Overview

In Autumn 1943 the Battle of the Atlantic, World War II's longest seagoing campaign, reached a new crescendo. Anti-submarine aircraft and ships using new tactics, technologies, and weaponry dominated a seascape where German U-boats once ruled supreme. But then unexpectedly, in eerie, mid-ocean darkness, an elemental hull-to-deck, sailor-to-submariner duel erupted. On Halloween Eve, U.S. Navy destroyer Borie, an outmoded, thin-skinned ""tin can"" of World War I vintage, set out alone to track down an elusive U-boat. Borie had thus far toiled in the war's backwaters, her crew of young reservists anxious to prove its mettle. When Borie trapped U-405 on the surface, that chance arrived. As Borie's deck guns unleashed withering fire and U-405's skipper angled his submarine to launch torpedoes, Borie's young skipper-a salesman in civilian life--resorted to the original (and once the only) means of sinking a submarine: ramming, full speed ahead, consequences be damned. Borie's slashing collision with U-405 ignited a swashbuckling, no-holds-barred brawl of cannons, machine guns, small arms, and even knives and spent shell casings. In the wreckage-strewn aftermath, desperate sailors on both sides fought for survival in a heaving, frigid, unforgiving sea. Duel in the Deep weaves together high-stakes strategy and lethal gamesmanship with poignant human backstories, pounding air/surface/subsurface action, epic heroism, and wrenching sacrifice. A former U.S. Navy officer and ""tin can"" veteran-now a seasoned, widely published and highly acclaimed military historian-portrays a rousing high-seas showdown reminiscent of fighting in the age of sail.

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9781682475607

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Reviews

Duel in the Deep is a rousing 'Tin Can Tale' extolling the perseverance and heroism of the U.S. Navy's 'Greatest Generation' stalwarts. A navy 'four-piper' destroyer-a World War I relic, really, crewed by sailors, many of whom began World War II as care-free New Jersey 'street kids'-takes on a Nazi U-boat in a vast, dark, cold and unforgiving ocean. Fine reading-and a welcome reminder of all that is best about America. - Admiral James G. Stavridis, 16th Supreme Allied Commander, NATO, and author of The Sailor's Bookshelf and The Leader's Bookshelf Duel in the Deep tells the story of a dramatic clash between an aging U.S. destroyer and a German submarine. Author David Sears takes an up-close, personal and contextual look at the story's human aspects. He also illuminates the Battle of the Atlantic from America's perspective. Gripping writing, strong characters, good history. Highly recommended.- Vincent P. O'Hara, author of Torch: North Africa and the Allied Path to Victory and Naval History Special Edition: USS Massachusetts David Sears delivers perhaps his best World War II volume with Duel in the Deep, the unforgettable story of the crew of the USS Borie (DD-215) as they battle German U-boats. Prowling the Atlantic on Halloween 1943, Borie earns acclaim by stalking and ramming U-405. Leaning on gripping first-hand accounts from the gallant tin can's officers and men, Sears once again displays his mettle as one of America's top military historians. - John Wukovits, author of For Crew and Country and Tin Can Titans, and 2018 recipient of the RADM Samuel Eliot Morison Award for Naval Literature

Author Information

David Sears is a New Jersey-based author of four book-length military history narratives: The Last Epic Naval Battle, At War with the Wind, Such Men as These, and Pacific Air. Sears is a frequent contributor to print publications focused on aviation history, naval history, military history, and veteran affairs. His early career included service as a U.S. Navy line officer. This author's subsequent business career included: industrial relations positions with the Cities of San Francisco, CA and Portland, OR; and human resources executive positions with the New York Times Company and Dow Jones & Company.

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