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This timeless classic tells the complete story of PT 109 and her crew, based on interviews with the men involved in her sinking and the rescue of her crew, including all ten survivors -- President Kennedy among them.
40th Anniversary Edition with a new preface by the author
"This 40th anniversary edition of PT 109 reminds us once again of the courage of President Kennedy and the men who served with him on his PT boat during World War II. Bob Donovan has written the definitive story of my brother's heroic efforts to save his crew in 1943 after their torpedo boat was cut in half by a Japanese destroyer, near the Solomon Islands in the South Pacific. This book vividly tells the story of the many dangers they faced and the enduring determination that made it possible to survive. To me, it has always been one of the great war stories of all time."--Senator Edward M. Kennedy
"In PT 109 we see a man assailed by hunger, heat, cold, discouragement and danger rising, without dramatics or posturing, to greatness."--New York Times Book Review
"A tense, tough and intelligent story of wartime adventure and heroism."--San Francisco Chronicle
"Any man who may be asked in this century what he did to make his life worthwhile, I think can respond with a good deal of pride and satisfaction, 'I served in the United States Navy.'"--John Fitzgerald Kennedy, August 1963
In the early morning darkness of August 2, 1943, in the waters of Blackett Strait in the Solomon Islands, the Japanese destroyer Amagiri sliced an American PT boat in two, leaving its crew for dead in a flaming sea. The boat's skipper was a gaunt, boyish lieutenant from Boston named John Fitzgerald Kennedy. In a valiant effort to save the lives of his crew, Lieutenant Kennedy spent thirty of the next thirty-six hours in the water. Swimming into darkness and seriously injured, Kennedy first shepherded the wounded survivors into the derelict forward section of the plywood boat, which had remained afloat. Then, the following morning, he led his men on a grueling three-mile swim to the safety of a small island, towing one badly burned crewman the whole way. Over the next three days, Kennedy repeatedly risked his life in an effort to summon help until he finally secured his crew's rescue. He lost only two men, both killed in the collision.
First published to wide critical acclaim in 1961, this timeless classic tells the complete, harrowing story of PT 109 and her crew. Journalist Robert Donovan interviewed the men involved in the sinking of PT 109 and the rescue of its crew to get his story, including all ten survivors--President Kennedy among them. Donovan also tracked down the captain, helmsman, and crewmembers of the Amagiri along with the Solomon Islanders who participated in the rescue. The result is both a gripping tale of wartime heroism and a fascinating portrait of one of the United States' greatest leaders as a young man.
Kennedy could have returned home after the sinking of PT 109, but he felt he had more to contribute to the war effort. Given command of PT 59, he was later instrumental in the rescue of a trapped Marine patrol from a Japanese-controlled island. Donovan vividly re-creates the daring night operation in which Kennedy braved heavy enemy gunfire to pluck fifty men from the water and carry them to safety.
This 40th anniversary edition of Robert Donovan's classic includes a new foreword from Daniel Schorr, a new preface by the author recounting the circumstances of the book's creation, and a new afterword by World War II naval historian Duane Hove portraying the broader context for PT boat operations in the South Pacific. Here for a new generation of readers is a compelling glimpse of the values of service and duty that characterized America during the war years, as fresh and timely now as when it was published forty years ago. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Classic American History!,
By
This review is from: PT 109 : John F. Kennedy in WWII (Hardcover)
As Daniel Schorr in the new forward to this book suggests, World War 2 brought out the best in many men, and the ones who manned the motor torpedo boats were among the bravest, setting out in small plywood boats to fight an enemy in often large ships. The ordeal that Kennedy and his crew went through after PT-109 was destroyed is a story of courage that will last the ages. It is obvious that Robert Donovan was very careful to get the facts straight as he wrote this book, it is a great war story. For me it was a page turner, written in an easy to read, flowing style. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this, a gem of a book about a small piece of American history, a fascinating account indeed. Kennedy is portrayed, and rightly so, as a compassionate and intelligent young man. In a very fine afterword to this 40th anniversary edition, Duane Hove give us additional details of Kennedy's military service, and also interesting text on the history of the PT boats before, during, and after the war, and also where you can see PT boats on display today, only a few of these magnificent boats remain with us.
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
John F. Kennedy and PT-109,
A Kid's Review
This review is from: PT 109: John F. Kennedy in World War II (Audio Cassette)
This was an exciting book on John F. Kennedy. It had lots of action, and suspence. John F. Kennedy had a lot of willpower, that was surprising. The bravery was outstanding in this story. If you like action and adventure I could not recommend a better book. I gave this book a five star rating, because it was truely a good book. Even though this was an old book, it was exciting. This would be a very good book for kids, because there was not a lot of hard words.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Profile in Courage of JFK and Others...,
This review is from: PT 109 : John F. Kennedy in World War II (Paperback)
The book is very detailed and descriptive. Some today might say the book's pace could be a little faster. However, it is still a good read. The book shows how the men of that generation volunteered to go into the service and then into harm's way; regardless of their background, education, or families money. Truly, as fellow author Stephen Ambrose stated they were "Citizen Soldiers". This book is not a combat, action-packed wartime epic but instead about Jack Kennedy and other Navy men and how they got into the PT Boat service and their experiences in the Pacific war.
It is ironic that JFK could have been killed on several occasions, such as when Japanese dive-bombers and fighters hit Rendova Harbor right before the fateful intercept patrol with Japanese destroyers. Further, Jack Kennedy just missed being killed when the incident with the Amagiri occurred. Further, the author does a very good job laying out the facts of that incident. It is telling of Jack's leadership and character when later he asks the surviving crew members if they want to "fight or surrender". When it was about to be put to a vote, Kennedy stated, "There's nothing in the book about a situation like this. A lot of you men have families and some of you have children. What do you want to do? I have nothing to lose" (page 119). Here is a man who went to Harvard, his father was Ambassador to England with a family both well known & wealthy, and JFK states he has "nothing to lose". Whether a reader likes the Kennedy family or not, this book tells the true story of a young JFK who rose to the challeges put in front of him. The only criticism I would have is that JFK's time as commander of the PT-59 is only very briefly mentioned in the main book. However, one could argue that this is a book focusing on Jack's time with the PT-109, only. The new Foreword and new Preface to the 40th Anniversary Edition help put things in perspective. The new Afterward gives some detailed information on the history of American PT Boats and JFK's time as Skipper of the PT-59 (after the PT-109).
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