The Raft: The Courageous Struggle of Three Naval Airmen Against the Sea [Paperback]

Robert Trumbull (Author), John M. Waters (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1992

A gripping account of three naval airmen adrift in the Pacific for 34 days.

Editorial Reviews

From AudioFile

The Raft is a soldier's straightforward report of his thirty-four-day ordeal adrift in a tiny raft in the Pacific with two other men and almost no equipment or supplies during WWII. The story is engaging by reason of its remarkable events, rather than any felicity of style or depth of reflection. Assuming the almost self-effacing character of a seasoned trooper, Tom Parker lets events speak for themselves, without adding gratuitous melodrama. His qualities as a seasoned reader make for effortless listening. This isn't a display vehicle for the performer, but it's a well-projected document of compelling interest. J.N.ÊÊ (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine --This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 213 pages
• Publisher: US Naval Institute Press (March 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1557508275
• ISBN-13: 978-1557508270
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #83,036 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars I'm reliving my youth with this one., April 24, 2003

By 

JOHN GODFREY (Milwaukee ,WI USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Raft: The Courageous Struggle of 3 Naval Armers Against the Sea (Audio Cassette)

I first read it in junior high school 35 years ago. Took me about two seatings to read it . Very engrossing for a seventh grader.
It is a straight ahead narrative about three ordinary but resourcefull sailors whose plane went down & they were marooned in a rubber raft on the vast ocean during World WarII. They fought off starvation, heat, boredom & all the dangers the ocean affords. Boys will like it even though it doesn't have the violence of most war stories. Tom Parker delivers the telling in a good tight reading style that captures the tone of the story with out adding or detracting from the natural drama. Easy to stay with on a long drive.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Clearly written, gripping story, December 7, 2003

By 

Mark Riordan (Madison, WI USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Raft: The Courageous Struggle of Three Naval Airmen Against the Sea (Paperback)

This is an account of 3 crewmembers of a ditched bomber surviving for 34 days in a very small, ill-equipped raft. The story is interesting enough to tell itself, so I felt that the straightforward writing style was quite appropriate.

Although the book was actually written by a journalist, it is written in the first person as if the pilot, Harold Dixon, were telling the tale.

The events occurred in early 1942, and the book was also published in 1942. The edition I read was the original, and did not mention John M. Waters anywhere, so I don't know why his name is listed as an author in the 1992 reprint.

The fact that this book was written shortly after Pearl Harbor is borne home by the fact that there are several details (such as the location of the island where they washed up) that the author omits "for reasons of national security". Also, the jacket of the original 1942 edition says "When you have finished reading this book, don't just place it on a shelf. Our men need books as well as guns. Books build morale. Send this book today. Average book requires 6 cents postage." They give the address of the 4th Corps Area Headquarters in Atlanta.

If you enjoy this sort of tale, you'll probably also like "Adrift: Seventy-six Days Lost at Sea", by Steve Callahan, a bit more philosophical account of his more recent lone ordeal in the Atlantic.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "A timeless story of courage and the will to survive...", May 19, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Raft: The Courageous Struggle of Three Naval Airmen Against the Sea (Paperback)

I am a high school English teacher and have used this book in my classes for over twenty years. This is a story that will capture the most reluctant readers and transport them to the South Pacific of 1942 where, along with Harold Dixon, Gene Alrich, and Tony Pastula, they will fight for their lives in a seemingly hopeless situation: adrift at sea in a four by eight foot rubber life raft for thirty-four days and nights -- an inspiring and memorable read!