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Simple Courage: A True Story of Peril on the Sea
“HEAVEN HELP THE SAILOR ON A NIGHT LIKE THIS.”–old folk prayerIn late December 1951, laden with passengers and nearly forty metric tons of cargo, the freighter S.S. Flying Enterprise steamed westward from Europe toward America. A few days into the voyage, she hit the eye of a ferocious storm. Force 12 winds tossed men about like playthings and turned drops of freezing Atlantic foam into icy missiles. When, in the space of twenty-eight hours, the ship was slammed by two rogue waves–solid walls of water more than sixty feet high–the impacts cracked the decks and hull almost down to the waterline, threw the vessel over on her side, and thrust all on board into terror.Flying Enterprise’s captain, Kurt Carlsen, a seaman of rare ability and valor, mustered all hands to patch the cracks and then try to right the ship. When these efforts came to naught, he helped transfer, across waves forty feet high, the passengers and the entire crew to lifeboats sent from nearby ships. Then, for reasons both professional and intensely personal, and to the amazement of the world, Carlsen defied all requests and entreaties to abandon ship. Instead, for the next two weeks, he fought to bring Flying Enterprise and her cargo to port. His heroic endeavor became the world’s biggest news.In a narrative as dramatic as the ocean’s fury, acclaimed bestselling author Frank Delaney tells, for the first time, the full story of this unmatched bravery and endurance at sea. We meet the devoted family whose well-being and safety impelled Carlsen to stay with his ship. And we read of Flying Enterprise’s buccaneering owner, the fearless and unorthodox Hans Isbrandtsen, who played a crucial role in Kurt Carlsen’s fate.Drawing on historical documents and contemporary accounts and on exclusive interviews with Carlsen’s family, Delaney opens a window into the world of the merchant marine. With deep affection–and respect–for the weather and all that goes with it, he places us in the heart of the storm, a “biblical tempest” of unimaginable power. He illuminates the bravery and ingenuity of Carlsen and the extraordinary courage that the thirty-seven-year-old captain inspired in his stalwart crew. This is a gripping, absorbing narrative that highlights one man’s outstanding fortitude and heroic sense of duty. “One of the great sea stories of the twentieth century… [a] surefire nautical crowd-pleaser.”--Booklist é (starred review)“Frank Delaney has written a completely absorbing, thrilling and inspirational account of a disaster at sea that occasioned heroism of the first order. In the hands of a gifted storyteller, the ‘simple courage’ of the ship’s captain and the young radio man who risked their lives to bring a mortally wounded ship to port reveals the essence and power of all true courage–a stubborn devotion to the things we love.”–Senator John McCainFrom the Hardcover edition.
Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2006
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About the author
Frank Delaney
59 books606 followersFrank Delaney was an author, a broadcaster on both television and radio, journalist, screenwriter, playwright, lecturer, and a judge of many literary prizes. Delaney interviewed more than 3,500 of the world's most important writers. NPR called him 'The Most Eloquent Man in the World'. Delaney was born and raised in County Tipperary, Ireland, spent more than twenty-five years in England before moving to the United States in 2002. He lived in Litchfield County, Connecticut, with his wife, writer and marketer, Diane Meier.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews
September 15, 2009
Though the American Library Associations listed Frank Delaney's "Simple Courage" as one of the 10 Best Books of the Year, this is a stunning book with no promotion and no machine behind it. And readers are missing something vital and satisfying and directional in that loss.
A disaster at sea, the harrowing rescue of passengers and crew, and the courage and plain decent behavior of a sea-captain who stayed with his ship and the merchant marine who joined him on board.
This tale of 'doing the right thing' for all the right reasons - professional and personal, contrasts with the movement to glorify and commercialize Captain Carlson. In this age of celebrity endorsements, red carpets and untalented-unearned fame generated by reality television, this story becomes a kind of beacon of truth about how we might all conduct our lives - and stay with out own ships through storms and seas - for no glory but the chance to do it right.
Couldn't recommend this more highly.
A disaster at sea, the harrowing rescue of passengers and crew, and the courage and plain decent behavior of a sea-captain who stayed with his ship and the merchant marine who joined him on board.
This tale of 'doing the right thing' for all the right reasons - professional and personal, contrasts with the movement to glorify and commercialize Captain Carlson. In this age of celebrity endorsements, red carpets and untalented-unearned fame generated by reality television, this story becomes a kind of beacon of truth about how we might all conduct our lives - and stay with out own ships through storms and seas - for no glory but the chance to do it right.
Couldn't recommend this more highly.
February 18, 2011
One man. A raging sea. A wounded ship.
Life and death.
I’d put “Simple Courage” right up there with Caroline Alexander’s “The Endurance; Shackleton’s Legendary Antarctic Expedition” and Sebastian Junger’s “The Perfect Storm,” to name just two.
