The Sailing of the Intrepid by Montel Williams and David Fisher

Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Sailing of the Intrepid:

Old habits die hard.

Quick synopsis:

The story of how in 1944 the crew of the USS Intrepid used old school methods to make it home.

Fact for Non-History People:

Yes, that Montel Williams is the author. He is an Annapolis grad (Go Army!) and is a retired lieutenant commander.

Fact for History Nerds:

The Intrepid is now a museum you can visit in New York City.

My Take on The Sailing of the Intrepid:

Never has a title been meant to be taken as literally as The Sailing of the Intrepid. Oh, and before you ask. Yes, THAT Montel Williams is the author. Although, I should probably be referring to him as Lieutenant Commander Williams and his co-author David Fisher. Also, yes, I did read the entire book with Montel’s voice in my head. It did increase my enjoyment even if Montel did go to the Naval Academy (Go Army!).

The book follows an incredible episode in the life of the USS Intrepid in World War II. School rivalries aside, this book was a bit personal for me as I have been to the actual Intrepid many times growing up. It is currently docked in New York City as a museum and I can confirm it’s pretty cool! The main story is about when the Intrepid is disabled in the Pacific during World War II and needs to limp back to Pearl Harbor. There is some background on the captain and some sailors as well.

What I enjoyed most was the insights into ship life which clearly come from a career naval officer. It is pretty clear what Williams is bringing to the table in this book, and Fisher steers the rest of the story (pun intended!) to keep it moving. They make a good team and the book is an easy read.

As I have said about similar books in the “popular history” genre, it is important to know what you are getting. Much like Martin Dugard’s excellent “Taking” series, The Sailing of the Intrepid is not trying to present an in-depth meditation or recounting of World War II in the Pacific. This is about a specific and unbelievable incident in the life of an aircraft carrier. If you are a non-history nerd, this might be the perfect book to introduce you to a subject you found boring in high school. For history nerds, the story is specific enough while not being widely recorded, that there is still plenty to discover.

(This book was provided as an advance copy by Netgalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing.)

Verdict:

Well done military history. Buy it here!