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Escape from the Deep: A True Story of Courage and Survival During World War II Audiobook
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(3.07) - 946 listener ratings
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"Their submarine was dead, one hundred and eighty feet below the surface of the Pacific Ocean. Somehow they survived. They were tortured and beaten. Somehow they survived. Alex Kershaw has done it again as he brings to life World War II's greatest submarine survival adventure." --James Bradley, author of Flags of Our Fathers and Flyboys
In the early morning hours of October 24, 1944, the legendary U.S. Navy submarine Tang was hit by one of its own faulty torpedoes. The survivors of the explosion struggled to stay alive one hundred-eighty feet beneath the surface, while the Japanese dropped deadly depth charges. As the air ran out, some of the crew made a daring ascent through the escape hatch. In the end, just nine of the original eighty-man crew survived.
But the survivors were beginning a far greater ordeal. After being picked up by the Japanese, they were sent to an interrogation camp known as the “Torture Farm.” When they were liberated in 1945, they were close to death, but they had revealed nothing to the Japanese, including the greatest secret of World War II.
With the same heart-pounding narrative drive that made The Bedford Boys and The Longest Winter national bestsellers, Alex Kershaw brings to life this incredible story of survival and endurance.
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"A truely riveting book. Once I started reading this a couldn't stop reading it. This is the true story of perhaps the most highly decorated submarine in the US Navy and it couragious crew. On it's 5th patrol it's last torpedo malfunctions and turns on it with 87 men on board. Read about the harrowing escape and subsequent torture by the Japanese."
— Jeff (5 out of 5 stars)
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American Profile Magazine, 5/24/09“A tale of courage, survival and heroism beyond what most of us can even imagine, it's got the makings of a Hollywood blockbuster. So read it now and be ready to tell everyone, ‘Oh, the movie was good—but the book was better!”
Escape from the Deep Listener Reviews
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" Wow! I haven't read a page-turning book about WWII in some time. This is a very well researched amazing story. It opens quite a few doors to other topics/books that are within the book. I can't wait to read Kershaw's other works now. "
— Amanda, 2/10/2014 -
" Wow! I haven't read a page-turning book about WWII in some time. This is a very well researched amazing story. It opens quite a few doors to other topics/books that are within the book. I can't wait to read Kershaw's other works now. "
— Amanda, 2/10/2014 -
" A truely riveting book. Once I started reading this a couldn't stop reading it. This is the true story of perhaps the most highly decorated submarine in the US Navy and it couragious crew. On it's 5th patrol it's last torpedo malfunctions and turns on it with 87 men on board. Read about the harrowing escape and subsequent torture by the Japanese. "
— Jeff, 1/26/2014 -
" Interesting as always to learn about the experiences of "the greatest generation" in World War II. Sad to think how few of them are left. "
— Ellen, 1/6/2014 -
" Interesting as always to learn about the experiences of "the greatest generation" in World War II. Sad to think how few of them are left. "
— Ellen, 1/6/2014 -
" I'm obviously not much of a non-fiction person, but my boyfriend gave me this book after he finished it and I ended up being utterly addicted to it! A great book for history fanatics and submarine afficianados alike. Highly recommended. "
— Maggie, 12/29/2013 -
" I'm obviously not much of a non-fiction person, but my boyfriend gave me this book after he finished it and I ended up being utterly addicted to it! A great book for history fanatics and submarine afficianados alike. Highly recommended. "
— Maggie, 12/29/2013 -
" True story of only American submarine in WWII to sink and yield survivors. "
— Ellen, 12/24/2013 -
" True story of only American submarine in WWII to sink and yield survivors. "
— Ellen, 12/24/2013 -
" Another amazing story of survival during WWII, about the nine guys who survived the sinking of the USS Tang, which went down courtesy of her own torpedo in 1944. Amazing bravery, amazing endurance, amazing mental toughness. "
— Bruce, 12/10/2013 -
" Another amazing story of survival during WWII, about the nine guys who survived the sinking of the USS Tang, which went down courtesy of her own torpedo in 1944. Amazing bravery, amazing endurance, amazing mental toughness. "
— Bruce, 12/10/2013 -
