July 30, 1945: The heavy cruiser U.S.S. Indianapolis was sunk by a torpedo. 1,196 men went into the water. When rescue arrived five days later, only 317 remained. What happened during those five terrible days? Full of harrowing personal accounts from survivors, and written by a veteran who served aboard the cruiser before the attack, Ordeal by Sea chronicles the stark human drama and sensational aftermath of one of the worst disasters in naval history. The story of the doomed mission was immortalized in the film Jaws as Quint remembers the intense, brutal and awful experience of the sailors as sharks tore into the floating survivors. Thirst and hunger were also added to the sailors torments as they wondered if the would be rescued from the merciless sea, their bravery and indomitable spirit is captured in this brillitant book. A dramatic and gripping read.