3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

On January 23, 1943, troop ship, the SS Dorchester left New York city en route to Greenland as part of a convoy of three troop ships escorted by Coast Guard cutters. During the early morning hours of February 3, the German submarine U-223 torpedoed the vessel off Newfoundland. Over 900 souls were on board.

Also aboard were four chaplains—Alexander Goode, John Washington, George Fox, and Clark Poling—representing different faiths, who comforted soldiers and sacrificed their own lives to save others when the Dorchester sank.

In twenty-five minutes, one torpedo killed more than a quarter of the number of personnel lost during the entire attack on Pearl Harbor. Chaplains helped the soldiers board lifeboats and gave up their own life jackets when the supply ran out. The chaplains went down with the ship. The sinking of the Dorchester would go down in the annals of history as the worst single loss of US personnel of any American convoy during the entire conflict.

Collis alternates between accounts told from the perspective of the Nazi U-boat captain and his crew (as found in their journals and later interviews) and survivors from the Dorchester who credit the four chaplains with saving their lives. Coastguardsman Charles Walter David, Jr., emerges as another hero, rescuing 93 survivors from the frigid waters. The scene of the men freezing to death in the water was heart-wrenching.

Unfortunately, the book falters in execution. The abundance of military names and vessels confused me, and the narrative’s textbook-style lacked emotional depth. A shift to historical fiction might have better conveyed the story’s power. Despite these flaws, The Immortals remains a worthwhile exploration of faith and sacrifice amid WWII's forgotten episodes.

** Thanks to the publisher for a review copy of this book. The opinions are my own.

Didn't capture my attention and engagement. Interested in trying it again though and hopefully it will take.

The words that come to mind as I attempt to write this review are beautiful, heart breaking, humbling, inspiring. The Immortals by Steven T. Collis is a remarkable story that is truly incredible and it has stuck with me for a long time after reading it. Thanks to Shadow Mountain and NetGalley for the Arc.
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“Because he was one of them. Because he was they, and they were he. Because in his efforts, he bore witness to his humanity.”

4 ministers of different religious backgrounds (Jewish rabbi, Catholic priest, Baptist and Methodist ministers) form an unheard of alliance (in that day, there was no connections between leaders of different religious affiliations) as ecumenical chaplains to the 900 men aboard the SS Dorcester which was torpedoed by a German U-boat during WWII. A non-fiction that reads like a fiction will leave you inspired by the selfless acts of Alexander Goode, John Washington, George Fox and Clark Poling, the “immortal chaplains” that gave their lives to save and give hope to as many men as they could as their ship went down off the Greenland coast. The book also honors the heroic acts of Charles Walter David, a black petty officer aboard the Coast Guard cutter that accompanied the SS Dorcester. He voluntarily dove into freezing waters time and time again, crossing racial divisions, miraculously rescuing 93 of the surviving men drifting in the sea.

This book was meticulously researched, tenderly sharing details of each hero’s personal story, the stories of the men they saved, and the aftermaths following their deaths. It also shares the perspective of the uboat officer that torpedoed the Dorcester. It’s a short read, and an experience well worth learning about. It’s a story I was not familiar with in WW2. It had a Titanic feel to it, but in a wartime setting. I found out there is a memorial not far from me… I want to visit to pay respects to these souls that sacrificed so much. Pick up the read!

“They had been lost to the world for nearly three-quarters of a century, but they lived. In the faces of squealing children, families uniting over reunion meals, the eyes of children yet to be born, they lived.”

I REALLY wanted to like this book. But the beginning was convoluted, the characters were hard to keep track of, and I eventually ended up abandoning the book. That makes me sad, because the story sounds like it has a lot of promise.

The Immortals is a compelling WWII story that delves into the gray area--in war, as in life, nothing is black and white. This is a lesson for the ages and one I've very much enjoyed. This book and these heroes will stay with me long after I put it back on the shelf.

A very in depth book on the lives of 5 men who died from the Dorchester. I felt at times that I needed to no more of the story before reading this book because the author assumes you know who is going to live and die. I came into the book completely not knowing anything and that bugged me. I also felt that the narrative would have been a smoother read if the back stories were interwoven into the tragedy. This book is full of wonderful information but the formatting makes it a little dry. It is like reading a lengthy cast/ character list before a film. When you finally watch the film-wow, but you really had to work to get there.

Overall a great book if you have an interest in U-boats and WWII!

