Customer Reviews

Collision course: The classic story of the most extraordinary sea disaster of our times--the collision at sea of the S.S. Andrea Doria and the M.S. Stockholm

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4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
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When he wrote this book, Alvin Moscow was a reporter (AP, I believe), and in Collision Course he produced one of the greatest news stories ever written. You literally live the agony of the Stockholm's junior officer who had the con when the Andrea Doria inexplicably crossed his bow. You live the agony of Captain Calamai as his magnificent ship does what modern ships are not supposed to do - capsize. There are heroes (among them four heroic ships) and there are cowards, there is tragedy and there is triumph. As a sample of journalistic skill this book has no equal. I have read and reread this vivid and fascinating account of a marine disaster many times. It is a permanent and dog-eared treasure in my non-fiction library.

Mr. Moscow's skill in reportage is outstanding. His chronological account of the Andrea Doria tragedy is compelling, with a good balance of human and technical accounts. In 1959, it was the bible of the Andrea Doria-Stockholm collision. When I first read it years ago, I believed Mr. Moscow's explanations.

Since then, new information of what really happened on July 25-26, 1956, has been studied via technology. I wish that the most recent edition of Collision Course had reviewed some of this new evidence. As an eyewitness to the historic event, and having survived it along with my family, I have researched much of the information available to nautical scientists, maritime lawyers, and survivors. Armed with the data which reveals the truth about the tragedy, I know longer believe previous explanations about what caused the collision. Nevertheless, this book makes for an interesting read because it is skillfully written.

Pierette Domenica Simpson

On the night of July 25, 1956, the Italian liner ANDREA DORIA collided with the Swedish liner STOCKHOLM off Nantucket Sound. The DORIA sank the next morning in 225 feet of water. This is the classic case of "radar-assisted collision" (both ships detected each other 20 minutes before the collision!). "Collision Course" is an excellent account of how the collision came about, and why the DORIA (built to modern damage stability requirements) still sank anyway. The photographs of the sinking DORIA are gripping.

Published 3 years after the event, this book gives a reasonably full account of the collision at sea between the ships Andrea Doria and Stockholm off New York in 1956. It is, therefore, an invaluable work as far as research into this particular event is concerned. It is also one of 22 books I have studied on this subject.

A reporter with some 10 years experience, Alvin Moscow was assigned to cover the hearings held to establish the circumstances which led to this tragic event. During the course of his investigations, he claims to have "examined 6,000 pages of evidence, inspected over 200 exhibits and interviewed key men among officers and crew of the ships concerned as well as passengers." Furthermore, he then sailed to Europe on board the repaired Stockholm and returned to America on an Italian ship! All very fine, but then he also claims to have "been aboard every North Atlantic liner." His words.

By 1959, passenger liners had been crossing the North Atlantic for over 100 years. They sailed between many European and Scandinavian destinations to various ports in the USA (most notably, but not exclusively!, New York) and Canada. Even had he limited that claim to, say, "during his adult life," it is quite clear that such a declaration is flawed. Sadly, however, its very existence brings into question the author's credibility which then extends to everything committed to print.

Having said that, and with the benefit of, as I say, having studied several accounts of either the Andrea Doria, transatlantic passenger ships in general and, of course, this particular collision, I did find this to be a competent and generally accurate account.

Written in a manner which reflects this author's style of reporting of 50 years ago, it is not, however, an easy book to read. The prose are awkward and I found myself constantly reading sentences again in order to ascertain exactly what the author meant. 16 pages containing 25 black & white images are placed together in the middle of the book. Unfortunately, 12 of these are all very similar photographs of the sinking Andrea Doria and any number might have been replaced with something very different in order to add variety. For example, only two photographs are of survivors and, apart from the two ships' captains, no other key players are included.

Altogether, therefore, a competent work written by a newspaper reporter and it shows.

NM

I READ THIS BBOOK BECAUSE I AM A CREW'member son and I FIND THIS BBOOK VERY REALY HAVE YOU AN ITALIAN EDITION?

Around midnight on the night of July 25, 1956, the Italian ocean liner "Andrea Doria" was struck by the Swedish-American liner "Stockholm" in heavy fog off Nantucket Island, sinking the next day. In one of the most dramatic rescue operations at sea, over 1,600 passengers were saved (52 died) as three nearby ships responded to the disaster. A true luxury liner, the "Andrea Doria" was on its 51st voyage to New York from Italy when the "Stockholm" struck her starboard side, slicing it open and losing her own bow in the process. The "Doria" listed dangerously on her side, but didn't go down immediately. SOSes were responded to by the "William H. Thomas," the "Cape Ann," and the outward-bound "Ile de France," which came onto the scene with all her lights blazing, giving hope to the floundering "Doria" passengers.

This is the second edition of this book, and Moscow has added a chapter on salvage attempts of the "Doria." At first it was hoped the ship could be raised, but it seemed too big and heavy for that. But many of the passengers aboard the ship were very wealthy, and much had been made of the valuable jewelry and other precious items that now rested in 225 feet of water. With new diving techniques and equipment, divers have been able to survey the wreckage in person and recover numerous items.

The accident went to trial, of course, to determine liability, but before it could be completed, both parties settled out of court. Moscow recounts the story with clarity and balance; like the journalist that he was he informs the reader and does not try to amaze us with hyperbole or purple prose. The book retains a power, therefore, based on the facts of the event and not the author's imagination or bias. Credible and informative - well done.

I READ THIS BBOOK BECAUSE I AM A CREW'member son and I FIND THIS BBOOK VERY REALY HAVE YOU AN ITALIAN EDITION?

This was a very good book. I had not known much about the accident so I purchased the book to find out more. I was surprised at how many survived and how the accident actually happened. I would read it again.