In addition to a terrific non-fiction account, the capper in this one is how well Frank Delaney weaves himself into the story. The events that comprise the core of “Simple Courage,” in fact, are a childhood memory for Delaney and the reporting becomes a both a reporter’s journey and trip down memory lane. “I was nine years old in December 1951; and, if a shade too shrewd for Santa Claus, I believed in everything else: miracles, the power of magnets, haunted houses, the truth of all stories, time travel.”
The vast emphasis of the book, however, is on the blow-by-blow account of how one cargo ship “laden with passengers and nearly forty metric tons of cargo” encountered Force 12 winds and was slammed by two rogue waves more than sixty feet high. “Simple Courage” is the story of captain Kurt Carlsen’s extraordinary cool in the face of the storm as he works to save his cargo, his crew and a dozen European emigrants who were using “The Flying Enterprise” as transportation from Hamburg to the New York.
The ship was carrying peat moss, a dozen Volkswagen cars, a few tons of birdcages, antiques, early Chippendale chairs, china pitchers, “a small orchestra’s worth of priceless antique musical instruments,” several hundred typewriters and, among other items, 30 tons of the volatile chemical naphthalene.
When the storm attacks and the waves whack “The Flying Enterprise,” Carlsen manages to get the people off (in forty-foot seas) to ships that have arrived to help. This section of the book, with passengers jumping into the freezing North Atlantic and swimming to lifeboats, which were hardly secure in the tossing seas, is positively harrowing. And then Carlsen, the last one on board the foundering “Flying Enterprise,” in a move that surprises all who are tracking the ship’s struggles, decides to stay with his wreck and becomes, instantly, the man that the whole world is watching.
Delaney writes beautifully throughout his recap of the events in his very matter-of-fact, low-key style. (I “read” this on audio CD and Delaney performs the narration. Delaney has got one of the most engaging story-telling voices I’ve heard, particularly with his gentle Irish lilt. The writing might have been jotted down from a well-rehearsed campfire story.) Delaney is fascinated by words and word origins, in addition to everything else, and the nautical vocabulary gives him plenty of fodder.
“Simple Courage” is much more than a book about a shipwreck and the rescue. (Please ignore any other reviews that suggest otherwise.) As Delaney points out, “Simple Courage” is a story that “insists on being told.”
Mark Stevens
Life and death.
I’d put “Simple Courage” right up there with Caroline Alexander’s “The Endurance; Shackleton’s Legendary Antarctic Expedition” and Sebastian Junger’s “The Perfect Storm,” to name just two.
In addition to a terrific non-fiction account, the capper in this one is how well Frank Delaney weaves himself into the story. The events that comprise the core of “Simple Courage,” in fact, are a childhood memory for Delaney and the reporting becomes a both a reporter’s journey and trip down memory lane. “I was nine years old in December 1951; and, if a shade too shrewd for Santa Claus, I believed in everything else: miracles, the power of magnets, haunted houses, the truth of all stories, time travel.”
The vast emphasis of the book, however, is on the blow-by-blow account of how one cargo ship “laden with passengers and nearly forty metric tons of cargo” encountered Force 12 winds and was slammed by two rogue waves more than sixty feet high. “Simple Courage” is the story of captain Kurt Carlsen’s extraordinary cool in the face of the storm as he works to save his cargo, his crew and a dozen European emigrants who were using “The Flying Enterprise” as transportation from Hamburg to the New York.
The ship was carrying peat moss, a dozen Volkswagen cars, a few tons of birdcages, antiques, early Chippendale chairs, china pitchers, “a small orchestra’s worth of priceless antique musical instruments,” several hundred typewriters and, among other items, 30 tons of the volatile chemical naphthalene.
When the storm attacks and the waves whack “The Flying Enterprise,” Carlsen manages to get the people off (in forty-foot seas) to ships that have arrived to help. This section of the book, with passengers jumping into the freezing North Atlantic and swimming to lifeboats, which were hardly secure in the tossing seas, is positively harrowing. And then Carlsen, the last one on board the foundering “Flying Enterprise,” in a move that surprises all who are tracking the ship’s struggles, decides to stay with his wreck and becomes, instantly, the man that the whole world is watching.
Delaney writes beautifully throughout his recap of the events in his very matter-of-fact, low-key style. (I “read” this on audio CD and Delaney performs the narration. Delaney has got one of the most engaging story-telling voices I’ve heard, particularly with his gentle Irish lilt. The writing might have been jotted down from a well-rehearsed campfire story.) Delaney is fascinated by words and word origins, in addition to everything else, and the nautical vocabulary gives him plenty of fodder.
“Simple Courage” is much more than a book about a shipwreck and the rescue. (Please ignore any other reviews that suggest otherwise.) As Delaney points out, “Simple Courage” is a story that “insists on being told.”
