Play Book Tag discussion

The Ghost Ships of Archangel: The Arctic Voyage That Defied the Nazis by William Geroux - 4* - My Review

The Ghost Ships of Archangel recounts the true story of Allied Convoy PQ-17, which departed Iceland in July 1942 carrying war supplies to the Soviet Union. When British Admiral Sir Dudley Pound ordered the convoy to scatter, the merchant ships were left vulnerable to attack, resulting in a large majority of vessels being sunk. The book focuses on four surviving ships that earned the nickname "ghost ships" by painting themselves white and heading north into the deadly Arctic ice fields to evade German detection.

Geroux weaves together multiple viewpoints from high-level leaders to individual sailors, drawing on diaries, interviews, and memoirs. It highlights the contributions of the Merchant Marine, whose members suffered proportionally worse casualties than those in military service. I always enjoy learning about lesser known (to me) episodes in history. I was intrigued to find out this event is taught in Russia as part of the history of WWII.