and newsmagazine programs inspired by her books. She is interviewed frequently on radio, cable, podcasts, and for periodicals.

The author reflects, "The projects I'm involved in really challenge me, but I follow my inner voice, wanting to share my life energy with the world, sending out a ripple of knowledge to those who care to listen. Somehow, I'm still an educator. I find that the act of self-giving continually empowers me to serve humanity."

N.B.

Pierette is also a contributing author in Titanic Diaries, a publication in the UK. The author will soon be featured in a new book, The Italians of Detroit, by Michigan author, Bryan Perry.

For additional information, contact the author via her website: www.PieretteSimpson.com

Phone: [phone]

Also visit: www.PieretteSimpson.com/blog

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Students of shipwrecks should be grateful., December 22, 2008

By 

Ned Middleton (British professional underwater photo-journalist & author) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Alive on the Andrea Doria! The Greatest Sea Rescue in History (Paperback)

There are few people in the world I regret never having met. This author is, in many ways, a kindred spirit and one I would like to meet. Perhaps one day!

Although well qualified to write such an account - after all she did survive the sinking of the Andrea Doria, no one person could possibly write the complete story of the loss of this ship from personal experience - if only because that person would have to have been present at every single event on both ships, as they took place. The only way, therefore, for any author to produce such a definitive account is, as I have said so many times, through research, research and yet more research.

There are some accounts of this particular tragedy which are confined to a collection of photographs and others which seek to change facts by portraying the guilty as innocent. Elsewhere, there are versions which add nothing to the boiling pot of knowledge except to rewrite what is already known after a research confined to a limited amount of previously published information.

In this work, however, the author was drawn inextricably to the subject through numerous conversations about the ship. She was surprised to learn that so many people either knew another survivor or of someone who had missed the sailing and was, therefore, spared the tragedy. Over time she became more involved and eventually wrote this account to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the ship's loss.

Rarely, if ever, have I read such a complete account of the loss of any single ship and we students of shipwreck should be grateful that such a complete and honest account was finally published.

NM

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A story of hope, courage and pride for Italian descendants to read, June 2, 2007

By 

Perry Martini - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Alive on the Andrea Doria! The Greatest Sea Rescue in History (Paperback)

What a wonderful book (and story). I read it straight through and couldn't put it down. The author, Pierette Domenica Simpson, did a marvelous job especially in recanting so many details (sights, sounds, smells) - and I know how hard that is because an author has it all in their mind and memory but putting in the "reader's" mind, well, that's a different story. As a retired Navy pilot and haven't spent most of my life at sea (and in the air) I really enjoyed reading Chapter 10 and Part II in general for it was extremely detailed and complete about the circumstances surrounding the collision. Moreover, as a story teller, Part I was terrific and moving as well. I was especially enamored with the author's experience as an Italian-American and how we share the stories of our families and their courage in coming to a new land to live the American dream. I write of this as well in my latest book, My Father's Compass: Leadership Lessons of an Immigrant Son, found here on [...].
Again, wonderful story with a happy ending and a must read! Perry Martini, My Father's Compass.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Riveting story of rescue at sea, February 13, 2008

By 

R. Sullivan - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Alive on the Andrea Doria! The Greatest Sea Rescue in History (Paperback)

I am a member of the Detroit Historical Society and other historical organizations and have read many history books. "Alive on the Andrea Doria" is not only an interesting factual presentation of the events of this historic sea collision, but also a well written and riveting drama describing the human emotions and reactions of passengers, crew, rescuers, the anxious families and friends of passengers and crew, news media, and others involved in this tragedy. It is also the author's fascinating personal story of a young girl pulling up roots in Italy, leaving her town, friends, and school behind to come to America, where all was new and different: family, language, food, school, etc. This book is highly recommended for all.