Alive on the Andrea Doria!: The Greatest Sea Rescue in History

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1600374603 ISBN 13: 9781600374609

Publisher: Morgan James Publishing, 2008

One half-century later, the catastrophic ramming of the MS Stockholm into the Italian luxury liner the SS Andrea Doria in 1956 is relived in this candid, heartrending account. Author Pierette Domenica Simpson, who, with her grandparents, survived the tragedy off the shoals of Nantucket, shares the human and technical aspects of what has become known as the greatest sea rescue in history. As only an eyewitness can do, the author presents survivors' recollections in dramatic vignettes that meticulously re-create a horrific event-one that could have been another Titanic. Both poor immigrants and wealthy travelers give their accounts of ultimate despair and infinite elation after staring at their own reflections in the black ocean that night and seeing death stare back. Equally dramatic are the revelations of new facts exposed by nautical experts from two continents facts that solve the ""mystery"" of who was to blame for this most improbable collision between two ships on the open seas.

About the Author:

Pierette Domenica Simpson was born in northern Italy, near Torino, and immigrated to the United States as a young girl. Fluent in French, Italian, and Spanish, she retired from teaching foreign languages to become an author and speaker. Moreover, Ms. Simpson collaborates with naval architects, shipwreck divers and survivors for the advancement of maritime safety. She is also the gatekeeper of Andrea Doria survivor stories. Her short story of inspiration for transcending tragedies is published in the book series, Thank God I...

Review:

It is difficult to constrain the fascinating and intricate story of the Andrea Doria tragedy within the pages of a book. But this has been done, thanks to Pierette Simpson. If you like mysteries, do not read this book, because she was there, and she'll tell you the untold truth, putting an end to the Andrea Doria mystery. A praiseworthy achievement -- Maurizio Eliseo ""Naval inspector, author, professor, historian""