A Captain's Duty: Somali Pirates, Navy SEALS, and Dangerous Days at Sea [Hardcover]

Richard Phillips (Author), Stephan Talty (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 6, 2010

"I share the country's admiration for the bravery of Captain Phillips
and his selfless concern for his crew.
His courage is a model for all Americans."
--President Barack Obama

It was just another day on the job for fifty-three-year-old Richard Phillips, captain of the Maersk Alabama, the United States-flagged cargo ship which was carrying, among other things, food and agricultural materials for the World Food Program. That all changed when armed Somali pirates boarded the ship. The pirates didn't expect the crew to fight back, nor did they expect Captain Phillips to offer himself as hostage in exchange for the safety of his crew. Thus began the tense five-day stand-off, which ended in a daring high-seas rescue when U.S. Navy SEALs opened fire and picked off three of the captors.

"It never ends like this," Captain Phillips said.

And he's right.

A Captain's Duty tells the life-and-death drama of the Vermont native who was held captive on a tiny lifeboat off Somalia's anarchic, gun-plagued shores. A story of adventure and courage, it provides the intimate details of this high-seas hostage-taking--the unbearable heat, the death threats, the mock executions, and the escape attempt. When the pirates boarded his ship, Captain Phillips put his experience into action, doing everything he could to safeguard his crew. And when he was held captive by the pirates, he marshaled all his resources to ensure his own survival, withstanding intense physical hardship and an escalating battle of wills with the pirates. This was it: the moment where training meets instinct and where character is everything. Richard Phillips was ready.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. In this fascinating, suspenseful first person account of his capture by Somali pirates, which dominated news media for five days in April 2009, captain Phillips brings the growing pirate threat (up 20 percent in 2009's first quarter) to life. An experienced Merchant Marine, Phillips was recently made captain of the cargo vessel Maersk Alabama, and, like all captains, was weary of the threat from pirates: "since 2005... captains had been going out fifty, then one hundred... then six hundred miles" to avoid the Somali coast. His feeling that "if pirates got onboard, it was all over" proves unfortunately correct; it took the armed criminals just five minutes to board the ship and take the bridge. Phillips has a sailor's penchant for the dramatic, which he puts to good use alternating between his own five-day ordeal-replete with Navy SEALs and a daring escape attempt-and the plight of his family in Vermont, watching the drama unfold on cable news. Despite his harrowing experience, Phillips stays afloat with steadfast faith and an unfailing sense of humor that are, ultimately, rewarded. Phillips's story is not just riveting and timely, but also an informative, heartening look at perhaps the least-celebrated branch of the U.S. military, the Merchant Marines.

From Booklist

*Starred Review* It was absolutely inevitable that Captain Philips of the Maersk Alabama would write about the hijacking of his ship by Somali pirates and his ordeal as their hostage. A mariner of 30 years’ experience when his ship was taken, he had in place all the security precautions to keep his crew safe and hidden. This left him as the only possible hostage and led to an ordeal of several days in a lifeboat in the hands of pirates whom he portrays, with compassion and balance, as alternately conciliatory, vicious, and simply not all there. Meanwhile, the U.S. Navy assembled a task force large enough to fight a small war, and tension steadily rose, as did Phillips’ fear for his life. The pirate leader decamped, and the other three died in a classic hostage rescue by U.S. Navy SEALs. Phillips then entered the media typhoon his family and friends had already been enduring—his wife, Andrea, deserves her own laurel wreath for invincible loyalty and determination—but in the end escaped that, too. He is last seen hanging out the washing because Andrea has to make it to work, and one closes the book with an overpowering sense that this time, for once, the good guys won. --Roland Green

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Hyperion; 1 edition (April 6, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1401323804
• ISBN-13: 978-1401323806
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #712,573 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good read - very accurate!, April 6, 2010

By 

Richard A. Madden - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: A Captain's Duty: Somali Pirates, Navy SEALS, and Dangerous Days at Sea (Hardcover)

There are very few books that I've "had" to have the first day out - this was one - and it didn't disappoint! This book is a good window into the life of a merchant seaman in general and specifically into life on a ship running along the East coast of Africa. It was very interesting to understand the thought process of Capt Phillips while under attack and during his time as a hostage. Best wishes to Captain Phillips and his family!


Rich Madden
Chief Mate, Maersk Alabama
Anchored off Djibouti
07 April 2010

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars RICK "SHAQ" GOLDSTEIN SAYS: "EITHER I'M GETTING OUT OF HERE ALIVE... OR THEY ARE. BUT NOT BOTH!", April 9, 2010

By 

Rick Shaq Goldstein "*SHAQ*" (Danville, Ca, USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: A Captain's Duty: Somali Pirates, Navy SEALS, and Dangerous Days at Sea (Hardcover)

