Customer Reviews

Torpedo Junction: U-Boat War Off America's East Coast, 1942

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3 star:		(1)
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Torpedo Junction was an area off the eastern coast of the United States. During World War II, a handfull of German U-Boats sunk more tonnage than the Japanese fleet sunk in the pacific. War material being transfered across the ocean was the target and many items were lost. In the first days alone, one U-Boat sunk just under ten transports before returning to reload.
This part of the war is largely unknown, but played a crusial part in the war.
Homer Hickam wrote out this book wonderfully, making it seem if you were right there with the submarine commanders in battle. What I found interesting about the book is the detail and accuracy of the book. Hickam used sources from the commanders to military officials to write this, providing a complete and accurate history of the U-Boat wars.

Torpedo Junction is one of the most exciting and action filled books I have read. It covers the early U-boat war off the East coast. I could not believe that the U-boats were doing so much damage to the U.S. shipping lanes and how long it took the U.S. Navy to do something about it: examples; Ships running with their running lights on at night, no black outs laws for towns and city's located up and down the coast line, ships being able to run by themselves instead of in convoys like the British had already suggested. This book was really hard to put down. A ton of action for only $.... I would buy this book again!

In the 1940's, an entire war was fought within sight of America's East Coast, and most of America never knew it. In `Torpedo Junction,' Homer Hickam brings that war alive. Put out to sea with the men who fought, and bled, and died, defending America from a threat we weren't even aware of. This book is more than a history of America's coastal war with Germany; it's also one hell of a great read.

Jeff Edwards, Author of "Torpedo: A Surface Warfare Thriller"

I read Hickam's The Keeper's Son first then noticed in the back where he mentioned writing this book, too. It is the true story behind The Keeper's Son and what a story it is! Like the other reviewers, I never realized the tremendous damage the u-boats caused along our shores. The book, Hickam's first, is written with such skill, it seems like you're right there on those little cutters or the con of the u-boats. High recommended for all those interested in World War II or true sea tales.

This is a great, page-turning history (It's always a thrill find one of these) of little-known U-boat engagements against merchant shipping off the Atlantic coast at the beginning of WWII.

Nearing the 3/4 point in Mr. Hickam's book, I took last night off to view the film, "Das Boot," a well-researched German-produced film about a WWII U-boat and crew. Don't get me wrong. The book is incredible, but if you want to spice up the experience even more, "Torpedo Junction" and "Das Boot" (The Boat) make excellent symbiotic entertainment.

Torpedo Junction is the best book about men at war on the high seas I've ever read. And I'm a naval history buff! The author is the same Homer Hickam who wrote Rocket Boys and then the subject of the movie October Sky. How he came to write this book I have no idea but he did a great job!

Homer Hickam and I have something in common: we're both from the same area of West Virginia. What we don't have in common is the ability to write: he can.

Most are familiar with Rocket Boys and the movie it spawned, October Sky, but few know that Homer has such an interest in U.S. history. This book makes it clear that Homer can weave a tale no matter what the subject.

As an avid amateur U-boat historian myself, I found this account of this little-known part of WWII fascinating. He tells of the brave sailors, airmen, and civilians who succeeded in ending Grand Admiral Karl Doenitz's reign of terror along the East Coast of the United States, when his U-boats attacked Allied shipping in plain view of swimmers on our Atlantic Coast beaches.

A battle that was only fought half-heartedly in the beginning finally reached a successful crescendo when our military leaders realized that the only way to end the terror was to devote the resources to the effort. This story is that of brave Coast Guard and Navy officers and crewmen who fought against overwhelming odds, eventually enacting such a heavy price from the Nazis that Doenitz brought his campaign to an end. Hickam is to be commended for remembering and memorializing this critical time in our war effort.

I had never read anything about WWII submarine warfare, but I was very familiar with the author's other titles. As a history buff I found this to be a very interesting and informative book. The detail of the U-Boat operations and the U.S.'s attempts to defend it's waters was excellent. I was particularly struck by the humanitarian(relatively speaking) treatment that the various sub skippers and their treatment of crews that had abandoned ship. I highly recommend this book for any history buff, particularly WWII buffs.

this book is for you. Homer Hickam is an exceptional writer and a great researcher. This true story reads like an exciting adventure novel. It focuses on the tiny coast guard cutters that fought the German U-boats that attacked the American east coast during World War II. Thoroughly documented, the reader will be introduced to a huge, bloody battle that took place just off American shores (including the Gulf coast). This is the same Homer Hickam who wrote October Sky and The Coalwood Way. He actually dived on the U-boat wrecks and the freighters and tankers he writes about. Highly recommended for the World War II buff or if you just like adventure books. Every bit as good as The Perfect Storm. It reminded me of that book.

Ultimately how good I like a book is if I'm committed to finish it. Torpedo Junction by Homer Hickman is a book I had to finish, but I was so interested in what it revealed I hardly wanted it to end. Many factors were at work here. First, Mr. Hickman's writing is so clear and linear that it belies the painstaking research such an easy to read factual narrative requires. Thank you Mr. Hickman for doing the work so I could both be reviled and astonished!

This little known yet very tragic part of World War II played out right at our doorstep. Because of Japan's audacity to hit us with one massive surprise salvo the even more insideous U-Boat war on the U.S. coastline played out largely unknown to the general public. For months that seemed to drag on and on the Germans sank boat after boat after boat. Maybe for our protection or maybe because we couldn't quite get a handle on how to stop the German U-Boat threat the mounting damage was kept quiet. It was a tremendous tragedy which caused great loss of life as well as massive destruction of resources. With Torpedo Junction we can finally see how close to home death truly came. Also, we get to know the true courage of those who protected our home shores so we could both support the war effort as well as keep that all important semblance of a "normal life" at home. To know the facts surrounding the North Atlantic U-Boat war helps to rectify those long years of not talking about it.

I recommend this book as both educational and entertaining. As with Rocket Boys I was pulled inside a time and place as if I was there. Storytelling really doesn't get better than this.