Thursday, May 5, 2016

So Close To Home by Michael J. Tougias and Alison O'Leary


A very well written and thoroughly researched historical account of The Heredia that was bombed and sunk by the Germans in the Gulf of Mexico during World War II that had civilians on board.

Mr. Tougias and Ms O'Leary detailed the military aspects and described all scenes so vividly that you could feel the cold and dampness and the fear all crew members and the Downs family was experiencing as they escaped from the wreckage.

You could actually put yourself with the survivors as they clung to a small makeshift raft, feared the sharks, suffered sun burn, craved water and food, and prayed for rescue boats to arrive.

The technical aspect was a bit too much for me to absorb, but the human element added in made for an excellent read.  If you are a military buff, SO CLOSE TO HOME will be a book you will want to read.

The personal aspect of the survivors, and especially the Downs family held my interest.


I normally do not read non-fiction, but I am glad I read this book.  It is an event in history that I knew nothing about.  4/5

This book was given to me free of charge and without compensation by the publisher in return for an honest review.



13 comments:

  1. Enjoy if you read the book.

    Thanks for stopping.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I've never heard of that event. This does sound interesting.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I didn't know about it either and was surprised German submarines were in our waters.

      Thanks for stopping, Kathy.

      Delete
  3. It sounds good but I wonder if I'd enjoy it more as a historical fiction novel.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It was a bit technical, but I did enjoy the story of the survivors.

      Thanks for stopping, Mary.

      Delete
  4. It's a very talented author that can make you feel what's going on from their descriptive writing. Great review!
    @dino0726 from 
    FictionZeal - Impartial, Straightforward Fiction Book Reviews

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Diane.

      It was very descriptive.

      Thanks for stopping.

      Delete
  5. I never heard of this historical event before. It's great how it's made known to us today. A juvenile retelling would be a great addition to the I Survived series.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I had never heard of it either.

      Thanks for stopping, Wolly Cakes and Wooden Spoons.

      Delete
  6. I read your review of So Close to Home while attending the Maryland Library Association annual conference. What a coincidence that Michael Togias was the speaker at the conference banquet! I had the pleasure of sitting next to him and we talked about many topics, including the research he does for his books. Alison O'Leary, his co-author on So Close to Home was with him and she reads Silver's Reviews. During his presentation, Mr. Tougias told us a little about So Close to Home, but focused on another of his books, Fatal Forecast, the story of 2 lobster fishing boats and their crews caught in a surprise storm with 60-foot waves and hurricane force winds. His talk really held our attention -- very enjoyable evening! Cindy

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for stopping by, Cindy.

      Kim told me about your lovely event today. I am sure the conference and Mr. Togias' talk was wonderful.

      That is pretty cool that Alison O'Leary reads my blog. That made my day to hear that. :)

      Nice hearing from you.

      I hope you stop back often...I think you do. :)

      Delete
  7. Mike's books are exactly what my husband likes to read. I ended up purchasing 5 titles, including the one on which his presentation was focused!

    And I do read your blog regularly.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. So glad you enjoy your visits to my blog.

      I remember meeting you on my back porch one summer. :)

      Thanks again for stopping and commenting, Cindy.

      Delete