"A compelling and definitive account...
Desperate Hours
reveals why the allure of the
Doria
continues to attract and fascinate even now, almost 50 years later." (The Boating Channel, www.boatingchannel.com)
On July 25th, 1956, the modern Swedish liner
Stockholm
collided with the equally modern Italian luxury liner
Andrea Doria
. The sea was foggy but calm, and both vessels had radar and experienced bridge crews. Eleven hours later, the
was lying on the bottom of the Atlantic, having lost 46 of its 1700 passengers; five lives were lost on the Stockholm. An editor and writer for The
New York Times
and author of Mine Eyes Have Seen, Goldstein focuses on the stories of the people, with just enough attention to the technical issues and the various legal battles to round out the account. Following the story from ship to ship, deck to deck, he clearly dissects the rescue of the passengers and crew. As often in large disasters, some committed acts of heroism, some cowardice; others just muddled through. The causes of the accident have never been fully adjudicated. The collision may have been the result of a concatenation of minor mistakes in judgment, but, as Goldstein demonstrates, the rescue was the result of a number of organizations, ships, and people who cooperated smoothly under extreme pressure. Recommended for most public libraries. (
Library Journal
, October 15, 2001)
The leading disaster story of 1956 was the collision during a foggy Long Island summer night of the Italian liner
with the Swedish liner
. Here, journalist Goldstein (
Mine Eyes Have Seen
, 1997) offers the definitive history of the Doria's sinking and the rescue of 1,700 people. Despite the modest death toll (46), the
's story bears striking resemblance to the
Titanic
's. Both were luxury liners built to the most advanced technology, sailing too fast in a dangerous area with poor visibility. In both, it was clear soon after the collision that the ship would sink. Both evacuations, however, were chaotic. Despite many heroic exceptions, too many crewmembers panicked, crowding into the first lifeboats. Unlike the
, the
carried enough boats, but half were unavailable. At any angle above 15 degrees, boats on the high side couldn't be launched, and the Doria's list quickly reached 18 degrees. Because boats on the low side had to be dropped into the sea before loading, passengers were forced to climb down rope ladders or jump into the water. If the Doria had sunk in the Titanic's two-and-a-half hours instead of eleven, the death toll would have been catastrophic. After the rescue came the usual recriminations, investigations, and lawsuits. Each side gave conflicting versions of the collision, so no blame could be assigned. Even today the Andrea Doria continues to exact a toll. Resting at 250 feet, the limit for a skilled diver, it receives a steady stream of visitors. They explore, extract souvenirs, and sometimes die, at the rate of nearly one per year.
Goldstein has interviewed a mass of participants and experts. The result: a detailed and authoritative history ranging from the background of the liners and the technical details of ship construction and transatlantic navigation to a gripping account of the collision, rescue, and aftermath. (
Kirkus Reviews
, September 1, 2001)
"Provides an interesting insight into how people react when faced with a catastrophe at sea." (Lloyd's List, 11 January 2002)
"Perfectly readable and...engaging." (The Mail on Sunday, 3 February 2002)