On April 8, 2009 four Somalian pirates took over an American flagged cargo ship by the name of "THE MAERSK ALABAMA". The name of the Alabama's captain was Richard Phillips... and this is the story of his life leading up to... and including the takeover of the ship... and what eventually became a fight for his life... when he deftly maneuvered the pirates... who the captain nicknamed "LEADER"... "TALL GUY"... "MUSSO"... and "THE-CRAZY-EYED-YOUNG-GUY"... into giving up the ship and its entire crew... with the end result being that he was the lone remaining hostage. Richard grew up in the New England area in an Irish-American family and was one of eight kids. (Four boys and four girls.) His life was built around a love of sports and he states: "HELL, I LEARNED EVERYTHING BY PLAYING SPORTS." One of his favorite athletes was Larry Bird whose toughness he respected. His explanation of the inner workings of his family are not unlike many families in his generation: "MY FATHER PROVED HIS LOVE BY GOING OUT AND WORKING LIKE HELL. YOU WANTED THAT *AND* A HUG EVERY NIGHT, TOO? GO TALK TO YOUR MOTHER." Perhaps one of the best quips in the book is delivered when he describes life with his Father. "IT WAS LIKE GROWING UP WITH VINCE LOMBARDI IN A BAD MOOD."

Richard wound up quitting sports... doing some drinking... getting in some fights... and among other jobs drove a taxi. His life changed and his future was truly started when he applied for and got accepted at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy. It was here he expanded and polished the inner drive to never let anyone get him down... he proved to himself and others... regardless of rank or position that they could never make him quit. A trait that obviously serves him well to this day... especially if you consider the fact that he's still alive a good trait. One of the benefits a potential reader will accrue from this book is an appreciation for the history of "The Merchant Marines". With obvious pride the story is sprinkled with interesting facts such as "THE MERCHANT MARINE HAS ALWAYS BEEN THE INVISIBLE SERVICE, THE GUYS WHO BROUGHT THE TANKS TO NORMANDY, THE BULLETS TO OKINAWA, BUT NO ONE EVER REMEMBERS US. WHAT GENERAL DOUGLAS MACARTHUR SAID WAS TRUE: THEY BROUGHT US OUR LIFEBLOOD AND PAID FOR IT WITH THEIR OWN."

After the pirates took over the almost defenseless ship... (Reviewer's opinion: It's utterly ridiculous that Merchant Marines aren't allowed to carry weapons to defend themselves!) every thought that went through Phillips's head... was how to protect his men and his ship. Reduced to a few flares and metal objects designed for securing cargo and maintaining a ship... and fire hoses... Captain Phillips had to use every ounce of street savvy and maritime skills in trying to overcome four Somalian pirates armed with AK-47's. It literally became a chess match for life between "THE-LARRY-BIRD-OF-THE-MERCHANT-MARINES* and the four wanton pirates. After having most of his men hide in a pre-determined spot on the ship... one of the pirates was duped into being captured by the hiding crew... and a swap was made. The captured pirate and $30,000.00 for all the crew except the captain. Phillips was treated unmercifully... tied up with multiple ropes while he was mocked and hit with fists and guns... all while baking in the unforgiving sun. After a failed escape Phillips was not allowed to even urinate off the side of the lifeboat... he had to go in his pants... further humiliating him.

All during this time as Phillips summoned every bit of personal courage and strength... the pirates had countless mock executions. As Navy ships eventually came within yards of the lifeboat... Captain Phillips wondered if he'd live to ever see his family again. You may know the outcome from the news... but till you read this book... you won't know the anguish of this brave Merchant Marine.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The computer you are using is courtesy of the Merchant Marine, April 12, 2010

By 

Wild Bill (Indiana) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Captain's Duty: Somali Pirates, Navy SEALS, and Dangerous Days at Sea (Hardcover)

This is a great book on several levels.
1 - It shows you how much you depend on the Merchant Marine whether you know it or not. That TV from China did not get here by itself.
2 - It shows what you can accomplish when you have a strong sense of duty, no matter the risks.
3 - It shows that a SEAL team is not a group of people to be trifled with (I hope you already knew that)

I read this book cover to cover in two sittings. My dad was in the USCG and the Merchant Marine so I connected with it right away. I also had a good friend that went to Massachusetts Maritime Academy before he died much too young. When I read Captain Phillips book, I could hear the New England accent and my friend's laugh. Just from the picture on the cover you get the idea that this is a guy when he tells you something you probably should listen. He was not operating with false bravado, nor was he trying to show off - he really was performing A Captain's Duty. He also generously doles out praise for his crew, the Navy, the SEAL team, and everybody that said prayers for him and his family. This is the story of a remarkably composed guy thrown into an awful situation and what he was able to accomplish by not giving in to fear and panic. I hope two things after reading this book. One is that I am never in a situation that resembles anything like this and second, if I am that I can be at least half as composed as Captain Phillips.
He does not claim to be a hero, he does not claim to have done anything that anyone else could not do - as a matter of fact he points out that anybody could do what he did if put in the same situation. I beg to differ, but I will take him at his word. It is good to know that there are still a few REAL MEN left. I cannot count myself in that group, I wish I could, but I have never been tested to the level of Captain Phillips.
I was left with one question after reading this book. WHY are the Merchant ships thrown out to sea with nothing more than utility knives and flares to protect themselves? This cargo will most likely be in a LOCKED warehouse when it gets to the States, some of it may even be guarded by armed guards - why would you just put it out to sea with no protection against heavily armed bandits?