Mark Stevens
July 4, 2021
The Flying Enterprise, a cargo ship, sailed into a wicked storm in the Atlantic in December of 1951. The freighter, carrying 12 passengers and a large crew, was hit by what we call a rouge wave. The ship was tossed with such force she teetered on to one side. Then a second wave hit her and she lay there disabled and flooding. An SOS was sent and the call was answered by many, including a U.S. Navel ship. However, the weather was so fierce it was nearly impossible to get close enough to transfer the occupants. Small boats were sent out as the 12 passengers and crew jumped into the raging sea. The Captain refused to leave the ship, opting to wait for a Tug Boat to come and tow him back to England. Captain Carlsen was a man who would always have done his duty.
This was a great story. The author was a young boy in Ireland at time and followed the story , awestruck and encouraged by the bravery of Captain Carlsen. The problem with the book , however. was the authors detailed explanations dragging out and at the end his ramblings about what a tyrant his father was. That could have been cut from the book and still left a great story. It was an event I had never heard about, so I am glad I read it.
t
This was a great story. The author was a young boy in Ireland at time and followed the story , awestruck and encouraged by the bravery of Captain Carlsen. The problem with the book , however. was the authors detailed explanations dragging out and at the end his ramblings about what a tyrant his father was. That could have been cut from the book and still left a great story. It was an event I had never heard about, so I am glad I read it.
t
February 28, 2020
An overly detailed account of the brave and dedicated ship captain whose perseverance made him an international hero (thanks to the over-the-top efforts of the world press) for not giving up his severely storm-damaged ship. Interesting, but could have been easily told minus the tedious explanation of....well....everything!
January 18, 2022
Excellent story about a fascinating event (which I'd never heard about, though it was an international obsession in 1951).
If you enjoy stories of human resilience in the face of disaster, I heartily recommend this one.
Frank Delaney reads the audiobook, and he is an excellent reader. He also personalizes and contextualizes the story.
If you enjoy stories of human resilience in the face of disaster, I heartily recommend this one.
Frank Delaney reads the audiobook, and he is an excellent reader. He also personalizes and contextualizes the story.
March 26, 2019
Every now and then an incident galvanizes international attention as few things can. About five or so years back it was the bunch of Chilean minors stuck in a cave-in, who worked together and survived long enough to be rescued as the world watched. The incident of "Simple Courage" is of the same type. Only it became not a group of men who did it, but the struggle against herculean odds of one man to try to save his ship. In the end he didn't, but he left a memory that endures to this day.
Captain Kurt Carlsen of Denmark had worked at sea all his life, and he was now the skipper of a freighter, "The Flying Enterprise". In December 1951, while carrying cargo and some passengers as well as his crew, Carlsen found that his ship had sailed into a major storm at sea. The storm battered the freighter, and soon it was obvious that the ship might sink. Other ships arrived and passengers were removed as well as most of the crew, but Carlsen refused to leave the Enterprise. He knew that the ship might go to the bottom, but he also hoped to keep her afloat and to sail her to a British port that was several hundred miles to his north. It all sounded hopeless, but Carlsen proceeded to do what he could. Another seaman was dropped on board to assist the Captain, and together the two kept the Enterprise (despite the enormous amount of water it had taken aboard) afloat for weeks. And the world watched spellbound. It was a fairly quiet period of the Cold War, and the Korean conflict was far away. This was a welcomed respite to our globe, for they were seeing a brave man fighting the forces of nature to save the ship.
Incredibly Carlsen managed to keep her afloat and even approach the English waters. A relative abatement in the strength of the storm helped. But as the third week began so did the strength of the sea resume it's hurricane like forces. Carlsen refused to give up and refused any assistance, as he knew that to do so might give ownership of his ship away to some company that assisted him. This would cost his employers the value of the cargo. So he stubbornly continued fighting nature and sailing desperately for shore. But in the end, though he reached within 100 miles of England, he couldn't save her. He was the last person to leave the "Flying Enterprise" and watched her finally sink to the bottom.
Nothing like the event could be recalled in recent memory in 1951, and Carlsen was hailed one of the great sailor heroes of the age. So he remains to this day among aficionados of the sea and her history, and to sailors around the globe. At the time he was hailed around the world, and it is a shame that today only the two groups I mention remember Kurt Carlsen. This book, written in 2006, was (I believe) the first full account of this truly remarkable and driven man who almost fully achieved the impossible. The book never is boring, and keeps one riveted to the activities Carlsen was involved in in that moment of destiny when the world watched him. I thoroughly recommend this book to you, if you get a chance to read a copy.
