Thank you Harlequin Trade Publishing | Hanover Square Press for the ARC!

The Sailing of the Intrepid was an interesting read that held my attention the whole way through. I liked that it wasn’t overly ambitious of tackling the whole of WWII but rather stayed in its lane and told us about this harrowing journey back to Pearl Harbor after encountering some complicated issues (me trying to be vague for spoilers-sake).

I had no idea that Montel Williams was a naval officer so that was a fun surprise. I felt like he and his cowriter did a great job showing the respect to the story that the navy sailors deserve. It was a great read!

Moored at Pier 86 in New York City—where some of the greatest ocean liners in history have docked—sits a ship with a storied past. The USS Intrepid, an Essex-class aircraft carrier from World War II, saw combat in the Pacific and helped turn the tide of the war. Today it houses the Intrepid Museum and is a top tourist attraction.

The Sailing of the Intrepid is a new book by Montel Williams and David Fisher that tells the story of one of the more interesting aspects of USS Intrepid’s long service career. It’s a story highlighting how teamwork, creativity, and out-of-the-box thinking can come together in remarkable ways.

Per the book’s description:

From twenty-two-year naval and marine veteran Montel Williams comes a page-turning history of how one World War II aircraft carrier’s crew defied all odds, redefining the very meaning of what it means to struggle, persevere and survive.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing’s Hanover Square Press for providing an advance copy of this book to read and review.

Book Summary

In January 1944, USS Intrepid—the United States’ newest aircraft carrier—embarked on its first combat mission under the command of Captain Thomas Sprague. As part of Task Force 58, the ship launched successful attacks on Japanese air and naval bases. However, Intrepid was seriously damaged on the night of February 17, when a Japanese torpedo plane struck. The carrier’s rudder was jammed at a 45-degree angle and only able to sail in circles.

Ordered to Pearl Harbor for repairs—some 3,300 miles away—the ship’s crew had quite a problem on their hands. Captain Sprague initially managed to navigate by alternating Intrepid’s engines, but increasingly winds and conditions made this unsustainable. Traveling through submarine-infested waters, the crew found themselves in a precarious position.
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Necessity is the mother of invention, though, and Captain Sprague came up with a creative solution—rig a 3,000-square-foot canvas sail over Intrepid’s open forecastle. It worked. The crew was able to harness the wind and regain control of the ship. USS Intrepid arrived safely, and news of the first “square-rigged aircraft carrier” caused a sensation throughout the fleet. But it showed the resilience and ingenuity of Intrepid’s crew in the face of adversity.

My Thoughts

So first off, yes—that Montel Williams. In addition to being an award winning daytime talk show host, he served for 22 years in both the US Marine Corps and US Navy. Montel was the first Black Marine to be accepted into the officer training program at the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. He is uniquely qualified to tell this fascinating story.

With co-author David Fisher, Montel vividly recounts one of the most intriguing stories in the annals of World War II history. Captain Sprague’s decision to “sail” the Navy’s newest, most technologically advanced carrier brings back—even if temporarily—the Age of Sail. This is appropriate given that the original USS Intrepid was a ketch that served in the First Barbary War. It goes to show how studying the past can help us in the present day.

This book nicely covers the USS Intrepid’s building, commissioning, and wartime service. What’s more, it shows how many different people can come together and form an effective crew where teamwork thrives. It’s an exciting story that kept me engaged the whole time.

Conclusion

I enjoyed The Sailing of the Intrepid and highly recommend it. As with Phantom Fleet, it reads more like an adventure story than a history book. Captain Sprague and his crew really come to life in the narrative. Those who are interested in World War II, naval history, and ships in general will especially enjoy this book.

The Sailing of the Intrepid is more than just a story about a damaged ship making its way to safety—it’s a powerful example of leadership, resourcefulness, and the human spirit under pressure. Montel Williams and David Fisher bring this moment in history to life with vivid, gripping detail. The Sailing of the Intrepid is a compelling and memorable read that highlights how extraordinary things can happen when people come together to meet impossible challenges.

Before I begin, I’d like to thank HarperCollins Publishing and NetGalley for providing an advance copy of this book for my review.

People have been sailing on ships for thousands of years, and unfortunately, they’ve been fighting wars for thousands of years, as well. Ships and warfighting have gotten more sophisticated, and some the old ways of doing things may have been discarded in the name of progress, but sometimes human ingenuity has brought back something from the past to solve a problem on a more recent field of battle.

It’s 1944, and the aircraft carrier Intrepid, one of America’s newest and most sophisticated warships, has joined the fight against the Japanese in World War II. The ship and its crew have been prepared for the fighting that’s coming, and they have a captain who has a history of getting things done. Not long after successfully launching attacks against the Japanese base at Truk, a lone Japanese aircraft gets close enough to fire a torpedo at Intrepid; the ship is damaged and some crewmen have died in the strike, but now they have a big problem. The torpedo hit has severely damaged the ship’s rudder, making it difficult to steer; attempts to use the ship’s engines to steer in place of the rudder aren’t successful, and although Intrepid has escorts to protect her, the ship’s captain and crew face the real possibility that their ship is a sitting duck. The Navy orders Intrepid back across the Pacific for repairs, but it’s not clear how Intrepid is going to make it back. How the Intrepid’s captain and crew used ingenuity and some technology from long ago to solve their problem is the story that Montel Williams - yes, that Montel Williams - and David Fisher tell in their book, “The Sailing of the Intrepid”.