" Good, not great. A very interesting story if you have the time. "
— Jen, 11/19/2013 -
" Good, not great. A very interesting story if you have the time. "
— Jen, 11/19/2013 -
" A well written history of the sinking and survival of the crew of the USS Tang, this book has all the elements of a great sea story. "
— Mark, 10/17/2013 -
" A well written history of the sinking and survival of the crew of the USS Tang, this book has all the elements of a great sea story. "
— Mark, 10/17/2013 -
" Men from the "greatest generation" doing what it takes. A good book and a page turner. "
— Carol, 9/23/2013 -
" Men from the "greatest generation" doing what it takes. A good book and a page turner. "
— Carol, 9/23/2013 -
" A fascinating story about living through an impossible nightmare. I enjoyed it and thought it was good, but not quite as well done as hillenbrand's unbreakable. "
— Colleen, 9/20/2013 -
" A fascinating story about living through an impossible nightmare. I enjoyed it and thought it was good, but not quite as well done as hillenbrand's unbreakable. "
— Colleen, 9/20/2013 -
" Solid and interesting account of the USS TANG and its crew on its last two submarine patrols, the final one into the Formosa Strait, and the experience of nine survivor as POWs in Japan. "
— Jim, 7/23/2013 -
" Solid and interesting account of the USS TANG and its crew on its last two submarine patrols, the final one into the Formosa Strait, and the experience of nine survivor as POWs in Japan. "
— Jim, 7/23/2013 -
" Captivating story of the discovery of a sunken submarine and the search for the victims families. If it weren't for the fact that story jumps around too much and isn't always cohesive I might give this 5 stars. "
— Cathy, 7/22/2013 -
" Captivating story of the discovery of a sunken submarine and the search for the victims families. If it weren't for the fact that story jumps around too much and isn't always cohesive I might give this 5 stars. "
— Cathy, 7/22/2013 -
" A true story of a submarine crew during WWII--an engrossing, fast read "
— Pat, 6/3/2013 -
" A true story of a submarine crew during WWII--an engrossing, fast read "
— Pat, 6/3/2013 -
" This was a fantastic history lesson. I'm not a big fan of reading history but this one caught my attention and reminded me of all the heros of World War II. "
— Pete, 1/30/2013 -
" This was a fantastic history lesson. I'm not a big fan of reading history but this one caught my attention and reminded me of all the heros of World War II. "
— Pete, 1/30/2013 -
" Good story of a really exciting, dramatic submarine accident during World War II. I had never heard about the story of the U.S.S. Tang before now. Not much to the writing, but it definitely held my interest. "
— Tom, 8/19/2012 -
" Good story of a really exciting, dramatic submarine accident during World War II. I had never heard about the story of the U.S.S. Tang before now. Not much to the writing, but it definitely held my interest. "
— Tom, 8/19/2012 -
" And I alway thought Tang had something to do with space. This is a really excellent survival story from WWII. "
— Bill, 3/17/2012 -
" And I alway thought Tang had something to do with space. This is a really excellent survival story from WWII. "
— Bill, 3/17/2012 -
" Excellent, exciting, true story about the submarine USS Tang, and how 9 of her crew survived a hit from one of her own torpedoes! "
— Dave, 1/28/2012 -
" Excellent, exciting, true story about the submarine USS Tang, and how 9 of her crew survived a hit from one of her own torpedoes! "
— Dave, 1/28/2012 -
" I loved this book. It was like DeMille's Mayday only non-fiction. It was so engaging as an audiobook. "
— Wendy, 11/9/2011 -
" I loved this book. It was like DeMille's Mayday only non-fiction. It was so engaging as an audiobook. "
— Wendy, 11/9/2011 -
" Why had I never heard this amazing story of the submarine Tang. Incredibly successful in WWII in sinking Japanese ships, she was tragically hit by one of her own torpedos and sunk. How anyone escaped was a miracle : and the first time anyone did. "
— Rebecca, 8/31/2011 -
" Why had I never heard this amazing story of the submarine Tang. Incredibly successful in WWII in sinking Japanese ships, she was tragically hit by one of her own torpedos and sunk. How anyone escaped was a miracle : and the first time anyone did. "
— Rebecca, 8/31/2011 -
" nonfiction - 1944, a U.S. submarine torpedo malfunctioned and hit its own ship; only half the crew survived; only 9 escaped the ruins and lived "
— Patty, 2/28/2011 -
" nonfiction - 1944, a U.S. submarine torpedo malfunctioned and hit its own ship; only half the crew survived; only 9 escaped the ruins and lived "
— Patty, 2/28/2011 -
" Good, but not epic, story. The writeup makes it sound very tense and thrilling, but I didn't find it so. Not particularly well written. "
— Brigid, 11/5/2010 -
