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The Ship That Wouldn't Die: The Saga of the USS Neosho- A World War II Story of Courage and Survival at Sea
Acclaimed naval historian Don Keith tells one of the most inspiring sea stories of World War the Japanese attack on the American oiler USS Neosho and the crew’s struggle for survival as their slowly sinking ship drifted on the treacherous Coral Sea.
May 1942: the United States closed in for the war’s first major clash with the Japanese Navy. The Neosho , a vitally important but minimally armed oil tanker was ordered away from the impending battle. But as the Battle of the Coral Sea raged two hundred miles away, the Neosho was attacked, setting the ship ablaze and leaving it listing badly. Scores of sailors were killed or wounded, while hundreds bobbed in shark-infested waters. Fires on board threatened to spark a fatal explosion, and each passing hour brought the ship closer to sinking. It was the beginning of a hellish four-day ordeal as the crew struggled to stay alive and keep their ship afloat. Only four of them would survive to be rescued after nine days.
Working from eyewitness accounts and declassified documents, Keith offers up vivid portraits of Navy heroes in this tale of a ship as tough and resilient as its crew. The Ship That Wouldn’t Die captures the indomitable spirit of the American sailor—and finally brings to the surface one of the great untold sagas of the Pacific War.
May 1942: the United States closed in for the war’s first major clash with the Japanese Navy. The Neosho , a vitally important but minimally armed oil tanker was ordered away from the impending battle. But as the Battle of the Coral Sea raged two hundred miles away, the Neosho was attacked, setting the ship ablaze and leaving it listing badly. Scores of sailors were killed or wounded, while hundreds bobbed in shark-infested waters. Fires on board threatened to spark a fatal explosion, and each passing hour brought the ship closer to sinking. It was the beginning of a hellish four-day ordeal as the crew struggled to stay alive and keep their ship afloat. Only four of them would survive to be rescued after nine days.
Working from eyewitness accounts and declassified documents, Keith offers up vivid portraits of Navy heroes in this tale of a ship as tough and resilient as its crew. The Ship That Wouldn’t Die captures the indomitable spirit of the American sailor—and finally brings to the surface one of the great untold sagas of the Pacific War.
416 pages, Paperback
First published April 7, 2015
66 people are currently reading
228 people want to read
About the author
Don Keith
70 books54 followersAward-winning and best-selling author of more than 40 published works, Don Keith was born in 1947 and has lived in the South all his life. He attended the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa where he received his degree in broadcast and film communication with a minor in English and literature. While working as a broadcast journalist, he won awards from the Associated Press and United Press International for news writing and reporting. He was also the first winner of Troy State University's Hector Award for innovation in broadcast journalism. As an on-the-air broadcaster, Don won the Billboard Magazine "Radio Personality of the Year" in two formats, country and contemporary. Keith was a broadcast personality for over twenty years in Birmingham and Nashville, and also owned his own consultancy, co-owned a Mobile, Alabama, radio station (WZEW-FM), and hosted and produced several nationally syndicated radio shows.
His first novel, THE FOREVER SEASON, was published by St. Martin's Press in the fall of 1995 to commercial and critical success. It called heavily on Keith's own athletic and academic experiences. Reviewers praised its unique approach and powerful story. The novel won the Alabama Library Association's "Fiction of the Year" award in 1997, joining works likewise honored from Harper Lee and others, and was re-issued in the fall of 2002 by the University of Alabama Press as part of its prestigious Deep South Books series.
He has written both fiction and non-fiction, including several books on WWII history, biographies, and military thrillers. His co-written thriller, HUNTER KILLER, was the basis for the hit movie starring Gerard Butler and Gary Oldman.
His first novel, THE FOREVER SEASON, was published by St. Martin's Press in the fall of 1995 to commercial and critical success. It called heavily on Keith's own athletic and academic experiences. Reviewers praised its unique approach and powerful story. The novel won the Alabama Library Association's "Fiction of the Year" award in 1997, joining works likewise honored from Harper Lee and others, and was re-issued in the fall of 2002 by the University of Alabama Press as part of its prestigious Deep South Books series.
