Much of this book I read while with a chip on my shoulder, due to a really dumb editorial mistake near the start when, in talking about the background of Piero Calamai, the captain of the "Andrea Doria, the authors make an off-handed comment about Calamai being instrumental in saving the "torpedo cruiser" "Caio Duilio" after a British torpedo attack during World War II. Problem: the "Duilio" was a full-fledged battleship and the attack was the famed British raid on Taranto in 1940. The authors elaborate and clarify later in the book, but with that gaff I came close to tossing the book at the wall.

This would have been unfortunate, as King & Wilson generally do a pretty good job of telling an intricate story, being most interested in reconstructing a time and attitude, before providing a blow-by-blow of the disaster, and doing some debunking of some of the misconceptions regarding events that have come down through the years.

That there are misconceptions regarding the seaworthiness of the "Doria," and the competence of her crew, have much to do with the publicity battle in the wake of the collision, which the Swedish American Line, operators of the "Stockholm," managed to win; not helped by the two passenger lines basically settling out of court. This is unfortunate in that it left Captain Calamai's honor stained, when one is left with the feeling that the owners and command staff of the "Stockholm" really deserved to be hammered for running a slack operation; it really pisses me off. Had Captain Nordenson of the "Stockholm" followed best practice, rather than doing just what was convenient, this event wouldn't have happened.

Therefore, while I think I can recommend this book, I do wonder about what other aspects of this story that the authors might have garbled and that their editors didn't pick up. ( )

First thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest opinion of the book.

I absolutely loved it. Great storytelling of a truly tragic, unforgettable and unnecessary tragedy. The book not only explores the accident that occurred, how it could have been avoided and subsequent dives to recover artifacts, but it tells the story of families, passengers and those affected by it.

You get to know some of the crew as well too not only on the doomed ship but on those ships that helped come to its aid.

I found it captivating and a highly recommended book even if you are not a maritime fan. ( )

In July 1956, the Italian ocean liner Andrea Doria left Genoa, Italy bound for New York. More than 1,600 passengers and crew were aboard. The Andrea Doria was the pride of Italy...a beautiful luxury boat with every amenity, even murals painted by famous artists. The sailing proved to be a safe, quick passage. The ship had been designed for speed, safety, and comfort. There was more than enough lifeboat space in case of problems....but no problems were foreseen.

Until....

On the evening of July 25th, 10 hours away from NYC, the Andrea Doria was struck by another ship, the Stockholm, in heavy fog. Both ships were badly damaged. The Stockholm was not in danger of sinking. The Andrea Doria, however, was doomed.

The Last Voyage of the Andrea Doria provides information about the ship, its crew and captain, the passengers, the events that fateful night and the aftermath of the accident. It is obvious that the authors did painstaking research on the ship and the sinking. The facts are given in a very interesting, informative manner. I was not bored once while reading the 340 pages of this book. So much information...but well-written and interesting.

It is amazing that only 51 people aboard the ships died due to the collision. And despite problems lowering lifeboats from the Andrea Doria because the ship was listing too far to one side, all passengers were evacuated as quickly as possible. Other ships in the region came to help, even the Stockholm. It was a huge and costly rescue mission, seen around the world as the media filmed the event from circling airplanes.

Wonderful book! I kept thinking what a contrast this event was compared to the sinking of the Titanic just 40 years before. What if other ships had responded to Titanic as quickly as they did the Andrea Doria? It could have ended very differently for so many people!

This is the first book by Greg King and Penny Wilson that I have read. I will definitely be reading more! I very much enjoyed this book!

**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from St. Martin's Press. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.** ( )

Ships weren’t supposed to sink this way in 1956. By the middle of the 20th century, humans figured that they had invented enough technology and made enough safety improvements to vessels that a disaster such as the Titanic could never happen again. In fact, many passengers on the Andrea Doria’s final voyage were reading the recently published novel A Night to Remember, about the Titanic’s demise. But while the Andrea Doria was not in danger of icebergs, it was in danger of collision with another vessel in dense fog off Nantucket, mere hours before it was due to arrive in port.

I started and finished this in a single day. It was a great reconstruction, and authors King and Wilson do a great job at relating the personal histories of the passengers before, during, and after the disaster. It is a well-documented story because by this time, television existed, and the incident’s proximity to New York City meant that news crews could be gathering stories immediately. But perhaps strangely enough I hadn’t heard of the Andrea Doria before reading this book—thank goodness the book exists and is so comprehensive. I especially liked how the authors situated this incident in its historical context, in the end of the era of the glamorous ocean liners and the beginning of the jet age. And how strange that the celebrities on board included Mike Stoller of Leiber and Stoller, the partnership behind many fine songs, including “Hound Dog”, which had just scored a hit with Elvis Presley when Stoller arrived in port.

This is a great book if you are interested in shipwrecks, and especially if you enjoyed King and Wilson’s book on the Lusitania. ( )

This was another excellent King/Wilson collaboration. In their latest book, the two authors explore the sinking of the Italian liner Andrea Doria. We are taken on a tour of the ship, rich in the details of the luxuries it afforded to its passengers. We meet the passengers who sailed on her, everyday, ordinary folks and Hollywood stars. And we are with her every step of the way through the horrific crash and sinking.

Through all of this, the authors do a wonderful job making you feel that you are on the ship, experiencing the action. Of course, we also have a treasure trove of recollections from the large number of surviving passengers. The ship didn't completely submerge until eleven hours after its sinking, allowing most of the passengers to gather in lifeboats and be rescued by other ships. We also follow the hearings which tried to determine whose fault the sinking was.

If you're into cruise ships, this is a book for you. If you're into disasters, this is a book for you. If you're in to well-researched, well thought out volumes, this is the book for you. Highly recommended! ( )