Captain Kurt Carlsen of Denmark had worked at sea all his life, and he was now the skipper of a freighter, "The Flying Enterprise". In December 1951, while carrying cargo and some passengers as well as his crew, Carlsen found that his ship had sailed into a major storm at sea. The storm battered the freighter, and soon it was obvious that the ship might sink. Other ships arrived and passengers were removed as well as most of the crew, but Carlsen refused to leave the Enterprise. He knew that the ship might go to the bottom, but he also hoped to keep her afloat and to sail her to a British port that was several hundred miles to his north. It all sounded hopeless, but Carlsen proceeded to do what he could. Another seaman was dropped on board to assist the Captain, and together the two kept the Enterprise (despite the enormous amount of water it had taken aboard) afloat for weeks. And the world watched spellbound. It was a fairly quiet period of the Cold War, and the Korean conflict was far away. This was a welcomed respite to our globe, for they were seeing a brave man fighting the forces of nature to save the ship.
Incredibly Carlsen managed to keep her afloat and even approach the English waters. A relative abatement in the strength of the storm helped. But as the third week began so did the strength of the sea resume it's hurricane like forces. Carlsen refused to give up and refused any assistance, as he knew that to do so might give ownership of his ship away to some company that assisted him. This would cost his employers the value of the cargo. So he stubbornly continued fighting nature and sailing desperately for shore. But in the end, though he reached within 100 miles of England, he couldn't save her. He was the last person to leave the "Flying Enterprise" and watched her finally sink to the bottom.
Nothing like the event could be recalled in recent memory in 1951, and Carlsen was hailed one of the great sailor heroes of the age. So he remains to this day among aficionados of the sea and her history, and to sailors around the globe. At the time he was hailed around the world, and it is a shame that today only the two groups I mention remember Kurt Carlsen. This book, written in 2006, was (I believe) the first full account of this truly remarkable and driven man who almost fully achieved the impossible. The book never is boring, and keeps one riveted to the activities Carlsen was involved in in that moment of destiny when the world watched him. I thoroughly recommend this book to you, if you get a chance to read a copy.
February 8, 2017
The Flying Enterprise met up with mayhem in Dec. of 1951; her story and her captain became fish food for the media as the news spread that Captain was remaining on his ship despite the freighter's extreme listing and taking on of water in continuous gale force winds.
Delaney tells the story one layer at a time to explain exactly how the situation occurred and how the world understood it. At the same time, Delaney reveals the character of Captain Carlson, a man the public forced into a spotlight for having done only what he knew to be his duty. The story surrounding the sinking of the Flying Enterprise reminds me a lot of the one that evolved from Sullenberger's 2009 landing of the plane in the Hudson River... Through the eyes of the media, we saw a miracle and a hero, yet the tale involved merely a man who was doing his job. This is a great book to reflect on the role of media in our culture and also a great book to reflect on what it means to do a job well and for all the right reasons.
Delaney tells the story one layer at a time to explain exactly how the situation occurred and how the world understood it. At the same time, Delaney reveals the character of Captain Carlson, a man the public forced into a spotlight for having done only what he knew to be his duty. The story surrounding the sinking of the Flying Enterprise reminds me a lot of the one that evolved from Sullenberger's 2009 landing of the plane in the Hudson River... Through the eyes of the media, we saw a miracle and a hero, yet the tale involved merely a man who was doing his job. This is a great book to reflect on the role of media in our culture and also a great book to reflect on what it means to do a job well and for all the right reasons.
September 13, 2012
This is a true story of post WWII shipping in the Atlantic centered around a slowly sinking cargo vessel, The Flying Enterprise. After being hit by 2 rouge waves, his ship going down in hurricane force winds, the captain orchestrates the safe rescue of all but one of the 50+ passenger and crew who were safely taken on another ship most by swimming to life boats. Worth the time for sure, if a little long. Wonderful story telling of an adventure at sea and the fascinating reaction the entire world had to the saga. Especially when the Captain decides to stay on the ship...
August 18, 2010
Another author from the literary conference. This book was an amazing story of a ship wreck and how the captain saved everyone on the ship except one person and then stayed with the ship for days even though conditions were still terrible and all he had to eat was pound cake and beer to drink.
February 4, 2018
Well written fascinating story.
May 1, 2024
I am never quite sure how to take books like this, where we are supposed to be awed and amazed by a person's perseverance and courage in face of seemingly insurmountable odds. According to the author, Captain Kurt Carlsen is a hero, who got his badly damaged ship to port (with the help of a tug and ships from the US Navy), escaping the grasp of a massive Atlantic storm.
I have read other books like this and the way I see it is that Captain Carlsen needlessly put himself in danger, potentially widowed his wife, and left his two daughters fatherless in order to save stuff. He stayed on board the badly crippled Flying Enterprise to ensure that, if the ship and its cargo made port, his shipping company would get the profits from the cargo in the hold, not a salvage tug. So he risked his life and potentially the lives of those on the other ships that stayed to aid him, for stuff. Stuff that was probably insured by both the owners and the shipping company. That is not my definition of a hero.