He has written both fiction and non-fiction, including several books on WWII history, biographies, and military thrillers. His co-written thriller, HUNTER KILLER, was the basis for the hit movie starring Gerard Butler and Gary Oldman.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
October 8, 2015
Well told story of the oil tanker USS Neosho in the battle of Coral Seas. The tanker was misidentified as a carrier by a Japanese scout plane and the IJN launched all their bombers to sink her. As a consequence they missed the real American carriers who survived to fight the battle the next day.
The Neosho survived the attack badly damaged, but rescuers did not find her for 4 days. The book tells the heroic stories of the sailors who performed valiantly, often giving up their own lives in order to save others.
The Neosho survived the attack badly damaged, but rescuers did not find her for 4 days. The book tells the heroic stories of the sailors who performed valiantly, often giving up their own lives in order to save others.
February 13, 2018
Great account if some of the unsung heroes of World War II.
This was a well told account of a not well known event early in the war. I found it to be entertaining and inspiring.
This was a well told account of a not well known event early in the war. I found it to be entertaining and inspiring.
February 22, 2023
Amazing story of survival and how sometimes both good and bad luck played a huge role in events. Wonderful, quick read about a piece of naval history that might have otherwise fallen under the radar.
July 25, 2017
Overall I thought it was a decently written book.
I knew from other histories about the USS Neosho at Pearl Harbor, but this is the first work that made clear to me why the Neosho's commanding officer decided to move during the attack. I also knew that the Neosho had been lost during the Battle of the Coral Sea, but in no great detail nor in the context of how it related to the rest of the battle. I think Don Keith does a good job of portraying what the men of the Neosho (and their escort, the USS Sims) went through while at the same time putting it in the context of the Battle of the Coral Sea.
One thing the author did that I'm sure will not sit well with purists. He puts thoughts into the minds of participants who did not survive the battle based on their know training and life histories.
I knew from other histories about the USS Neosho at Pearl Harbor, but this is the first work that made clear to me why the Neosho's commanding officer decided to move during the attack. I also knew that the Neosho had been lost during the Battle of the Coral Sea, but in no great detail nor in the context of how it related to the rest of the battle. I think Don Keith does a good job of portraying what the men of the Neosho (and their escort, the USS Sims) went through while at the same time putting it in the context of the Battle of the Coral Sea.
One thing the author did that I'm sure will not sit well with purists. He puts thoughts into the minds of participants who did not survive the battle based on their know training and life histories.
May 23, 2016
Keith weaves a compelling narrative of the Neosho miraculous escape from destruction during Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor and it's eventual demise at the Battle of the Coral Sea. It's an interesting and gripping read despite occasionally getting bogged down in statistics. Many biographies falter in the same way. It's just the nature of historical narratives. Still a good book on an otherwise overlooked naval ship.
September 7, 2021
Wow. This book started out riveting, and kept up the pace and interest – even for a story so tragic. The U.S.S. Neosho was an oil tanker that narrowly escaped being destroyed at Pearl Harbor, and her “luck” just kept continuing throughout the war. For 6 months anyway, until, with 140,000 barrels of fuel in the hold, two Japanese dive-bombers did their deed and the ship exploded into a ball of fire. The escort destroyer Sims was also attacked, and quickly sank, giving most of the men onboard little time to escape. But, though fires raged on the Neosho, (from seven direct hits and a kamikaze crash) it wouldn’t go down. There were sharks, and explosions, and miscommunications, and damaged life rafts… over 200 men who survived initially drifted off to sea in their small, untethered, and unsupplied lifeboats. Nine days later, the remaining survivors were found. There were only four.
Just like the tragedy of the Titanic’s sinking brought about reforms in shipping, so did this. The Neosho stayed barely afloat for four days. The few survivors were not found for another five. The miscommunication of the command to “be prepared to abandon ship” that caused so many men to disembark prematurely, to their deaths,” was forbidden to ever be used again, with those words only to be used upon the actual need to abandon ship. The survivors helped with the reforms and improvements, ensuring that lifeboats in the future would be equipped with enough line to attach their craft to another, so that those vessels would not drift out to sea. With these and other reforms in place, and a posthumous Medal of Honor and Silver Star for some of the most noble men, the memory of those who died will not be forgotten.
The only drawback for me was that the narrative kept jumping between the two damaged ships and the people on them, and it could get a bit confusing as to which one was currently being described. But, though tragic, absolutely riveting, with superb writing style.
