Torpedo Junction: U-Boat War Off America's East Coast 1942 (Mass Market Paperback)

~ Homer Hickam (Author) "If lines were to drawn on a map from Cape Race,Newfoundland, down the east coast of the North American continent and into the Gulf of..." (more)
Key Phrases: see primary sources, torpedo junction, navy gun crew, Admiral Andrews, Cape Hatteras, New York (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The best account to date of America's early war against the U-Boat."
--The Journal of Military History

"Homer Hickam is a gifted storyteller...the reader is transported back to those crucial battles at sea to live and die with those seamen."
--The Times-Herald(Newport News, Va.)

"A dramatic end detailed account."
--West Coast Review of Books -- Review

Review

"The best account to date of America's early war against the U-Boat."—Journal of Military History

"Homer Hickam is a gifted storyteller...the reader is transported back to those crucial battles at sea to live and die with those seamen."—Times-Herald, Newport News, Va.

"A dramatic end detailed account."—West Coast Review of Books

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 432 pages
• Publisher: Dell (April 1, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0440210275
• ISBN-13: 978-0440210276
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.1 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #112,053 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent history about the U-Boat wars, November 8, 2001

By	Andrew (Vermont) - See all my reviews

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.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One Awesome Book, April 7, 2003

By A Customer

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!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another Grand Slam for Homer Hickam!, November 21, 2004

By	Jeffery S. Edwards "Novelist and Naval Warfar... (San Diego, CA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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"