Also, I found the author made some strange comments. For example, he said the Flying Enterprise cracked as if "a great savage ogre, hacking down on her with a tomahawk, twice, three, four times". A strangely specific weapon of North American origin, I was a bit baffled why the Irish author chose it for his metaphor. Also, he talks about Thor Heyerdahl's voyage on the Kon-Tiki and says about Heyerdahl that "being a Norwegian, had the good fortune to bear no stains of war." Meaning World War 2. While Norway attempted to remain neutral, it was invaded and occupied by Germany in April 1940. The term 'quisling' comes from the Norwegian collaborator Vidkun Quisling, the Norwegian leader of the fascist party who became prime minister in support of the Germans. So I am not sure what the author was referring to.
Overall, the book was okay, but a bit rambling and I honestly wondered at time how much actual research into the events the author did before he decided his family homilies and strange asides would be enough to carry the book to its conclusion.
I have read other books like this and the way I see it is that Captain Carlsen needlessly put himself in danger, potentially widowed his wife, and left his two daughters fatherless in order to save stuff. He stayed on board the badly crippled Flying Enterprise to ensure that, if the ship and its cargo made port, his shipping company would get the profits from the cargo in the hold, not a salvage tug. So he risked his life and potentially the lives of those on the other ships that stayed to aid him, for stuff. Stuff that was probably insured by both the owners and the shipping company. That is not my definition of a hero.
Also, I found the author made some strange comments. For example, he said the Flying Enterprise cracked as if "a great savage ogre, hacking down on her with a tomahawk, twice, three, four times". A strangely specific weapon of North American origin, I was a bit baffled why the Irish author chose it for his metaphor. Also, he talks about Thor Heyerdahl's voyage on the Kon-Tiki and says about Heyerdahl that "being a Norwegian, had the good fortune to bear no stains of war." Meaning World War 2. While Norway attempted to remain neutral, it was invaded and occupied by Germany in April 1940. The term 'quisling' comes from the Norwegian collaborator Vidkun Quisling, the Norwegian leader of the fascist party who became prime minister in support of the Germans. So I am not sure what the author was referring to.
Overall, the book was okay, but a bit rambling and I honestly wondered at time how much actual research into the events the author did before he decided his family homilies and strange asides would be enough to carry the book to its conclusion.
August 27, 2017
I love everything that Delaney Does. As this does not involve Ireland, it was quite a departure from the normal Delaney work. This book reminded me very much of the writing of Eric Larson, specifically his work involving ships at sea.
I am oddly fond of reading about seagoing exploits both fictional and nonfiction. This was a very entertaining book and the fact that it all really happened heightened the interest.
I will not say that the work was pulse pounding but you were part of the against the clock notion of the work as a reader.
Delaney can write no wrongs, for me everything he touches is gold, and this work was no exception.
I advise this to most, but again, it's not his typical fair.
If you are a fan of maritime work, you will of course love this.
I am oddly fond of reading about seagoing exploits both fictional and nonfiction. This was a very entertaining book and the fact that it all really happened heightened the interest.
I will not say that the work was pulse pounding but you were part of the against the clock notion of the work as a reader.
Delaney can write no wrongs, for me everything he touches is gold, and this work was no exception.
I advise this to most, but again, it's not his typical fair.
If you are a fan of maritime work, you will of course love this.
December 18, 2021
Simple Courage is an epic true story of the sea, and of men who had honor and character and courage, and just did their job. They simply had courage. The time setting is late 1951 and early 1952. I was intrigued by how this story, at that time, captivated an audience on both sides of the Atlantic. It was the lead news story, and heroes were in short supply, so Captain Karlsen filled that void. The author tells the story slowly, which was fine, as he takes the time to introduce the main characters. He also shares some of his own childhood memories of this saga from the eyes of his youth. The book is well blended with past and present, and the story itself, all true, is remarkably told. A very good read!
July 14, 2018
Heroes Are Not Loud
This is a marvelous account of a true story with great significance for the author. The sea, with its intensity and power has always been a divider of men and boys. In this tale of the FLYING ENTERPRISE, Captain Carlsen reveals the best in human mental strength and fortitude - something we all may hope we would also demonstrate under extreme duress. The book is riveting and leaves no question unanswered. Highly recommend this excellently written tale of a quiet hero.
This is a marvelous account of a true story with great significance for the author. The sea, with its intensity and power has always been a divider of men and boys. In this tale of the FLYING ENTERPRISE, Captain Carlsen reveals the best in human mental strength and fortitude - something we all may hope we would also demonstrate under extreme duress. The book is riveting and leaves no question unanswered. Highly recommend this excellently written tale of a quiet hero.
August 2, 2020
A compelling tale, but one who I unfortunately compelled by as I hoped to be. Don’t get me wrong it was clearly well researched and a well told story, I personally just did not get as enthralled by the details as I thought I might.
