Goodreads asked Don Keith:

Where did you get the idea for your most recent book?

Don Keith This one actually came from my non-fiction literary agent. He asked me if I had ever considered doing a book on the USS Neosho. I said, "Who?" He told me it was a tanker, a blue-collar ship, not a more exciting vessel like a battleship or carrier. She was mistaken for one of our carriers by a Japanese scout plane pilot. The Japanese admiral sent everything he had to attack her, thus altering the course of the Battle of the Coral Sea. Though on fire and sinking, the crew managed to keep the tanker afloat for four days until rescue finally came. Another 150 men from the ship ended up on rafts and floated away. Only four of them were rescued nine days later. It is a remarkable story of bravery and tenacity and I hope I told it well. It is called "The Ship that Wouldn't Die."

flag