Trapped at Pearl Harbor: Escape from Battleship Oklahoma

by Stephen Bower Young

Author Stephen Young was a seaman first class assigned to gunnery duty in turret no. 4 on the battleship Oklahoma when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. The battleship was struck by several torpedoes and began to sink, trapping Young and others when it overturned. With incredible realism, Young recounts this terrifying experience, recalling the frantic search for an escape route, the horror of finding the exit blocked, and such unforgettable detail as the water's inexorable rise, the sickening taste of fuel oil, the foul smell of the air, the nervous wisecracks, and finally the silence as the possibility of rescue became ever more remote.

Genres: History, World War II, War

240 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 10, 2013

Reviews

[Audiobook Accomplice (Gillian) · Rating 5 out of 5]

An Edge of the Seat Listen
My Full Review →

[Kelsey Gorman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really cool read after visiting Pearl Harbor. A really cool and chilling account of his time on the Oklahoma and the horrors they had to go through to survive.

[Lance · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredible story of survival on Battleship Oklahoma. A short yet compelling memoir written by one of only 32 sailors rescued from the bowels of the battleship turned turtle. I appreciate how the author is honest about other sailors conduct, not ignoring the mistakes or less than honorable actions taken by the crew of turret #4. Some of the vignettes about life aboard Oklahoma were also entertaining and humorous. This is a short read but one worth picking up.

[Cordell Caulkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

If your a claustrophobic person, this book will be very difficult to read as it chronicles the survival of the crew of the USS Oklahoma who were trapped in the capsized hull and awaited rescue amid flooding and suffocation following the attack on Pearl Harbor.

It’s a harrowing story and heartbreaking. It’s definitely worth a read.

[KEVIN M OBRIEN · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed it. It was from the point of view of some survivors. Opens your eyes to a one sided war reminded me of 09/11.