Just like the tragedy of the Titanic’s sinking brought about reforms in shipping, so did this. The Neosho stayed barely afloat for four days. The few survivors were not found for another five. The miscommunication of the command to “be prepared to abandon ship” that caused so many men to disembark prematurely, to their deaths,” was forbidden to ever be used again, with those words only to be used upon the actual need to abandon ship. The survivors helped with the reforms and improvements, ensuring that lifeboats in the future would be equipped with enough line to attach their craft to another, so that those vessels would not drift out to sea. With these and other reforms in place, and a posthumous Medal of Honor and Silver Star for some of the most noble men, the memory of those who died will not be forgotten.
The only drawback for me was that the narrative kept jumping between the two damaged ships and the people on them, and it could get a bit confusing as to which one was currently being described. But, though tragic, absolutely riveting, with superb writing style.
November 18, 2018
I'll put my biases up front: I am a sucker for sea stories. Tales of a small group of men trapped on a ship at sea working in incredible adversities to achieve their goals are probably my favourite genre of history. Thus, when I say that I enjoyed Don Keith's latest work immensely, I may be exaggerating, but only just.
The book tells of a little known "side story" to the well known Battle of the Coral Sea in May 1942. While the crews of the Lexington, Yorktown, Zuikaku, and Shokaku were busy battling it out in the first major carrier-on-carrier action of the war (and indeed history) the crew of the destroyer USS Sims and USS Neosho were engaged in a life or death struggle several miles away. Having been sent out of the likely combat area by the American commander, Frank Fletcher, the Sims and the Neosho had actually been the first American warships spotted by the Japanese during the battle and had been heavily attacked with a terrible loss of life. Keith's book tells the story of this little known event as the crew of the Sims and Neosho struggled to survive in the stifling heat of the Coral Sea.
I honestly picked up the book on a sort of whim, not really knowing what to expect. But Keith has crafted a compelling narrative about the incident. While, occasionally, I would say the prose sometimes borders on the melodramatic ("[The Southern Cross] formed a mocking crucifix in the black, moonless sky"), overall Keith does an excellent job telling the story. While the book does not have citations for specific references (always an annoyance to a professional historian) the book does contain a bibliography and the "Author's Note" and the end of the book essentially acts as a bibliographical essay explaining the origins of Keith's sources and how he treated them in the text. Overall, a very good book that I literally found out was a page turner.
The book tells of a little known "side story" to the well known Battle of the Coral Sea in May 1942. While the crews of the Lexington, Yorktown, Zuikaku, and Shokaku were busy battling it out in the first major carrier-on-carrier action of the war (and indeed history) the crew of the destroyer USS Sims and USS Neosho were engaged in a life or death struggle several miles away. Having been sent out of the likely combat area by the American commander, Frank Fletcher, the Sims and the Neosho had actually been the first American warships spotted by the Japanese during the battle and had been heavily attacked with a terrible loss of life. Keith's book tells the story of this little known event as the crew of the Sims and Neosho struggled to survive in the stifling heat of the Coral Sea.
I honestly picked up the book on a sort of whim, not really knowing what to expect. But Keith has crafted a compelling narrative about the incident. While, occasionally, I would say the prose sometimes borders on the melodramatic ("[The Southern Cross] formed a mocking crucifix in the black, moonless sky"), overall Keith does an excellent job telling the story. While the book does not have citations for specific references (always an annoyance to a professional historian) the book does contain a bibliography and the "Author's Note" and the end of the book essentially acts as a bibliographical essay explaining the origins of Keith's sources and how he treated them in the text. Overall, a very good book that I literally found out was a page turner.