" Good, but not epic, story. The writeup makes it sound very tense and thrilling, but I didn't find it so. Not particularly well written. "
— Brigid, 11/5/2010 -
" I loved this book. It was like DeMille's Mayday only non-fiction. It was so engaging as an audiobook. "
— Wendy, 10/27/2010 -
" I loved this book. It was like DeMille's Mayday only non-fiction. It was so engaging as an audiobook. "
— Wendy, 10/27/2010 -
" Good book. Amazing how many stories there are from World War 2 that no one has any clue about. Amazing how these guys survived and what they went thru. "
— Brad, 9/20/2010 -
" Good book. Amazing how many stories there are from World War 2 that no one has any clue about. Amazing how these guys survived and what they went thru. "
— Brad, 9/20/2010 -
" Nearly unbelievable true account of an amazing submarine escape during WWII. A quick read, alternately chilling, inspiring, and bittersweet. "
— Jules, 8/10/2010 -
" Nearly unbelievable true account of an amazing submarine escape during WWII. A quick read, alternately chilling, inspiring, and bittersweet. "
— Jules, 8/10/2010 -
" Another amazing story of survival during WWII, about the nine guys who survived the sinking of the USS Tang, which went down courtesy of her own torpedo in 1944. Amazing bravery, amazing endurance, amazing mental toughness. "
— Bruce, 8/3/2010 -
" Another amazing story of survival during WWII, about the nine guys who survived the sinking of the USS Tang, which went down courtesy of her own torpedo in 1944. Amazing bravery, amazing endurance, amazing mental toughness. "
— Bruce, 8/3/2010 -
" An amazing story of the Tang submarine, and her nine surviving crew. The human will to survive is examined in following the lives of these men as they first escape their torpedoed ship, then somehow endure the depravity of Japanese captors. "
— Carla, 6/29/2010 -
" An amazing story of the Tang submarine, and her nine surviving crew. The human will to survive is examined in following the lives of these men as they first escape their torpedoed ship, then somehow endure the depravity of Japanese captors. "
— Carla, 6/29/2010 -
" Captivating story of the discovery of a sunken submarine and the search for the victims families. If it weren't for the fact that story jumps around too much and isn't always cohesive I might give this 5 stars. "
— Cathy, 5/19/2010 -
" Captivating story of the discovery of a sunken submarine and the search for the victims families. If it weren't for the fact that story jumps around too much and isn't always cohesive I might give this 5 stars. "
— Cathy, 5/19/2010 -
" True story of only American submarine in WWII to sink and yield survivors. "
— Ellen, 3/22/2010 -
" True story of only American submarine in WWII to sink and yield survivors. "
— Ellen, 3/22/2010 -
" It was alright. I wasn't really connected to any of the men. This is a nonfiction book and the author just took their statements and what happened and put it into a book. It is an interesting story, but its not set like a story. More like a documentary. "
— Jenkunz, 2/18/2010 -
" It was alright. I wasn't really connected to any of the men. This is a nonfiction book and the author just took their statements and what happened and put it into a book. It is an interesting story, but its not set like a story. More like a documentary. "
— Jenkunz, 2/18/2010 -
" Good story of a really exciting, dramatic submarine accident during World War II. I had never heard about the story of the U.S.S. <em>Tang</em> before now. Not much to the writing, but it definitely held my interest. "
— Tom, 1/11/2010 -
" Good story of a really exciting, dramatic submarine accident during World War II. I had never heard about the story of the U.S.S. <em>Tang</em> before now. Not much to the writing, but it definitely held my interest. "
— Tom, 1/11/2010
About Alex Kershaw
Alex Kershaw is the British author of several popular books about World War II, most notably the New York Times bestsellers The Longest Winter and The Bedford Boys. Previously, Kershaw has been a writer at the Guardian, Independent, and Sunday Times and has worked in television, writing and producing an award-winning documentary on Bobby Kennedy. Along with his other nonfiction work, Kershaw is also an accomplished biographer. He currently lives in Williamstown, Massachusetts.
About Fred Sanders
Fred Sanders, an actor and Earphones Award–winning narrator, has received critics’ praise for his audio narrations that range from nonfiction, memoir, and fiction to mystery and suspense. He been seen on Broadway in The Buddy Holly Story, in national tours for Driving Miss Daisy and Big River, and on such television shows as Seinfeld, The West Wing, Will and Grace, Numb3rs,Titus, and Malcolm in the Middle. His films include Sea of Love, The Shadow, and the Oscar-nominated short Culture. He is a native New Yorker and Yale graduate.