Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Lost at Sea:
Yeah, this title is pretty spot on.
Quick synopsis:
The story of war hero Eddie Rickenbacker and his crew’s crash and fight for survival in the Pacific Ocean during World War II.
Fun Fact for Non-History People:
Eddie Rickenbacker got addicted to speed when he first drove in a car that was going…10 mph.
Fun Fact for History Nerds:
Rickenbacker had a blind spot in his right eye from a cinder thrown from a train.
My Take on Lost at Sea:
I can’t count how many books I’ve read recently which contain so much extraneous material that I wonder, “where was the editor in all of this?” I just want the story I signed up for and not padding to get to a page count. A perfect example of avoiding this trap is John Wukovits’ Lost at Sea. It is a focused look at a forgotten episode of World War II which is all story and no fluff.
Eddie Rickenbacker may not be the household name he used to be, but anyone who likes flying has probably heard of him. In World War II, he was a civilian on a somewhat secret mission and hitching a ride across the Pacific. As you may be able to tell by the title of the book, it did not go well.
Wukovits tells the story masterfully, which is to say he states the facts and lets the history speak for itself. The entire narrative is unbelievable and needs no embellishment. There is even an undercurrent of religion and what it means when you are facing death. I worried that this theme might make the book preachy but Wukovits never lets it get that way. He talks about religion because his characters did. It’s a perfectly balanced book which any World War II nerd must read.
(This book was provided as an advance copy by Netgalley and Penguin Group Dutton.)
Verdict:
A riveting story of survival. Buy it here!
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