January 26, 2020
This is the unfamiliar saga of the US Navy's fast fleet 0iler, USS Neosho (AO-23), a Pearl Harbor survivor sunk during the battle of the Coral Sea. Don Keith has researched the personal stories as well as the recorded histories of the ships and men who fought in an off-to-the-side corner of that historic battle. The Neosho and one escort, the destroyer USS SIMS, were part of Admiral Frank Jack Fletcher's task force which included the fast carrier Lexington which was lost on the center stage of that, the first ever battle of opposing aircraft carriers. Fletcher valued the oiler's precious cargo, which allowed the stars of the task force to seek out and to engage the enemy task force. Thus, Fletcher dispatched the lightly defended oiler and its escort to a remote, neutral corner of the Coral Sea. An anxious Japanese scout-plane pilot spotted the two lesser targets and misidentified them as a carrier battle group to the Imperial Japanese Navy's carrier striking force which attacked with a fury that left the Sims sunk with great loss of life and the Neosho barely afloat. Keith has told a well constructed, colorful, detailed human story of that battle, but most importantly, he tells the gripping true stories of the men who survived (and many who did not) for five or more days and nights at sea on the sinking oiler or in drifting life rafts. This is a must-read for Navy vets and all historians of WWII. I found this a fascinating read, not just because I served on a sister oiler some thirty years and a generation later but because author Keith has filled in a long missing page in our recent history.
October 7, 2023
I enjoyed this book - engaging story, well told - but I think it's worth noting what this book is, and what this book isn't.
The author, Don Keith, is open about it. In his author's notes he talks about being a storyteller first and foremost and discusses that he will add dialogue and thoughts to people in the book to help tell the story.
If a precisely sourced, written account is critical to you, this book may not be a fit for you when you come across sentences like "There were too many airplanes dropping too many fireworks" or the definition of a Liberty ship "a merchant vessel operating with the Navy."
On the other hand, Keith is gifted at providing a driving narrative to the book that keeps the reader engaged. I also appreciate that this not another book on Pearl Harbor or Midway - Keith chose to tell the remarkable tale of the USS Neosho - a story that often is a few sentences or paragraphs in books on the Battle of the Coral Sea but is a compelling story of WW2.
All in all, an engaging read that tells one of the many remarkable stories of WW2.
The author, Don Keith, is open about it. In his author's notes he talks about being a storyteller first and foremost and discusses that he will add dialogue and thoughts to people in the book to help tell the story.
If a precisely sourced, written account is critical to you, this book may not be a fit for you when you come across sentences like "There were too many airplanes dropping too many fireworks" or the definition of a Liberty ship "a merchant vessel operating with the Navy."
On the other hand, Keith is gifted at providing a driving narrative to the book that keeps the reader engaged. I also appreciate that this not another book on Pearl Harbor or Midway - Keith chose to tell the remarkable tale of the USS Neosho - a story that often is a few sentences or paragraphs in books on the Battle of the Coral Sea but is a compelling story of WW2.
All in all, an engaging read that tells one of the many remarkable stories of WW2.
April 16, 2021
As a side note that the author didn't write about there were 4 US Navy ships named Neosho. The first was a river monitor in the Civil War. He did mention another Neosho (AO-48) built and launched after the demise of AO-23. In the early 50's the fourth Neosho was built. This one was designated AO-143 and was the lead ship of 6 fleet oilers. I served on the USS Kawishiwi (AO-146) in the mid 70's. This class of ship was designed to fight it's way into and out of a war zone so they could refuel the fleet. When commissioned they were armed with two 5" 38 cal single barrel gun mounts, six 3" 50 cal gun mounts, and six 20mm cannons. The 5" gun mounts were removed early on since they cracked fuel tanks when fired. (Explanations of some Navel terms: AO stands for Auxiliary Oiler, 5" 38 cal means the barrel was 30 calibers long, i.e. 190".)
March 30, 2019
A compelling story that I first heard in Edwin Hoyt's "Blue Skies and Blood" many years ago. I was very excited to see a full length book about the Sims and Neosho saga.
Overall it is good, but I had to drop it to three stars due to the author's storytelling. I am not sure if it was the author or the editor, but there were times I felt whoever was writing some segments was simply looking through a thesaurus to add a string of redundant adjectives to emphasize the point they were making. Further, the use of foreshadowing or repeating an earlier key detail later in the story may work well in oral story-telling but is quite annoying in written stories when it is over-used as is the case in this book.
I am glad I read the book; I just wish it were better written.
Overall it is good, but I had to drop it to three stars due to the author's storytelling. I am not sure if it was the author or the editor, but there were times I felt whoever was writing some segments was simply looking through a thesaurus to add a string of redundant adjectives to emphasize the point they were making. Further, the use of foreshadowing or repeating an earlier key detail later in the story may work well in oral story-telling but is quite annoying in written stories when it is over-used as is the case in this book.
