Dan Kurzman (New York: Pocket Books, 1994)
Dan Kurzman's "Left to Die" offers an in depth account of the tragedy of the USS Juneau. So much attention has been given to this event because of the loss of the Sullivan brothers, it is nice to have an account that details the lives of other survivors and victims. Before I began the book, I was afraid it was going to be an account of Naval red-tape and the politics behind some choices that were made. I was pleasantly surprised in that Kurzman presented a more personal account, which for the reader makes the event that much more tragic. Of course, the Sullivans were covered in detail but little more than the "other" brothers aboard, the Rogers'.
The circumstances of the how each man happened to be assigned to the Juneau were detailed yet not at all mundane. Kurzman has such an easy style that in just a few pages, each crew member came to life and I was thrust back to 1942. The description of the sinking was also detailed and graphic yet somehow the author knew how much to incorporate and when to stop. The same is true of his account of the survivors' horrific ordeal in the water and the hope of rescue. The futures and fates these men were discussed briefly and a muster sheet was also provided. In sum, this is a well-researched and engrossing account of a horrible disaster of war and the almost incomprehensible courage of the men who survived.
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