So let’s get the most obvious question out of the way - what’s a TV personality doing writing a book about naval history? Well, as it happens, Montel is a retired naval officer as well as a talk show host, and he has a passion for sharing the stories of those who served. He learned about Intrepid’s story and got to know his co-author through a mutual acquaintance.

Montel and Dave tell not only the story of an unusual challenge and the unorthodox solution of the crew of one ship in World War II, but also some other stories that help those folks who aren’t all that familiar with naval history and tradition understand a little more about the stories behind the story. They share the history of not only the carrier Intrepid (spoiler alert - she survived the war and is now a floating museum in New York), but also her prior namesakes and of the incident in the age of sail that earned the name “Intrepid” a spot in the history books. They tell the stories of the men whose background and experience made sailing Intrepid back from the front lines possible, and explain some of the naval traditions and duties that influenced the choices made. (For example, why could you find men assigned as sailmakers on a a warship that didn’t have a sail?) Both authors demonstrate the research they carried out to create this book and the respect they have for the men who served and continue to serve in the Navy.

So, the next obvious question: if the story and the folks who write are so good, why’d the book only get a four star review? My issue with the book is there are so many stories tangential to the main story that readers may lose focus on the main story - namely, the experience of the men and their ship during this incident. A reader hears a lot from Montel and Dave about the tense and difficult situation the Intrepid’s and her crew, but the tangential stories rob the book of some of its tension and urgency, which is a pity, because it’s quite a story!

“The Sailing of the Intrepid” is a fairly quick and interesting read about an incident that all but the most dedicated naval historians have never heard of. The authors have a great respect for their subject and the pe people who were involved. Even if you aren’t much of an armchair historian, consider picking up a copy of this book - particularly if your plans include a visit to Intrepid the next time in New York. Recommended!

The main topic here is the makeshift solution of stabilizing and steering Intrepid after a torpedo destroyed its rudder and steering. (Remember Bismarck’s sinking by the Royal Navy.) A huge canvas sail was rigged by the ship’s sailmaker to enclose the forecastle and prevent the wind from blowing Intrepid every which way. Kudos to Captain Tom Sprague.
The text frequently goes down rabbit holes, like the history of the Navy, damage control, Sprague’s ancestry, superstition of sailors. Intrepid’s early history and first action are covered. After making it safely to California for repair, Intrepid’s later action is skimmed over, including its encounters with kamikazes.
The ingenuity of the torpedo/sail incident is spellbinding.

Never has a title been meant to be taken as literally as The Sailing of the Intrepid. Oh, and before you ask. Yes, THAT Montel Williams is the author. Although, I should probably be referring to him as Lieutenant Commander Williams and his co-author David Fisher. Also, yes, I did read the entire book with Montel's voice in my head. It did increase my enjoyment even if Montel did go to the Naval Academy (Go Army!).

The book follows an incredible episode in the life of the USS Intrepid in World War II. School rivalries aside, this book was a bit personal for me as I have been to the actual Intrepid many times growing up. It is currently docked in New York City as a museum and I can confirm it's pretty cool! The main story is about when the Intrepid is disabled in the Pacific during World War II and needs to limp back to Pearl Harbor. There is some background on the captain and some sailors as well.

What I enjoyed most was the insights into ship life which clearly come from a career naval officer. It is pretty clear what Williams is bringing to the table in this book, and Fisher steers the rest of the story (pun intended!) to keep it moving. They make a good team and the book is an easy read.

As I have said about similar books in the "popular history" genre, it is important to know what you are getting. Much like Martin Dugard's excellent "Taking" series, The Sailing of the Intrepid is not trying to present an in-depth meditation or recounting of World War II in the Pacific. This is about a specific and unbelievable incident in the life of an aircraft carrier. If you are a non-history nerd, this might be the perfect book to introduce you to a subject you found boring in high school. For history nerds, the story is specific enough while not being widely recorded, that there is still plenty to discover.

(This book was provided as an advance copy by Netgalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing.)

I had no idea that a huge aircraft carrier would ever need to open up the sails, but this book proves otherwise.

With heart pounding action, the author takes the reader on an adventure into war. How one torpedo can cause so much damage to a huge ship.

I was really impressed with the ingenuity of the people onboard the disabled ship. Further, who knew that they would have that much stuff to sew together to make a massive sail?

I thought that the author did a great job going through the different things that befall a ship once damaged. The men who were lost were also mentioned and cared for.

This is a book for anyone interested in Naval History, World War 2, or heck even how to sail.

The only thing I wished that it had was a diagram of where the sail was placed so that I could have seen it, from the description in the book, it was hard to figure out what was going on.