I am glad I read the book; I just wish it were better written.
May 19, 2017
Great story about one of the few modern oil tankers in the US navy at the beginning of the war. It was at Pearl on December 7 1941 and escaped unharmed, only to be mistaken for an aircraft carrier by the Japanese scout planes during the battle of the Coral Sea and attacked by the bulk of the Japanese Navy aircrafts. Being hit multiple times it refused to sink and allowed most of the survivors to remain on board until rescued several days later. It had to be sunk by the US rescue ship so it would not fall in enemy hands or be a danger to navigation. The book is an easy read, provide great detail on a little known fact of naval warfare during WWII. I enjoyed reading this book.
July 13, 2019
A vivid & in detail account of the USS Neosho & the USS Sims. The author went to great lengths to present this story of the Battle of The Coral Sea. My grandfather, John C. Verton was one of the 13 survivors of the USS Sims. It was nice to read about his courage & valor during overwhelming odds. To us grandchildren he rarely told an in depth account of his actions that fateful day. He was a hero that day. To us, he was simply Grandpa John. He's been gone some 25 years now but there is seldom a day where I don't think of him. His resolve, courage, & service to the Navy has been my guideline for how I conduct myself as a member of the fire service.
September 18, 2022
I listened to the audiobook and the choice of Arthur Morey as narrator was an excellent one.
I have read or listened to other books about the battle of the Coral Sea and this book tells more about that battle and particularly some of the strategic mistakes the IJN made in expending so much energy, time and resources on the Sims and Neosho.
This book focused equally as much on Captain Phillips after action report and recommendations for improvements to future operations as it did on the heroic actions of many sailors who perished at sea which I found interesting.
This book helps expand the picture of the War in the Pacific for any listener or reader and I highly recommend this book.
I have read or listened to other books about the battle of the Coral Sea and this book tells more about that battle and particularly some of the strategic mistakes the IJN made in expending so much energy, time and resources on the Sims and Neosho.
This book focused equally as much on Captain Phillips after action report and recommendations for improvements to future operations as it did on the heroic actions of many sailors who perished at sea which I found interesting.
This book helps expand the picture of the War in the Pacific for any listener or reader and I highly recommend this book.
August 15, 2023
A very engaging account of the fate of the USS Neosho and her crew in WWII. Don Keith keeps the pace steady and gives a very full account of everyone involved, from the crew and captain of the USS Sims, to the survivors adrift in rafts far from their ships' last known location to the fate of those sailors awaiting rescue on the mangled deck of their oil tanker that refused to die to the numerous rescue crews that searched for survivors. I liked that the author wrote a post-war follow-up on the men involved.
December 24, 2020
US shipyard steel and USN shipmates star
For the WWII armchair buff, the military veteran, as well as the peripatetic reader, it is there. The author weaves personal,team and leadership experiences into relevant tactical situations. These are provided the reader in the context of WWII reality and US and Imperial Japan strategies. All levels of action are set in a frame that holds together moving parts and pathos, including team glory, imperfections, and command behavior under the stresses of mortal personal and mission consequences. Naval history very well told.
For the WWII armchair buff, the military veteran, as well as the peripatetic reader, it is there. The author weaves personal,team and leadership experiences into relevant tactical situations. These are provided the reader in the context of WWII reality and US and Imperial Japan strategies. All levels of action are set in a frame that holds together moving parts and pathos, including team glory, imperfections, and command behavior under the stresses of mortal personal and mission consequences. Naval history very well told.
December 17, 2021
A wonderful book that captures the courage and hardship of World War II sailors. I personally loved learning about the stories of specific ships and where the war took them.
I found this to be an easy read and a book I always find myself reading until 11 or 12 at night - hard to put down! Would recommend to a friend interested in World War II or maritime stories.
I found this to be an easy read and a book I always find myself reading until 11 or 12 at night - hard to put down! Would recommend to a friend interested in World War II or maritime stories.
April 30, 2019
The account of the events is just one more treasured tales of the incredible courage and sacrifice done by men experiencing the unknown in the changing world at war. The only thing I found odd is out the story seemed to go from recounting to revealing by way of the story as it played out.
