Dawn of Infamy: A Sunken Ship, a Vanished Crew, and the Final Mystery of Pearl Harbor

by Stephen Harding Narrated by Richard Ferrone

Overview

New York Times bestselling author Stephen Harding explores the little-known episode of a US cargo ship that mysteriously vanished, along with her crew, hours before the attack on Pearl Harbor, marking the start of a global conflict and sparking one of the most enduring nautical mysteries of the war. On December 7, 1941, even as Japanese carrier-launched aircraft flew toward Pearl Harbor, a small American cargo ship chartered by the Army reported that it was under attack from a submarine halfway between Seattle and Honolulu. After that one cryptic message, the humble lumber carrier Cynthia Olson and her crew vanished without a trace, sparking one of the most enduring nautical mysteries of the war. What happened to the ill-fated ship? What happened to her crew? And was she Japan's first American victim of the Pacific War? Based on years of research, Dawn of Infamy explores both the military and human aspects of the Cynthia Olson story, bringing to life a complex tale of courage, tenacity, hubris, and arrogance in the opening hours of America's war in the Pacific.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Library Journal, 9/15/16
“Harding's thorough research reconstructs the Cynthia Olson's last days…While the story of the Cynthia Olson often appears as a side note in other histories about Pearl Harbor, this harrowing account brings it to the fore, telling how a Japanese submarine was able to sail close to the U.S. mainland and sink an unarmed ship in the hours before America entered World War II…Will appeal to nautical and military historians alike.”

Kirkus Reviews, 10/15/16
“A detailed, well-researched book presented in a logical fashion—will appeal most to Pearl Harbor scholars and those interested in submarine warfare.”


"An account of a little known incident that might have seen the opening shots of the Japanese war against the United States...Their story needed to be told."

—New York Journal of Books


"Harding takes a minor incident that could be reduced to a single sentence and, despite the lack of hard information about many aspects of the event, turns it into a fast-paced piece of historical detective work with very human dimensions and consequences...An engaging and satisfying book."

—Stone & Stone

"Based on years of research, Dawn of Infamy explores both the military and human aspects of the Cynthia Olson story, bringing to life a complex tale of courage, tenacity, hubris and arrogance in the opening hours of America's war in the Pacific."

—Bookreporter.com

"Stephen Harding researched a small part of World War II military history...with the amazing details typical of a good journalist."

—Seattle Book Review

"Harding brings his expert skills as a researcher and writer to this little known subject...An excellent look at a long-forgotten story that occurred at the beginning of American involvement in World War II in the Pacific."

—Collected Miscellany

"Rich in detail...A well-written and convincing book about an interesting historical sidelight...The author has done a good job of weaving together a mass of disparate evidence and technical information."—Warship International

"The book's engaging storyline will appeal to both nonspecialists and military historians with an interest in the early years of the Pacific War. Its narrative style and subject matter evoke nautical adventure books like Sebastian Junger's The Perfect Storm and Nathaniel Philbrick's In the Heart of the Sea...Gripping."
—Michigan War Studies Review

Library Journal

09/15/2016
Japan's declaration of war, the attack on Pearl Harbor, started just before eight o'clock in the morning (Hawaii-Aleutian Time) on December 7, 1941. With this latest work, Harding (The Castaway's War) investigates whether a Japanese submarine may have fired some of the first shots of the day, between Seattle and Honolulu. The book, originally published in the UK as Voyage to Oblivion, traces the history of the freighter SS Cynthia Olson from her origin as a military cargo ship built too late to be used in World War I up to her final voyage carrying lumber for the U.S. Army. Harding's thorough research reconstructs the Cynthia Olson's last days through military records and personal narratives of the crew of the I-26, the Japanese submarine that sunk the ship. While the story of the Cynthia Olson often appears as a side note in other histories about Pearl Harbor, this harrowing account brings it to the fore, telling how a Japanese submarine was able to sail close to the U.S. mainland and sink an unarmed ship in the hours before America entered World War II. VERDICT Harding's detailed history of the Cynthia Olson and her connection to Pearl Harbor will appeal to nautical and military historians alike.—John Rodzvilla, Emerson Coll., Boston

Kirkus Reviews

2016-10-06
The story of the first ship sunk by a Japanese submarine that demonstrates the careful planning and remarkable success of the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor.In 1940, the Cynthia Olson was acquired by the Olson Steamship Company and ran coastal service from Portland to Los Angeles. As war approached, the company won an Army Transportation Services contract to ship lumber, and eventually the ship was certified for service on the open ocean, which allowed for runs to Hawaii, where the United States was building in anticipation of the coming conflict. Though Military History editor-in-chief Harding (Last to Die: A Defeated Empire, a Forgotten Mission, and the Last American Killed in World War II, 2015, etc.) is fond of cliffhanger endings that eventually outstay their welcomes, he narrates an interesting tale. The captain and first mate on the fateful Dec. 7, 1941, voyage were experienced, but it seems to have made little difference. When the Japanese submarine surfaced and fired a shot across the bow, the intent was to humanely allow the crew to escape before the ship was sunk. The captain, a World War I veteran, knew just what was expected. He cut his engines, and after a second shot from the sub, he put his crew into lifeboats, and they rowed as far away from the ship as possible. It seems like a simple enough story, but Harding explores three crucial questions. First, did the sub captain truly wait to fire on the Cynthia Olson until the attack on Pearl Harbor was underway? Second, would knowledge of this attack have enabled a better defense with even an hour notice? Third, what really happened to the crew? The author traces facts that were discovered years—even decades—after the event, uncovers interviews with the Japanese captain and crew, and comes up with a number of intriguing scenarios. A detailed, well-researched book presented in a logical fashion—will appeal most to Pearl Harbor scholars and those interested in submarine warfare.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940169703412
Publisher:	Recorded Books, LLC
Publication date:	11/22/2016
Edition description:	Unabridged

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