January 1, 2024
About the ship that really didn't want to sink and the captain that stayed with her until the end. Audiobook was a little hard to hear, the recorded volume was a little low and the irish accent was a little hard for my ears to hear and i had to slow down the playback speed until I got used to it.
June 25, 2025
An almost unbelievable tale of humility, duty, and service that had me shaking my head in disbelief at the courage of people who find themselves in harrowing circumstances. As always, Mr. Delaney tells the tale in beautiful prose that includes warmth, humor, and vivid detail.
August 15, 2017
A great story of courage on the very high seas! Was Captain Carlson right or wrong? I don't think that is what was most important - his valiant effort is what made him a hero!
March 25, 2019
After the first part it slows down quite a bit, but you learn a lot about shipping of the era.
July 1, 2019
Audio. As a boater, I found this very interesting.
August 29, 2019
I was so moved by the way the book was written. The story was powerful, but the use of language was masterful. I will listen to it again to keep learning how to write.
December 11, 2019
Very detailed account of the quintessential heroic sea captain story. Perhaps too detailed for my ears.
May 5, 2020
Again I was pulled in how amazing humans can be when they decide on truth, duty and courage.
January 31, 2022
This was an interesting story, however it was too long and drawn out for my taste. Mr. Delaney did a very good job narrating.
February 16, 2023
Didn't finish. Very dry and boring.
September 17, 2023
I would not like to see a 60 foot wave coming at me in the middle of a mighty storm at sea.
September 5, 2025
Entertaining and exciting tale told intriguingly.
March 23, 2017
This was a somewhat interesting book, but I did zone out through a large portion of it .
June 11, 2008
Simple Courage
A true story of peril on the sea
Frank Delaney gives a gripping account of a story I remember reading about in primary school, the story of the Flying Enterprise. This was a stricken freighter that ran into trouble off the coast of Ireland in the new year of 1951 during several dramatic weeks that included attempts to tow her into port and some hair-raising moments in which there could have been major loss of life. Every wave that crashed over her cracked hull was splashed across the headlines on both sides of the Atlantic, and the saga gripped the public imagination for weeks as the drama unfolded.
The story is of Captain Kurt Carlson, a Danish shipmaster whose name became legendary in the popular imagination as well as in maritime history. He shunned the title of 'Hero' for the rest of his life, always insisting that he was just doing his duty.
In one of the best openings to a book that I have read in a long time, Delaney draws you in with a vivid description of the Beaufort scale, describing in shocking detail the weather conditions that sailors are subjected to when nature unleashes its unforgiving fury at sea as well as on land.
When Flying Enterprise left Antwerp in late December 1951 on her voyage to New York with her cargo, fifty crew and ten passengers, little did anyone know of the drama that was in store. One of the biggest storms in living memory pounded Western Europe, prompting rescue operations up and down the Irish Sea, the North Sea, the congested English Channel, and the North Atlantic. A freak wave assailed Flying Enterprise from the side, lifted her out of the water, dropped her in it again with a loud thud, cracking her hull and pushing her over on her side to a 60 degree list. Water poured into the holds, the cargo shifted, and the list became permanent.
Carlson arranged an incredible operation to lash the hull together with chains, cover the crack on the deck, and pump the water back out. It was enough to stop her taking any more water, for now. The engineers below worked themselves into a state of exhaustion to keep the water out of the machinery and keep the engines going until the men could do no more, literally collapsing on the steel plates, and the ship lost power. Enormous waves continued to pound the vessel. The rudder was sheared off. The lifeboats were either smashed or in too dangerous a position to be launched. When help arrived, Carlson saw to it that the passengers got off by jumping into the stormy water accompanied by crewmen who helped them aboard the rescue boats that had taken hours to get into a safe position in heaving mountainous seas. When the last crewman was off, he turned around and asked Carlson if he was coming. The answer was no.
Carlson stayed aboard, used a makeshift radio and his skills as a ham radio operator to communicate with the armada of ships that had gathered, and continued to run his disabled ship single-handedly for over a week. He risked his life moving about the listing boat, scavenged what little food and drink there was, wrote it all down in the store log, and maintained the ship's log and kept her 'legal.' As long as he was captain and on board, nobody could claim salvage. He arranged for a contract to be negotiated to get Flying Enterprise towed to port, all of this over a period of days in which she could have gone down at any minute. When the tug Turmoil arrived, after a day of trying to get a line to the lone captain in a large swell, Kenneth Dancy sprinted across the tug's deck and jumped across to Flying Enterprise to help Carlson secure the tow line. Dancy became First Mate and he saw the horrendous and terrifying conditions that Carlson had been living in, where some walls had become sloping floors, some walls had become sloping roofs, and sea water and diesel and oil was everywhere. Carlson had been working, eating, and sleeping in the middle of all this and remained calm and professional throughout.