A non-fiction book about the heroic acts of five individuals in World War II that grabs your attention. A well researched gripping narrative of the sinking of the SS Dorchester by a Nazi U-boat in the North Atlantic in February 1943. The book focuses on the four chaplains of different faiths assigned to minister to the 900 men on board the ship, and the untold story of a young Black petty officer aboard the coast guard cutter traveling with the Dorchester.
As the book opens the author provides deep background on these five heroes, including their early life that may have influenced the men they became, and why they willingly laid down their lives to save others. The background information makes their sacrifice even more poignant.
I especially like how the author used journals and survivor interviews to create a sense of what the fateful trip on the SS Dorchester was like. The details on each man, coupled with the narrative of the trip, make their selfless acts even more inspiring, and difficult to leave with a dry eye at the end.

I enjoy WWII nonfiction, so I was excited to read this book. I want to start off this review by saying I have the utmost respect for Charles David Jr. and the four chaplains. Their stories are worth remembering. Having said that, this book didn’t really draw me in until the last few chapters. Elements of the book were good, and the individuals covered lived extraordinary lives. But this doesn’t even make it into my top 75 WWII nonfiction book list. The author used lots of “he probably” and “he likely” to describe the lives of the subjects. Fair enough—I appreciate that he clearly said what was known and what was guessed. And the author certainly did some research, but he didn’t seem to have the authority and immersion into the era that authors like Alex Kershaw, James Hornfischer, Ben Macintyre, and a dozen other manage in their books. There is certainly an audience for this book—probably for readers who are less familiar with WWII and would like to view it through a 21st-century lens. It’s a good book, but for me it didn’t shine as brightly as I would have liked it to, especially given the heroic nature of the individuals highlighted.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for an electronic review copy.

Thank you NetGalley for an e-ARC of The Immortals by Steven T. Collis.
I personally am not a huge fan of non-fiction, but this book's writing format was easy to read and hard to put down. I learned about a part of WW2 that I was not knowledgeable about. Steven T. Collis did an excellent job making the men involved in this attack human and personable. While reading, I pictured this book as a movie in my mind and hope that it actually becomes a motion picture. Collis also did a superb job noting his sources and made me want to research more on this subject.

**I received a free copy of this book from the publisher. My words and review are my very own. As always.**

War books are not my favorites. Ever. People killing people just doesn't interest me. BUT! People interest me. And people going outside of themselves to help another member of humanity always interests me. Thus, this book.

Part one briefly sets up the preparation of all parties. There was some great information about the beliefs Hitler held about the US prior to WWII which I had never heard. (Probably because of my aforementioned aversion to the topic). The author weaves together expertly crafted biographies of the men and women whose stories will coalesce in the conflict and does so with excellent narrative pacing and detail. Who are the chaplains? Who are those closest to them? Who are the men on the ship/U-boat/cutter? All here.

Part two describes what is happening as the SS Dorchester, a United States Coast Guard cutter called the Comanche, and a German U-boat 223 become closer and closer tied to part of one another's history. Spies and goodbyes, apprehension and fear. All here.

Part three grabs hold of all the information and holds it tight as the story of each decision is told (please note, each chapter has excellent source citations for further reading, or if you're wondering where the author could possibly have learned such precise detail). This is the part of the book I basically raced through. I did not want to take a break or pause. The story had me in its grasp and I was willing to be there as long as it took to learn about the four chaplains, and how Charles W. David Jr. made sure men that were rescued from the Dorchester did not perish adrift at sea.

What an untold and marvelous story. If you already know the story of the Dorchester or the four chaplains, you need to read this book to get the rest of the story.

I was drawn to The Immortals by Steven T. Colis when I saw the blurb on Net Galley about this book, published this month, focusing on a group of medical chaplains and a young Black petty officer who were heroes in the sinking of the Dorchester on February 3, 1943. Since my husband spent about half of his military career as a chapel administrator, my interest was aroused. Even with that anticipation, I found more than I expected. The author begins with each of the men and recounts their life journeys that bring them to this point. The chaplains were Jewish, Catholic, Methodist, and Baptist, each with a family story and a personal sense of calling.

