Play Audiobook Sample
No Ordinary Joes: The Extraordinary True Story of Four Submariners in War and Love and Life Audiobook
Play Audiobook Sample
(4.07) - 85 listener ratings
Quick Stats About this Audiobook
Total Audiobook Chapters:
Longest Chapter Length:
Shortest Chapter Length:
Average Chapter Length:
Audiobooks by this Author:
Publisher Description
Their names were Bob Palmer, Gordy Cox, Tim McCoy, and Chuck Vervalin, and in 1941, when they joined the navy, they were not trying to prove their patriotism—they were just looking for a job that would provide "three hots and a cot."
But on April 22, 1943, the war took a terrible turn for them. While on patrol deep in enemy waters, their submarine, the USS Grenadier, was torpedoed and sent crashing to the ocean floor. Listed as lost in action and given up for dead, all four had in fact miraculously escaped the ship, only to be captured by the Japanese. The four men spent the next two and a half years as POWs, enduring barbaric torture and starvation, unable to communicate with their wives and families. When they were freed, they were forced to find a new kind of resilience as they struggled to resume their lives in a world that seemed to have forgotten them. In Bob's case, it would be more than thirty years before he was reunited with the love of his life—the wife who had left him for a well-bred naval officer after he came back from the war.
By turns panoramic and intimate, No Ordinary Joes shows us, through the lives of four "ordinary" men who endured extraordinary circumstances, the tragedy of war and its aftermath, and the restorative power of love.
Download and start listening now!
"Essentially, this is the biography of 4 sailors whow served on the same sub in WWII, which was sunk and the sailors captured. It carries through until the book was finally published. And it doesn't pull any punches about the challenges that occurred in these sailor's lives."
— David (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
-
This meticulously researched and thoroughly well-written book adds much to the literature of the WWII generation.
— Booklist
No Ordinary Joes Listener Reviews
-
" Can not say enough good things about this book. What a wonderful insight into some true heros. "
— Dona, 9/25/2013 -
" Gripping story about 4 submariners in WWII. Graphically written, it takes the reader into the American POW camps in Japan, illustrating what some sailors endured, and how they coped later in life. A fascinating historical account of this one part of WWII. "
— Maryann, 6/20/2013 -
" Excellent book in every way! Somewhat similar in theme to "Unbroken" by Laura HIllenbrand. If you liked that one, you'll love this one. Check it out. It's really good. "
— Rick, 2/13/2013 -
" Excellent book giving insight to life as a POW during WWII in Japan. Also, interesting story of the inpact upon their lives as it pertained to both the lives they left in the states and Australia and the reality they return to..... "
— Eric, 10/8/2012 -
" Honest, inspiring & depressing. The cost of freedom. In the face of true danger. "
— A, 6/7/2012 -
" True story of submarine and pow camp of Japan. Didn't like the end, but you might. "
— Pete, 1/16/2012 -
" Such a good read ... four young men end up on the same submarine during WWII, and end up as POW's of the Japanese. So hard to read, but makes me proud to be an American. "
— Liz, 7/20/2011 -
" Very interesting as it shares their lives as children, why they joined the service, during the service and afterward. A different perspective on WWII. "
— Sharon, 4/2/2011 -
" Excellent book giving insight to life as a POW during WWII in Japan. Also, interesting story of the inpact upon their lives as it pertained to both the lives they left in the states and Australia and the reality they return to..... "
— Eric, 2/12/2011 -
" Can not say enough good things about this book. What a wonderful insight into some true heros. "
— Dona, 1/27/2011 -
" Such a good read ... four young men end up on the same submarine during WWII, and end up as POW's of the Japanese. So hard to read, but makes me proud to be an American. "
— Liz, 1/6/2011
About Larry Colton
Larry Colton, since his days as a pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies, taught high school, worked for Nike, and has written three books. Between 1976 and 2000, his articles appeared in the New York Times Magazine, the Boston Globe, Sports Illustrated, Ladies’ Home Journal, Esquire, and other publications. He is the author of Goat Brothers and Counting Coup, which won the Frankfurt eBook Award for Nonfiction.
About Robert Fass
Robert Fass is a veteran actor and twice winner of the prestigious Audie Award for best narration. He has earned multiple Earphones Awards and been named in AudioFile magazine’s list of the year’s best narrations for six years.