Delaney has a real talent for going into the necessary detail while keeping up the suspense and giving a careful analysis of the complex motivations that led Carlson to stay aboard his ship alone and his determination to get her into port. He uses first hand accounts to build up a picture of the impact of the incident on the lives of those involved. There's also a fascinating theme of etymology, explaining the origins of everyday words that have their ancient roots in the practices of the craft of sailing. This is a real nail-biter right to the end, and just when you think the author is wandering off into the weeds with reminiscences about his own childhood, he pulls you right back to the Carlson story with the lesson that one Danish captain inadvertently taught the world about family loyalty, about putting others first, about professionalism, and about duty.
A true story of peril on the sea
Frank Delaney gives a gripping account of a story I remember reading about in primary school, the story of the Flying Enterprise. This was a stricken freighter that ran into trouble off the coast of Ireland in the new year of 1951 during several dramatic weeks that included attempts to tow her into port and some hair-raising moments in which there could have been major loss of life. Every wave that crashed over her cracked hull was splashed across the headlines on both sides of the Atlantic, and the saga gripped the public imagination for weeks as the drama unfolded.
The story is of Captain Kurt Carlson, a Danish shipmaster whose name became legendary in the popular imagination as well as in maritime history. He shunned the title of 'Hero' for the rest of his life, always insisting that he was just doing his duty.
In one of the best openings to a book that I have read in a long time, Delaney draws you in with a vivid description of the Beaufort scale, describing in shocking detail the weather conditions that sailors are subjected to when nature unleashes its unforgiving fury at sea as well as on land.
When Flying Enterprise left Antwerp in late December 1951 on her voyage to New York with her cargo, fifty crew and ten passengers, little did anyone know of the drama that was in store. One of the biggest storms in living memory pounded Western Europe, prompting rescue operations up and down the Irish Sea, the North Sea, the congested English Channel, and the North Atlantic. A freak wave assailed Flying Enterprise from the side, lifted her out of the water, dropped her in it again with a loud thud, cracking her hull and pushing her over on her side to a 60 degree list. Water poured into the holds, the cargo shifted, and the list became permanent.
Carlson arranged an incredible operation to lash the hull together with chains, cover the crack on the deck, and pump the water back out. It was enough to stop her taking any more water, for now. The engineers below worked themselves into a state of exhaustion to keep the water out of the machinery and keep the engines going until the men could do no more, literally collapsing on the steel plates, and the ship lost power. Enormous waves continued to pound the vessel. The rudder was sheared off. The lifeboats were either smashed or in too dangerous a position to be launched. When help arrived, Carlson saw to it that the passengers got off by jumping into the stormy water accompanied by crewmen who helped them aboard the rescue boats that had taken hours to get into a safe position in heaving mountainous seas. When the last crewman was off, he turned around and asked Carlson if he was coming. The answer was no.
Carlson stayed aboard, used a makeshift radio and his skills as a ham radio operator to communicate with the armada of ships that had gathered, and continued to run his disabled ship single-handedly for over a week. He risked his life moving about the listing boat, scavenged what little food and drink there was, wrote it all down in the store log, and maintained the ship's log and kept her 'legal.' As long as he was captain and on board, nobody could claim salvage. He arranged for a contract to be negotiated to get Flying Enterprise towed to port, all of this over a period of days in which she could have gone down at any minute. When the tug Turmoil arrived, after a day of trying to get a line to the lone captain in a large swell, Kenneth Dancy sprinted across the tug's deck and jumped across to Flying Enterprise to help Carlson secure the tow line. Dancy became First Mate and he saw the horrendous and terrifying conditions that Carlson had been living in, where some walls had become sloping floors, some walls had become sloping roofs, and sea water and diesel and oil was everywhere. Carlson had been working, eating, and sleeping in the middle of all this and remained calm and professional throughout.
Delaney has a real talent for going into the necessary detail while keeping up the suspense and giving a careful analysis of the complex motivations that led Carlson to stay aboard his ship alone and his determination to get her into port. He uses first hand accounts to build up a picture of the impact of the incident on the lives of those involved. There's also a fascinating theme of etymology, explaining the origins of everyday words that have their ancient roots in the practices of the craft of sailing. This is a real nail-biter right to the end, and just when you think the author is wandering off into the weeds with reminiscences about his own childhood, he pulls you right back to the Carlson story with the lesson that one Danish captain inadvertently taught the world about family loyalty, about putting others first, about professionalism, and about duty.
February 13, 2011
One man. A raging sea. A wounded ship.
Life and death.
I’d put “Simple Courage” right up there with Caroline Alexander’s “The Endurance; Shackleton’s Legendary Antarctic Expedition” and Sebastian Junger’s “The Perfect Storm,” to name just two.
