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by Michael Gillen Those interested in the role of the US merchant marine in World War II have been hard-pressed in recent years to find good books (or even bad books, for that matter) about the merchant seamen and ships that supplied the battlefronts of the world from Murmansk to Okinawa. Finding a book about a standard merchant ship type of the period, or a history of the sea war from the merchant marine perspective has been , well, a frustrating if not a futile endeavor for many. But this year offers some reward for those who continue the search for books focusing on the tremendously significant yet often overlooked contributions and sacrifices of the US merchant marine in the war effort . Three excellent books are- or will soon beavailable for purchase through the mail if not from local bookstores . The books, and the particulars on them , are as follows :
A Careless Word ... A Needless Sinking, by Captain Arthur R. Moore. This large, well illustrated and researched "history of the tremendous losses in ships and men suffered by the U.S. merchant marine during World War II , 1941-1945" was compiled by a 1944 graduate of the US Merchant Marine Academy and veteran of service in World War II . It includes a complete listing of American merchant ship circumstances of the ship losses. A special section includes the recollections of merchant seamen who survived ship sinkings. Now available in a revised edition , with additional pages (a total of 560) and illustrations, A Careless Word may be purchased from Granite Hill Corp. , RFD 1, Box 210, Hallowell ME 04347. The price is $57.25, which includes postage. The fine reproduction of an Anton Otto Fischer poster on the cover is backed up, in these pages, by the truth of the experience Fischer so dramatically depicted.
Liberty Ships: The Ugly Ducklings of World War II, by John Gorley Bunker. Originally published in 1972 , this book is once again available in reprint after a long absence from bookstores . Written by a veteran journalist and maritime historian who sailed in Liberty Ships during World War II , Liberty Ships tells the story of the standard ship type from the ways to the various theaters of war in which they made their presence known. This book puts emphasis on the human factor, incorporating recollections of merchant seamen interviewed by the author, as well as material obtained from the log books of many Libertys. Illus-
trated, and with a complete alphabetical listing of the more than 2,700 Liberty ships built, Bunker's book is now available from The Ayer Co., Publishers, Inc., 47 Pelham Road, PO Box 958, Salem NH 03079 for $28.50.
The Liberty Ships by L.A. Sawyer and W.H. Mitchell. This extremely useful reference book on the Liberty Ships has been missing from bookstores in recent years, but it will soon be available once again after its scheduled spring 1985 republication by Lloyd 's of London Press Ltd . Originally published in 1970, The Liberty Ships gives a yard-by-yard history of the Liberty ship construction program , and individual brief histories of each ship built. The new version will contain much new material, more illustrations, and updates on the fates of many more Liberty ships. It will also have special coverage of the two Liberty ship preservation efforts (Jeremiah O'Brien and John W Brown). Lloyd's reports that the book will be published in hardcover in England , and also in softcover especially for the American market. The softcover edition , we are told, will sell for about $15.00. Information can be obtained from Lloyd's by writing to its Books Manager at Sheepen Place, Colchester, Essex C03 3LP in England . Mr. Gillen , a former merchant seaman and member of the Seafarer's International Union is currently studying for his doctorate in history at New York University. He is co-chairman of Project liberty, sponsored by the National Society.
HAMMS: A Rare Example of What Government-and Perhaps Only Government-Can Do When It Has a Mind To The Historic American Merchant Marine Survey, Works Progress Administration , Federal Project No. 6. Melvin H. Jackson , editor (Ayer Co., Salem NH 1984, 7 vols. , each 23in x 18in , 1009 scale drawings, 198 photos, 49 sketches, $3,000) . In the Historic Sites Act of 1935, Congress declared : " It is a national Policy to preserve for public use historic sites, buildings and objects of national significance for the inspiration and benefit of the people of the United States,'' and authorized the National Park Service to " Secure, collate and preserve drawings, plans, pihotographs and other data" of such site:s, buildings and objects. Since SEA HISTORY, SPRING 1985