Trapped at Pearl Harbor: Escape from Battleship Oklahoma (Bluejacket Books) [Paperback]

Stephen Bower Young (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1998 | Series: Bluejacket Books

Stephen Bower Young was a seaman first class assigned to gunnery duty in turret no. 4 on the Oklahoma when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. Struck by torpedoes, the battleship started to sink, and Young and others became trapped when it overturned. Here, he recounts their terrifying experience with stunning clarity, recalling their frantic search for an escape route and horror at finding the exits blocked. He describes the water's inexorable rise, inch by awful inch; the sickening taste of fuel oil; the foul smell of the air; the nervous wisecracks echoing through the cold darkness; and finally the silence, as the possibility of rescue becomes ever more remote. Undeniably one of the most spellbinding events to unfold during the air raid, this true-life story of Young's escape rivals that of any fiction thriller.

Editorial Reviews

From AudioFile

Young, who was a seaman on the battleship U.S.S. Oklahoma, has written an articulate recollection of what happened to him and many of his shipmates between the time the ship was torpedoed and they were rescued some thirty hours later. Tim Murphy's voice is pleasingly resonant; its masculine quality brings out the character of all the sailors and officers and just as ably tells us of shore liberty and the confusion of the attack. The actual attack and capsizing of the "Okie" (which was moored next to the U.S.S. ARIZONA) make up a good third of this work. Yet it's so well written and read that the listener is amazed to realize that all these events transpired in a mere ten-minute time span. M.T.F. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine --This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 188 pages
• Publisher: US Naval Institute Press (April 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1557509921
• ISBN-13: 978-1557509925
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #218,506 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good story, and very well told, September 18, 1999

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Trapped at Pearl Harbor: Escape from Battleship Oklahoma (Bluejacket Books) (Paperback)

The author recounts his days in the pre-WWII navy with candor and affection. Honest without being coarse or too sentimental, he talks of his experiences and shipmates, good and bad. The account of USS Oklahoma's sinking and his later rescue is thrilling. I read it in one sitting.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The U.S.S. Oklahoma during the Pearl Harbor raid., February 7, 2004

By 

Kevin M Quigg (Gettysburg, Pennsylvania United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Trapped at Pearl Harbor: Escape from Battleship Oklahoma (Bluejacket Books) (Paperback)

The author-Stephen Bower Young-served as a gunner on one of the main turrets of the battleship U.S.S. Oklahoma. He was aboard the ship when she was torpeodoed during the surprise Japanese attack. This story is about his personal experiences during the December 7, 1941 attack and the escape from the ship when it rolled over.
Young offers recollections about the life aboard the battleship and the sailors he served with. Many of these sailors would not survive the attack (448 died).
The majority of the book was about the attack and the subsequent escape. I was most interested in Young's successful escape, when other sailors drilled holes into the bottom of the ship so those trapped could escape. A most interesting read.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A "must read" for you and your kids, June 4, 2001

By 

Scott Pearson (San Antonio, TX USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Trapped at Pearl Harbor (Mass Market Paperback)

This book is absolutely spellbinding. Once you open this book, you won't be able to put it down. The impact of this first-hand account of being trapped inside the capsized hull of the battleship USS Oklahoma at Pearl Harbor is resounding. Buy it for yourself but share it with anyone upon whom you wish to impress the courage of what has come to be called the Greatest Generation. The next time you hear someone complaining about how tough they have it (perhaps your kids or grandkids whining about not having the coolest sneakers or the latest Nintendo), give them this book to read. Perhaps the reality of how pampered our current lifestyle really is will sink in. I suspect this book will also help you put your own problems in perspective as well.