BOOK REVIEW

HOW TO ABANDON SHIP

By: Phil Richards and John J. Banigan

CORNELL MARITIME PRESS

The book entitled HOW TO ABANDON SHIP is concerned solely with

human lives. Its main purpose is to aid you to get off a sinking ship and to
eventual safety in the best condition possible. It is a written record of all
the experiences of the co-author John J. Banigan, an officer on the Robin
Moor, the first American vessel sunk by a Nazi torpedo during the 2 nd
world war.

In twenty-six foot lifeboat, Banigan and his crew of ten encountered

mountainous seas, tropical storms, doldrums, and blistering equatorial
sun. They travelled 898 miles. Yet when they were picked by the Brazilian
Osorio, every man was in good condition. It was based on a true story
thats why it keeps me turning pages. My favorite part of the book was
the last part which depicts the abstract of Banigans voyage in a Robin
Moor Lifeboat where he stated how he and his men faced the hunger,
thirst, big waves, strong rains and devastating winds just to survived for a
total of 18 days, 16 hours and 49 minutes of traumatic travel across vast
peculiar ocean.

The book was intended to all seafarers especially those who are in
military forces like marines and navy. It contains several steps on how to
abandon your ship when it is in menace or danger that may mean all the
difference between you becoming a casualty or a survivor. You will find
vivid and pertinent information on everything from medical emergencies,
thirst, and hunger to weather and morale. It pulls no punches, and its
advice is forceful but useful. How to Abandon Ship was written during
World War II to save the lives of seamen by instilling a commonsense,
organized, no-panic clarity to getting off torpedoed ships safely and,
perhaps more importantly, surviving later. It is a gem that can once again
be used to save lives.

The only problem I found with the book is its length. It is too long
and sometimes I cant understand the story, but overall it was great and I
enjoyed reading it. This is not only fascinating but most informative. What
gives credibility to the book is that one of the joint authors was an officer
on the Robin Moor, the first American vessel sunk by a Nazi torpedo.
Lessons could certainly be learned from this experience and many of
those lessons are still valid today. There are a lot of things you can learn
from it and it is very useful for everybody specifically us Maritime
Students.