October 6, 2020
Excellent story that chronicles the saga of the Oiler tanker Neosho starting at Pearl Harbor and ending in the Battle of the Coral Sea. Well written and a pleasure to read. Would highly recommend to anyone interested in history, especially World War 2.
March 25, 2022
This was a great read. A lot of history books are rather dry, but that was not the case here. I cried especially while reading about the brave actions of Pharmacists’s Mate Third Class Henry Tucker. Highly recommend this story for anyone interested.
December 17, 2018
Really good read.
June 8, 2019
More WW2 disaster porn.
December 10, 2019
The story told is good and captivating. The problem is it’s just badly written.
December 15, 2020
Great read
A fascinating story, well documented and fast-paced. The book reads as a triller; but with the heart wrenching fact that the events are nonfiction.
A fascinating story, well documented and fast-paced. The book reads as a triller; but with the heart wrenching fact that the events are nonfiction.
August 26, 2023
This is my review as published in the September/October 2015 edition of World War II magazine.
Taking aerial scouting reports at face value could mislead World War II fleet commanders—and even court disaster. On December 16, 1941, for example, Lexington dive-bomber pilots mistook an abandoned dynamite barge for a Japanese carrier. They bombed it—but missed! Lex task force commander meanwhile detached fleet oiler Neosho, sending the vessel and its volatile cargo out of “harm’s way.” Nearly five months later, in the lead up to the 1942 Battle of Coral Sea, Japanese scouts mistook Neosho herself for a carrier—and nearby destroyer Sims for a cruiser. Carrier commander Chūichi Hara trusted this aerial sighting because it conformed to his expectations and dispatched eighty strike planes due south to destroy the would-be enemy. His real opponent—Frank Jack Fletcher’s Task Force 17—was over 300 miles northwest. Hara’s misstep gave Fletcher the initial advantage in what, though a tactical draw, became an important strategic U.S. Navy victory.
Most accounts of Coral Sea treat the attack on Neosho as a footnote—a fateful lapse that Hara ascribed to Japan’s “victory fever.” Author Don Keith takes a different angle, sticking with Neosho, Sims, and their crews as they battle the Japanese and then the cruel sea and blistering sun. The story is replete with heroic endurance and selflessness—but also human failings and miscues. Keith doesn’t airbrush the less-than-glorious. Instead, he balances all elements to construct a satisfying narrative with deep human interest and cliff-hanger appeal.
One caveat. Keith styles himself a storyteller who on occasion “puts words in the mouths and thoughts in the heads of people who may or may not have spoken those precise words or held those exact thoughts. He reasons historical sources are themselves subject to inaccuracy; even first-person accounts decay with time. He’s right, but documented sources also anchor historical storytelling and need not kill pace. When Keith creates multi-page dialogues (as he does when Neosho’s skipper delivers final abandon ship instructions) they sound contrived—and risk muddying history even more. Other narrative devices would serve better.
That said, Keith’s keeps his facts straight, doing justice to Neosho, Sims, and the men who fought courageously in a crucial but unappreciated role at Coral Sea. The Ship that Wouldn’t Die makes a good read—though a grueling one.
Taking aerial scouting reports at face value could mislead World War II fleet commanders—and even court disaster. On December 16, 1941, for example, Lexington dive-bomber pilots mistook an abandoned dynamite barge for a Japanese carrier. They bombed it—but missed! Lex task force commander meanwhile detached fleet oiler Neosho, sending the vessel and its volatile cargo out of “harm’s way.” Nearly five months later, in the lead up to the 1942 Battle of Coral Sea, Japanese scouts mistook Neosho herself for a carrier—and nearby destroyer Sims for a cruiser. Carrier commander Chūichi Hara trusted this aerial sighting because it conformed to his expectations and dispatched eighty strike planes due south to destroy the would-be enemy. His real opponent—Frank Jack Fletcher’s Task Force 17—was over 300 miles northwest. Hara’s misstep gave Fletcher the initial advantage in what, though a tactical draw, became an important strategic U.S. Navy victory.
