Review: Miracles on the Water by Tom Nagorski

Title: Miracles on the Water
Author: Tom Nagorski
Publisher: Hachette Books Ireland
Date of Publication: August 4, 2015
Edition: eBook (372 pages)

Miracles on the Water: The Heroic Survivors of a World War II U-Boat Attack by Tom Nagorski

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


September, 1940 was a difficult time for the people of Great Britain. Night after night, German bombs fell. On September 13, 1940 a passenger liner, the S.S. City of Benares, sailed from Liverpool with 406 passengers on board, including 90 British children in route to Canada to escape the bombing and possible death. But that was not to be. On the night of September 17th, a German submarine torpedoed the ship, sending passengers and crew scrambling into lifeboats in the stormy north Atlantic. The ship sank within thirty minutes.

This is the story of those passengers, children and crew. It is one of the most compelling books I have read. Survival, triumph of the human spirit and personal sacrifice are elements of the story one would expect, but the fact that any one of these souls survived is truly remarkable. As I was reading, I kept asking myself 'why is this a story I have never heard before'? Readers are blessed that Tom Nagorski and the survivors have brought this story to light.

This is not a sanitized easy-to-read account, so have your tissues handy. I think you will come away with a feeling of pride and thankfulness for most involved, and an appreciation for miracles.