Part of the narrative is devoted to the role of the modern military chaplain with their ecumenical need to serve all soldiers, not just the ones who share their particular brand of faith. In this period of time, the chaplains were in the process of moving from previous ideas of ministering to those of their own denomination to a broader umbrella and with a sense of service to all the troops. For instance, instructions given by a medical officer to a group of chaplains set the tone for their role in the military as he told of a chaplain he knew who, “always dropped back in the line towards the close of the day and somewhere he would find a young soldier who would be having trouble carrying his rifle along with his pack so the chaplain would carry his rifle for him. That, chaplains, is your job – to carry rifles for boys and they will not always be of wood and steel but burdens, problems, sins, and sorrows.” I found a very accurate account of the role and ministry of the chaplaincy.

Having laid that background as a framework, Steven Colis goes on to tell the story of the convoy that nears safety in Greenland as the Nazi U-boat captain Kark-Jurg Wachter stalks the Americans for days, waiting for the weather to give him an opening for a strike. The riveting story is well-researched and written with as much tension as any drama. Even though this is history and I knew the ending before I began, I found myself figuratively on the edge of my seat as I read.

I spent the evening of Memorial Day finishing this beautiful reminder of why we remember and honor those gave up so much for us and our freedoms. I hadn’t ever heard of the Immortals and I am so glad Steven T Collis took time to share their stories in a remarkable way.
This novel is a non fiction written with the gripping story telling of a fiction novel. I can only imagine the thousands of hours that went into researching and gathering all the stories and accounts of the lives of these impressive men.
I am thoroughly impressed at how much impact the words in this novel had on me. My heart and stomach tightened as I read many of the accounts the survivors had.
I love that there are SO many lessons that can be taken from this book. I highlighted several passages because I thought they were very much applicable to where we stand as a country today.
One of my favorite paragraphs from this book was
“People with vast differences could unite and thrive together; they could lift each other, forgive, ignore the temptation for prejudice, embrace common causes without sacrificing their core identities, and set aside their disagreements to focus on areas where they did agree. Unity didn’t need to come at the expense of identity.”
It’s a lesson that I think we need to hear every day and practice. Four chaplains, all from different backgrounds, religions, and stations in life came together and gave the ultimate sacrifice to those who were also just as different from themselves. And Charles, he is a hero that deserves the same attention as those chaplains. He didn’t have to give up his life, he didn’t have to help out those who probably wouldn’t have done the same for him. I really appreciated reading the afterword by his family, the legacy he has left behind is strong and one I am sure he would be proud of.
Do yourself a favor and grab a couple copies of this book, you’ll want one to keep for yourself and some to give to others. These are the memories that deserve to live on and honored.
To end, I loved this quote and the thoughts it left me with.
“The Nazis didn’t kill them. They chose to die so others could live. So did Charles. He carried precisely zero burden to help anyone. His efforts were his choice. He was a victim to no one.”

* netgalley provided me an ebook copy of this novel, but these thoughts are completely my own.

#The immortals #Netgalley

This book is written in narrative form, a true story about five Chaplins aboard a World War II ship, titled the Dorchester. The book is well writtenm My dad was in World War. II and was part of a convoy; which elped me appreciate how hard life would have been aboard the ship; so many man crammed together. The instinct of survival, when the ship was hit by torpedoes. The bravery of the Chaplins, and others, namely Charles W Davis Jr, and his act of humanity to save lives a black man who gave his life so others could live.

historical-figures, historical-places-events, historical-research, history-and-culture, WW2, naval-history, Atlantic-Ocean, bravery, chaplains*****

I can't really say that this is an unbiased review because I seriously geek history. It's focus is both familiar and not, It is more timely in that there are interviews cited as well as many other sources. The inclusion of Coastguardsman Charles Water David Jr., a young Black Coast Guard Steward from the kitchens (David helped rescue 93 men from the SS Dorchester) provided an inspection of racism in America as well as the attitudes and discrimination against whoever was of particular groups. The SS Dorchester and a small convoy sailed the perilous route from Newfoundland to the Army Command Base in Greenland and was assaulted by U-boats and a wolf-pack resulting in the worst single loss of an American personnel convoy during WWII. The documentation is impeccable, so if you've never heard the true story of these brave doomed men including what made them choose to become Chaplains, it behooves you to learn what the best can be. Excellent!
I requested and received a free temporary ebook from Shadow Mountain Publishing via NetGalley. Thank you!

This is the inspiring true story of four WWII chaplains and their service to the 900 men on the ship Dorchester that was hit by a torpedo. It is also the story of the only Black man on a coast guard cutter who helped rescue the men from the Dorchester and lost his life as a result.

