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Sole Survivors of the Sea (Blue Jacket Books)

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From the back of the dustjacket:

" The ship still had weigh on, and it was burning fiercely down to the water line. A stream of burning oil was slowly closing round her stern. We realized this, and, by swimming as fast as we could, we managed to get away from the ship just before she was entirely surrounded by blazing oil, which had already burned my back. We had no lifejackets so we had to swim to keep afloat. The water was quite warm, but there was a terrible glare from the sun which was very painful to my eyes. The four of us kept together as much as possible, but after a few hours the others became exhausted and one by one they disappeared below the water."

This is how Mr. A. Ryan, a gunner of the Maritime Regiment Royal Artillery, described the sinking of his ship, the San Victorio, after it was torpedoed by a German U-boat in 1912 off the South American Coast. Like Ryan, the twenty one men described in this book, despite their different backgrounds and nationalities, were all sole survivors of disasters at sea. These are unique stories about sailors who treaded artic waters, floated for months on makeshift rafts, or watched their shipmates die in lifeboats, but for some reason, managed to overcome the same odds themselves.

Naval historian Captain James E. Wise dissects this mystery by finding unusual accounts of seamen who lived. His book is the result of his extensive research into survivor accounts, official records, and interviews with family members.

From the Chinese sailor who spent 113 days on a raft, to the British merchant marine officer who lasted 13 frigid days while 31 of his shipmates slowly died, Wise spins a fascinating yarn of individuals who struggled with and won against the awesome forces of the sea.

Read it and you will want to jump ship. 99% about military losses at sea. Only one story worth readying. Poorly written and no real learnings.