The Sailing of the Intrepid
The Incredible Wartime Voyage of the Navy’s Iconic Aircraft Carrier
Hanover Square Press · Print & ebook · May 20, 2025
*A New York Post Best Book of the Week* From twenty-two-year naval and marine veteran Montel Williams comes a page-turning history of how one World War II aircraft carrier’s crew defied all odds, redefining the very meaning of what it means to struggle, persevere and survive.
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- Who it’s for
- A naval-history read that mixes battlefield context with the mechanics of a famous carrier's voyage.
- Genres
- WWII Pacific Theater, Naval History, Maritime History
- Published
- Hanover Square Press, May 20, 2025
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For younger readers: In Harm's Way, Left for Dead, Abandon Ship!
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*A New York Post Best Book of the Week* From twenty-two-year naval and marine veteran Montel Williams comes a page-turning history of how one World War II aircraft carrier’s crew defied all odds, redefining the very meaning of what it means to struggle, persevere and survive. 1944. The USS Intrepid set sail on its first combat voyage, only to be struck by a Japanese torpedo plane, jamming its rudder at a forty-five-degree angle.
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It could only sail in circles amid treacherous waters. The task force abandoned ship as it tried to make the 3,300-mile voyage to Pearl Harbor. For a day, the captain was able to slalom, alternating use of the ship’s engines, but the seas became too perilous. Until one resilient crewman came up with the ingenious idea of rigging a 3,000-square-foot high sail on the second deck to steer the ship home safe. Incredibly, the makeshift sail proved to be their ticket to the shorelines. With grit and determination, this spellbinding story details a remarkable survival story against all odds, for readers of Tom Clavin and Bob Drury.
Carrier at Sea
A naval-history read that mixes battlefield context with the mechanics of a famous carrier's voyage.
Come here for
- carrier history with a wartime lens
- maritime detail without dryness
Expect
- WWII Pacific Theater framing
- performance, movement, and shipboard stakes
Where it sits
| WWII Pacific Theater | 67% |
|---|---|
| Naval History | 54% |
| Maritime History | 42% |
Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.
Publisher categories
- Military Lives
- Survival Stories
- World War II History
- U.S. Military History
Show all 8 publisher categories
- Other Military Conflicts
- Naval History
- WWII Pacific Theater
- 20th-Century America
- Authors
- Montel Williams, David Fisher
- Publisher
- Hanover Square Press
- Published
- May 20, 2025
- Format
- Print & ebook
- Reading lane
- Military Lives