Captain Richard Phillips is a 54 year old Merchant Marine captain with a wife and two college-aged children. Captain Phillips was in charge of the ship, Maersk Alabama, in April 2009, when it was carrying relief supplies around the Horn of Africa from Oman to Mombasa, Kenya. .
This area is notorious for Somali pirates, which work in small groups and are able to board large cargo ships because, unlike the crews on the cargo ships, they are armed. Once these pirates board the ship and take control, they generally demand million-dollar ransoms from the ship's owner.
When four of these pirates boarded Captain Phillips' ship, he ordered most of his crew to hide in the engine room. After conversing with the pirates, and taking them around the ship to unsuccessfully look for the rest of the crew, Phillips offered them $30,000 cash from the ship's safe and a lifeboat to take themselves back to Somalia. At first, the pirates agreed to this deal, but changed their minds and went back on their word; instead, taking Phillips with them in a lifeboat, leaving the ship behind.
Captain Phillips spent four days in the lifeboat, while the pirates took turns torturing him. He almost died when one of their AK-47s misfired. Meanwhile, the U.S. Navy sent two ships to the scene, and were able to persuade one of the Somali pirates to come aboard. Eventually they convinced the three remaining pirates to shut off the lifeboat's engine so they could be towed by the USS Bainbridge. A Seal Team parachuted in and took position on the stern of the Bainbridge, where they waited with snipers for all three pirates to be in position. When that finally happened, the snipers simultaneously pulled their triggers, killing the pirates and thus, rescuing Captain Phillips. .
I would suggest this book to anyone, but particularly to those who saw the movie, "Captain Phillips," starring Tom Hanks. I recently saw that movie, and it prompted me to read this book.
That makes it their primary duty to be in charge of the security, while a pilot's main duty is to pilot the aircraft. ... The use of g-forces is a much more effective solution than putting guns in the cockpit" (Phillips). ... Mel Burkart, a former international 767 captain with thousands of flight hours believes that a gun will only "escalate the level of violence." ... But tell that to Richard C. ...
Governor Bradford's son, William, the commander of the Plymouth forces in King Phillips War, was hit by a musket ball, which he carried the rest of his life... Deborah finally decided that to do her duty to her country she would dress up as a man and enlist. ... After many weeks of recovery Deborah was allowed to return to active duty. ... Beside her was another sick soldier by the name of Richard Snow, one day Richard fell to the ground and both Deborah and Richard went to a nearby farmhouse. ... Deborah and Richard were given an attic. ...
America's Revolutionary War is a subject that engenders perpetual curiosity. By any sensible reckoning, Britain should have won the war. England's army was the strongest professional fighting force in the world, supremely confident, and led by experienced, gifted commanders with a long and storied h...