Alex is a Jewish rabbi, John is a Catholic priest, George is a Methodist minister, and Clark is a Baptist minister. They were able to overlook their differences and focus on a common cause, a great lesson for us today. None of the chaplains needed to die but they chose to so other men could live. The most moving part of their story for me is the image of them linking arms and praying together, each in their own way, as the ship went down. Even after they were gone, the men in the water were able to survive by remembering the calming and encouraging voices of the chaplains.

Charles is a young Black steward’s mate who willingly entered the frigid water repeatedly to help men to safety and later died of pneumonia as a result. It was not required of him because there were many with a higher rank. Even though he played a huge active role in saving the men from the Dorchester, his full story has never been included until now.

It was very well written and interesting. The author does an excellent job of pulling you into the story and keeping you there even though we all know how it ends. I highly recommend it to anyone, not just those interested in history, and think this would make a great Father’s Day gift. Thanks to Shadow Mountain Publishing for an ARC to use for my review.

It isn’t very often that I find a non-fiction book I devour like it’s a novel, but this is one. I loved the way the author wrote this book. It was an interesting book to read. And it made me want to learn more.

The way the author wrote this book, there are chapters talking about the Chaplains that died in this tragedy. I loved reading about each of them. And I loved reading how they were with the men on board. And their final unselfish acts touched me. These were men who in normal life probably wouldn’t have wanted a lot to do with each other. Yet they became dear friends, united in trying to save as many men as they could.

I also enjoyed the way the author talked about the Nazi U-boat captain as well. It was really interesting to see what both sides of this story would have been. It’s one of those stories that just reaches out and grabs my attention. I’d like to learn more about all of it.

I was sent an e-copy of The Immortals as a gift from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

In 1943, a ship was torpedoed and four American Chaplains did what they could to save as many lives as possible. They were heralded as heroes, but unfortunately they sacrificed their own lives. While in the process of getting as many soldiers to safety they were observed by a young Black Coast Guard Steward who then took up where they left off and dived in countless times to drag men out of the icy water to get more of these men to safety as well. Charles David, Jr. put his own life at peril and he too later died from his heroic undertakings.

This book is truly Unique in that it goes beyond the normal research of a historical event. The author has created such timeless caring of these individuals and their families who had to live with their chosen decisions to join and give these soldiers love and faith.

I read the book without stopping and cried like a baby. My husband asked me what had me so emotional and when I told him he had to research on his own the Immortal Chaplains. We both had never heard of them and we pray that with this book they are not forgotten along with the rest of the crew who lost their lives and Charles David Jr. the Steward from the kitchen who died after diving in the icy waters numerous times to drag crew to safety.

I definitely would recommend this book to anyone looking for a true story of historical significance!

I received a free advanced copy from NetGalley and these are my willingly given thoughts and opinions.

Sometimes I agree to review a book without really paying attention to what it is I'm agreeing to. Sometimes I read the blurb but don't remember what it's about by the time I get the book. This was one of those times. I didn't realize I was going to be reading a completely heart-rending historical account of one of the many tragedies that took place in WWII. History fascinates me though, so I am glad that I had the chance to read this book. I had never heard of the sinking of the Dorchester, let alone the heroic efforts of the Immortal Chaplains and Charles Walter David Jr. in saving as many of the victims as they were able.

The first half of the book introduces the reader to each of the chaplains and Charles. I am glad for that introduction, but I don't think that it needed to last as long as it did. I found my attention wandering and it made the book read kind of like a history text. I don't think that the introductions should be taken out, but maybe just not quite as much time spent on them.

The latter half of the book I read in a few hours, not wanting to put it down at all. War is horrific, and I don't think anyone needs to watch a movie or read a book to realize that fact. That being said, reading the details of the sinking and subsequent rescue efforts are really hard to wrap my brain around. So many lives lost. So much death everywhere. I am so very grateful for heroes like the Immortal Chaplains and Charles and all the others who risked and gave their lives to save others.

This book is heartbreaking and inspiring at the same time. It is hard to read, but I also think it's necessary to do so. Our history is so important, and we need to learn it and teach it to our children so that sacrifices like these men made are not forgotten.

The men profiled in this book show incredible bravery and character. Most of the book is about the men and the circumstances that got them to their ships. Readers connect to them not as war heroes, but as men with lives and families. Reading about how they shepherded the other men on the ship, or worked tirelessly to rescue them, as in the case of Charles David, highlights what they gave up to save others. Many families owe whole branches of their trees to these men.