In addition to a terrific non-fiction account, the capper in this one is how well Frank Delaney weaves himself into the story. The events that comprise the core of “Simple Courage,” in fact, are a childhood memory for Delaney and the reporting becomes a both a reporter’s journey and trip down memory lane. “I was nine years old in December 1951; and, if a shade too shrewd for Santa Claus, I believed in everything else: miracles, the power of magnets, haunted houses, the truth of all stories, time travel.”
The vast emphasis of the book, however, is on the blow-by-blow account of how one cargo ship “laden with passengers and nearly forty metric tons of cargo” encountered Force 12 winds and was slammed by two rogue waves more than sixty feet high. “Simple Courage” is the story of captain Kurt Carlsen’s extraordinary cool in the face of the storm as he works to save his cargo, his crew and a dozen European emigrants who were using “The Flying Enterprise” as transportation from Hamburg to the New York.
The ship was carrying peat moss, a dozen Volkswagen cars, a few tons of birdcages, antiques, early Chippendale chairs, china pitchers, “a small orchestra’s worth of priceless antique musical instruments,” several hundred typewriters and, among other items, 30 tons of the volatile chemical naphthalene.
When the storm attacks and the waves whack “The Flying Enterprise,” Carlsen manages to get the people off (in forty-foot seas) to ships that have arrived to help. This section of the book, with passengers jumping into the freezing North Atlantic and swimming to lifeboats, which were hardly secure in the tossing seas, is positively harrowing. And then Carlsen, the last one on board the foundering “Flying Enterprise,” in a move that surprises all who are tracking the ship’s struggles, decides to stay with his wreck and becomes, instantly, the man that the whole world is watching.
Delaney writes beautifully throughout his recap of the events in his very matter-of-fact, low-key style. (I “read” this on audio CD and Delaney performs the narration. Delaney has got one of the most engaging story-telling voices I’ve heard, particularly with his gentle Irish lilt. The writing might have been jotted down from a well-rehearsed campfire story.) Delaney is fascinated by words and word origins, in addition to everything else, and the nautical vocabulary gives him plenty of fodder.
“Simple Courage” is much more than a book about a shipwreck and the rescue. (Please ignore any other reviews that suggest otherwise.) As Delaney points out, “Simple Courage” is a story that “insists on being told.”
Life and death.
I’d put “Simple Courage” right up there with Caroline Alexander’s “The Endurance; Shackleton’s Legendary Antarctic Expedition” and Sebastian Junger’s “The Perfect Storm,” to name just two.
In addition to a terrific non-fiction account, the capper in this one is how well Frank Delaney weaves himself into the story. The events that comprise the core of “Simple Courage,” in fact, are a childhood memory for Delaney and the reporting becomes a both a reporter’s journey and trip down memory lane. “I was nine years old in December 1951; and, if a shade too shrewd for Santa Claus, I believed in everything else: miracles, the power of magnets, haunted houses, the truth of all stories, time travel.”
The vast emphasis of the book, however, is on the blow-by-blow account of how one cargo ship “laden with passengers and nearly forty metric tons of cargo” encountered Force 12 winds and was slammed by two rogue waves more than sixty feet high. “Simple Courage” is the story of captain Kurt Carlsen’s extraordinary cool in the face of the storm as he works to save his cargo, his crew and a dozen European emigrants who were using “The Flying Enterprise” as transportation from Hamburg to the New York.
The ship was carrying peat moss, a dozen Volkswagen cars, a few tons of birdcages, antiques, early Chippendale chairs, china pitchers, “a small orchestra’s worth of priceless antique musical instruments,” several hundred typewriters and, among other items, 30 tons of the volatile chemical naphthalene.
When the storm attacks and the waves whack “The Flying Enterprise,” Carlsen manages to get the people off (in forty-foot seas) to ships that have arrived to help. This section of the book, with passengers jumping into the freezing North Atlantic and swimming to lifeboats, which were hardly secure in the tossing seas, is positively harrowing. And then Carlsen, the last one on board the foundering “Flying Enterprise,” in a move that surprises all who are tracking the ship’s struggles, decides to stay with his wreck and becomes, instantly, the man that the whole world is watching.
Delaney writes beautifully throughout his recap of the events in his very matter-of-fact, low-key style. (I “read” this on audio CD and Delaney performs the narration. Delaney has got one of the most engaging story-telling voices I’ve heard, particularly with his gentle Irish lilt. The writing might have been jotted down from a well-rehearsed campfire story.) Delaney is fascinated by words and word origins, in addition to everything else, and the nautical vocabulary gives him plenty of fodder.
“Simple Courage” is much more than a book about a shipwreck and the rescue. (Please ignore any other reviews that suggest otherwise.) As Delaney points out, “Simple Courage” is a story that “insists on being told.”
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