Most accounts of Coral Sea treat the attack on Neosho as a footnote—a fateful lapse that Hara ascribed to Japan’s “victory fever.” Author Don Keith takes a different angle, sticking with Neosho, Sims, and their crews as they battle the Japanese and then the cruel sea and blistering sun. The story is replete with heroic endurance and selflessness—but also human failings and miscues. Keith doesn’t airbrush the less-than-glorious. Instead, he balances all elements to construct a satisfying narrative with deep human interest and cliff-hanger appeal.
One caveat. Keith styles himself a storyteller who on occasion “puts words in the mouths and thoughts in the heads of people who may or may not have spoken those precise words or held those exact thoughts. He reasons historical sources are themselves subject to inaccuracy; even first-person accounts decay with time. He’s right, but documented sources also anchor historical storytelling and need not kill pace. When Keith creates multi-page dialogues (as he does when Neosho’s skipper delivers final abandon ship instructions) they sound contrived—and risk muddying history even more. Other narrative devices would serve better.
That said, Keith’s keeps his facts straight, doing justice to Neosho, Sims, and the men who fought courageously in a crucial but unappreciated role at Coral Sea. The Ship that Wouldn’t Die makes a good read—though a grueling one.
February 19, 2017
The story of the USS Neosho and her crew as they survived Pearl Harbor and not sinking during the Battle of Coral Sea. You Read the untold story's of the men on the USS Neosho and men who were lost at sea after miscommunication of orders. Also on the USS Sims side and the men who survived the sinking. I enjoyed reading the untold story's of these men. They and there struggles should not be forgotten. Easy read for anyone who wants to learn more about history.
July 11, 2015
Like many books in this age of vanity presses, this title seems poorly edited. Which saddened me in particular as it's published by a subsidiary of Penguin. For me the breaking point came as Keith described events leading up to the Battle of the Coral Sea. He repeatedly mentions the area's notoriously bad weather. I've always read the Coral Sea is quite tranquil. Then he describes Goto's MO task force passing WEST of New Guinea, an amazing faux pas. Anyone even vaguely familiar with the geography of the area or the battle of the Coral Sea knows Goto would pass EAST of New Guinea.
The author seems intent on hammering Flethcher's caution and it gets to be a bit much when compared to other contemporary scholarly works. Fletcher was commanding half of the USN's existing aircraft carriers against a superior IJN force at a time when the IJN had more than twice as many carriers as the USN. Yes, he was cautious, and I can't see criticizing him for being so. In the end I set the book aside. It was simply not engaging enough for me to see past its gaffs.
The author seems intent on hammering Flethcher's caution and it gets to be a bit much when compared to other contemporary scholarly works. Fletcher was commanding half of the USN's existing aircraft carriers against a superior IJN force at a time when the IJN had more than twice as many carriers as the USN. Yes, he was cautious, and I can't see criticizing him for being so. In the end I set the book aside. It was simply not engaging enough for me to see past its gaffs.
January 19, 2016
This extraordinary WWII tale chronicles the fate of the USS Neosho and her crew. Although she was a tanker, not a battleship, she had an important role in supplying our Pacific fleet. Author Don Keith compellingly follows her journey from her initial launching to her heroic and evasive action at Pearl Harbor on December 7th, and finally, to her encounter with Japanese dive bombers in the Coral Sea. The author provides us with details of the crew; those who survived as well as those who heroically sacrificed their lives.
Thoroughly researched, this account of a little known event in WWII merely adds more luster to our Navy’s famous history.
Thoroughly researched, this account of a little known event in WWII merely adds more luster to our Navy’s famous history.
September 7, 2015
After all the great survival-at-sea books I've been reading, this one felt like a bit of a dud. I'm not quite sure why--the story's certainly interesting. The fault must hinge on development. It starts out strong, then wanders, with little narrative tension developed: instead it feels like a laundry list of events. "This happened, then this happened, then this happened," etc. The second half pulls it together somewhat, but I almost didn't make it make it that far. I'm glad to have learned the story of the USS Neosho, however.
May 18, 2025
I would classify this book as historical fiction. The author goes so far to explain that he inseterted dialogue where none existed, unapologetically at that -- and he couldn't even bother to make that dialogue sound like real Sailors.
While the events in time were true, the story told of the men living those events is tragically fiction. Read at your own risk.
While the events in time were true, the story told of the men living those events is tragically fiction. Read at your own risk.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews