The Immortals
The World War II Story of Five Fearless Heroes, the Sinking of the Dorchester, and an Awe-Inspiring Rescue
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Narrated by:
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Traber Burns
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By:
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Steven T. Collis
About this listen
Just past midnight, on February 3, just hours from their destination, the Dorchester was torpedoed and sank, throwing its passengers into the frigid waters and creating the worst single loss of an American personnel convoy during WWII. Many of the survivors credit the four chaplains with saving their lives. Those chaplains would become known as the "Immortal Chaplains" for their heroism in making the ultimate sacrifice. With no thought of themselves, they calmly helped men to safety through the chaos of their badly damaged ship, searched for spare life jackets for those without - eventually giving away their own life jackets and encouraging men in the freezing waters.
The celebrated story of the Immortal Chaplains is now joined for the first time by the largely untold story of another hero of the sinking of the Dorchester: Charles Walter David Jr. was a young Black petty officer aboard a Coast Guard cutter traveling with the convoy who bravely dived into the glacial water over and over again, even with hypothermia setting in, to try to rescue the men the chaplains had first helped and inspired to never give up. Through his efforts, he joins the Chaplains as one of the "Immortals”.
Thoroughly researched and told in an engrossing nonfiction narrative, the book alternates between accounts told from the perspective of the Nazi U-boat captain and his crew (as found in their journals and later interviews), and the hunted - the men of the American convoy. Using his expertise as a law professor specializing in religious freedom and constitutional law, the author, Steven T. Collis, also paints a thought-provoking portrait of religious life in America during wartime and how American views of faith affected the chaplains and the men they served.
Enthralling and inspiring, The Immortals explores the power of faith and religious conviction and powerfully narrates the lives of five heroic men who believed in something greater than themselves, living lives of service and sacrifice for their country and their fellow man.
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- An American Sailor's Firsthand Account of Pearl Harbor
- By: Donald Stratton, Ken Gire
- Narrated by: Mike Ortego
- Length: 5 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
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An unforgettable and moving story of tragedy, heroism, resilience, and redemption that is sure to become an enduring document of American history, All the Brave Men is a sailor's moment-by-moment eyewitness account of the Japanese surprise attack that decimated the US Pacific Fleet in Hawaii on December 7, 1941, and his inspiring return to active duty to carry on the Allied fight in the Pacific.
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Absolutely wonderful book!
- By Cris Conerty on 01-15-17
By: Donald Stratton, and others
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The Finest Hours
- The True Story of the U.S. Coast Guard’s Most Daring Sea Rescue
- By: Michael J. Tougias, Casey Sherman
- Narrated by: Malcolm Hillgartner
- Length: 5 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
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In the winter of 1952, New England was battered by the most brutal nor’easter in years. As the weather wreaked havoc on land, the freezing Atlantic became a wind-whipped zone of peril, setting the stage for one of the most heroic rescue stories ever lived. On February 18, while the storm raged, two oil tankers, the Pendleton and the Fort Mercer, were in the same horrifying predicament. Built with “dirty steel,” and not prepared to withstand such ferocious seas, both tankers split in two, leaving the dozens of men on board utterly at the Atlantic’s mercy.
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Two Times Terrific!
- By Carole T. on 01-31-16
By: Michael J. Tougias, and others
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The Last Voyage of the Andrea Doria
- The Sinking of the World's Most Glamorous Ship
- By: Greg King, Penny Wilson
- Narrated by: David Colacci
- Length: 12 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
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In 1956, a stunned world watched as the famous Italian ocean liner Andrea Doria sank after being struck by a Swedish vessel off the coast of Nantucket. Unlike the Titanic, this sinking played out in real time across radios and televisions, the first disaster of the modern age. Audiences witnessed it all: the unthinkable collision of two modern vessels equipped with radar; perilous hours of uncertainty; the heroic rescue of passengers, and the final gasp as the pride of the Italian fleet slipped beneath the Atlantic, taking some 50 lives with her.
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Great!
- By Andrea C. Shebuski on 01-10-21
By: Greg King, and others
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Wreck of the Carl D.
- A True Story of Loss, Survival, and Rescue at Sea
- By: Michael Schumacher
- Narrated by: Gary D. MacFadden
- Length: 7 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
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On November 18, 1958, a 623-foot limestone carrier - caught in one of the most violent storms in Lake Michigan history - broke in two and sank in less than five minutes. Four of the 35-person crew escaped to a small raft, to which they clung in total darkness, braving 30-foot waves and frigid temperatures. As the storm raged on, a search-and-rescue mission hunted for survivors, while the frantic citizens of nearby Rogers City, Michigan, anxiously awaited word of their loved ones' fates.
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A harrowing story of survival and loss
- By Ron T on 03-25-16
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Out of the Depths
- An Unforgettable WWII Story of Survival, Courage, and the Sinking of the USS Indianapolis
- By: Edgar Harrell, David Harrell USMC
- Narrated by: Eric Martin
- Length: 4 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
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July 30, 1945 - The USS Indianapolis and its 1,196-man crew is making its way toward a small island in the South Pacific. The ship is sailing unescorted, assured by headquarters the waters are safe. It is midnight, and Marine Edgar Harrell and several others have sacked out on deck rather than spend the night in their hot and muggy quarters below. Fresh off a top-secret mission to deliver uranium for the atomic bombs that would ultimately end World War II, they are unaware their ship is being watched.
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Potentially good story thwarted by proselytization
- By Mark Fay on 12-10-17
By: Edgar Harrell, and others
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Dead Wake
- The Last Crossing of the Lusitania
- By: Erik Larson
- Narrated by: Scott Brick
- Length: 13 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
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On May 1, 1915, with WWI entering its tenth month, a luxury ocean liner as richly appointed as an English country house sailed out of New York, bound for Liverpool, carrying a record number of children and infants. The passengers were surprisingly at ease, even though Germany had declared the seas around Britain to be a war zone. For months, German U-boats had brought terror to the North Atlantic.
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Naivety VS Barbarians Of War
- By Sara on 03-05-16
By: Erik Larson
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A Game of Birds and Wolves
- The Ingenious Young Women Whose Secret Board Game Helped Win World War II
- By: Simon Parkin
- Narrated by: Elliot Fitzpatrick
- Length: 10 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
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Combining vibrant novelistic storytelling with extensive research, interviews, and previously unpublished accounts, Simon Parkin describes for the first time the role that women played in developing the Allied strategy that, in the words of one admiral, "contributed in no small measure to the final defeat of Germany." Rich with unforgettable cinematic detail and larger-than-life characters, A Game of Birds and Wolves is a heart-wrenching tale of ingenuity, dedication, perseverance, and love, bringing to life the imagination and sacrifice required to defeat the Nazis at sea.
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A lost story thrillingly revealed
- By Maudiemanding on 02-18-20
By: Simon Parkin
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Indestructible
- The Unforgettable Memoir of a Marine Hero at the Battle of Iwo Jima
- By: Jack H. Lucas, D.K. Drum
- Narrated by: Lloyd James
- Length: 5 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
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On February 20, 1945, the second day of the assault on Iwo Jima - one of the bloodiest battles of the Pacific theater in World War II - Private Jack Lucas, who was only 17, and three other Marines engaged in a close-proximity firefight with Japanese soldiers. When two enemy grenades landed in their trench, Lucas jumped on one and pulled the other under his body to save the lives of his comrades. Lucas was blown into the air as his body was torn apart by 250 entrance wounds. He was so severely wounded that his team left him for dead. Miraculously, he survived.
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Not Really About Iwo Jima
- By Barbara on 02-25-21
By: Jack H. Lucas, and others
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The Heart of Hell
- The Untold Story of Courage and Sacrifice in the Shadow of Iwo Jima
- By: Mitch Weiss
- Narrated by: Joe Barrett
- Length: 13 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
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The Battle of Iwo Jima, a major event in the Pacific Theater of World War II - and one of the bloodiest in United States history - began on February 19, 1945. But what happened two days earlier has largely been a footnote - until now.... On February 17, Landing Craft Infantry 449 was among a dozen gunboats helping to prepare the area for their invasion two days later. US military leaders thought that they had weakened Japanese forces in the area.
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Important History, but Not a Compelling Story
- By Craig on 07-30-16
By: Mitch Weiss
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Where Divers Dare
- The Hunt for the Last U-Boat
- By: Randall Peffer
- Narrated by: James Patrick Cronin
- Length: 9 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
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In the tradition of Shadow Divers, the story of the courageous men who dived on the last sunken U-Boat off the Eastern Seaboard. On April 16, 1944, the tanker SS Pan Pennsylvania was torpedoed and sunk by the U-550. In return the sub was sent to the bottom by three destroyer escorts that were guarding the convoy. For more than 60 years the location of the U-boat's wreck eluded divers. In 2012 a team found it.
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great story but at times a little too much...
- By Anthony Karis on 02-28-18
By: Randall Peffer
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Madhouse at the End of the Earth
- The Belgica's Journey into the Dark Antarctic Night
- By: Julian Sancton
- Narrated by: Vikas Adam
- Length: 13 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
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In August 1897, the young Belgian commandant Adrien de Gerlache set sail for a three-year expedition aboard the good ship Belgica with dreams of glory. His destination was the uncharted end of the earth: the icy continent of Antarctica. But de Gerlache’s plans to be first to the magnetic South Pole would swiftly go awry. After a series of costly setbacks, the commandant faced two bad options: turn back in defeat and spare his men the devastating Antarctic winter, or recklessly chase fame by sailing deeper into the freezing waters.
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Excellent story
- By Ginger 3701 on 05-23-21
By: Julian Sancton
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The Mathews Men
- Seven Brothers and the War Against Hitler's U-boats
- By: William Geroux
- Narrated by: Arthur Morey
- Length: 12 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
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From the author of The Ghost Ships of Archangel, one of the last unheralded heroic stories of World War II: The U-boat assault off the American coast against the men of the US Merchant Marine who were supplying the European war, and one community’s monumental contribution to that effort. Mathews County, Virginia, is a remote outpost on the Chesapeake Bay with little to offer except unspoiled scenery - but it sent an unusually large concentration of sea captains to fight in World War II.
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Engaging Read Not About Brothers, but Men
- By Gillian on 04-22-16
By: William Geroux
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Simple Courage
- The True Story of Peril on the Sea
- By: Frank Delaney
- Narrated by: Frank Delaney
- Length: 9 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
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Drawing on historical documents and contemporary accounts and on exclusive interviews with Carlsen's family, Delaney opens a window into the world of the merchant marine. With deep affection, and respect, for the weather and all that goes with it, he places us in the heart of the storm, a "biblical tempest" of unimaginable power. He illuminates the bravery and ingenuity of Carlsen and the extraordinary courage that the 37-year-old captain inspired in his stalwart crew.
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Well written and read
- By AMS on 03-03-08
By: Frank Delaney
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Steel Boat Iron Hearts
- A U-boat Crewman's Life Aboard U-505
- By: Hans Goebeler, John Vanzo
- Narrated by: Norman Dietz
- Length: 11 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
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Using his own experiences, log books, and correspondence with other U-boat crewmen, Hans Goebeler offers rich and personal details about what life was like in the German Navy under Hitler. Since his first and last posting was to U-505, Goebeler's perspective of the crew, commanders, and war patrols paints a vivid and complete portrait unlike any other to come out of the Kriegsmarine. He witnessed it all, from deadly sabotage efforts that almost sunk the boat to the tragic suicide of the only U-boat commander who took his life during World War II.
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Not impressed with the narration
- By Andrew on 08-20-16
By: Hans Goebeler, and others
What listeners say about The Immortals
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Grandma.w
- 12-07-21
The immortals is a story I have never heard about, what an interesting part of history
One of the best history book that I have read in a long time. Fantastic reading and the performer that read the book just brings you into the story.
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- Donna M. Sprunger
- 06-18-21
NEVER FORGET
very well done!! The narrator made me see this through the eyes of the men involved.
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- S. Chapin
- 03-28-23
Great story of heroic men who ignored racism and bigotry
Men who felt all religions and races should work together for the greater good, gave their lives saving others. Truly an inspirational story.
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- Richard
- 10-13-21
About “Real” Americans, Someday, I Hope.
We are not yet who we should be.
The five Immortals are Americans first. They are not men, chaplains, Jewish, Catholic, Protestant, immigrants, White, or Black. Yet we still in too many instances continue to see people only in such separate ways first, not Americans first. The nephew of Charles was a Black Panther, and Muslim. Yet why did he need to be a Black Panther, and not just be an American? Would he have become a Muslim if he never thought of being a Black Panther? Why is being a Muslim even part of my group of questions?
Would the chaplains give away their only chance to get a vaccine as they did their life jackets? Or would they accost School boards about wearing masks to save American[s] (soldiers).
Real Americans like the Five Immortals would not have destroyed a capitol building for a blowhard, liar, misogynist, and racist. They wouldn’t protest the saving of three quarters of a million Americans from a preventable plague.
There is no Real America until we progress further into a pluralistic society than we have. Our military would never be as strong and fearless if it weren’t for the type of Americans a pluralistic society provides. A pluralistic society cannot torture or start wars of choice. A true pluralistic society, which of course closely listens to and respects all voices, actually could nation build. A pluralistic society does not need to drone kill anyone, let alone its own people! It has no disparities due to color, or creed. Gender differences are respected and rights are upheld equally.
A pluralistic society cannot be perfect, but America will not survive in any other form. We must raise ourselves beyond segregation, tribalism, and denialism if we truly want a better future. The Five Immortals, plus all others and genders who “fought” valiantly during the worst events of our time, were not fighting for a splintering, disengaged, and dystopian future. The Five show us our only way out.
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- Daniel
- 09-04-24
Epic story
The four chaplains and the cook were towers of strength and powerful examples. Highly recommend
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- Eileen
- 12-17-21
Excellent!
A phenomenal book! Should be read in schools everywhere! Somethings we should just not forget. Excellent reader as well!
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- Dylan
- 07-22-22
Truly Moving
It made me proud of the human race. Tears will fall. Read to the end.
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- J.Brock
- 05-27-21
The Best of Stories
"The Immortals" is just one of the many incredible stories of sacrifice in WWII. Four chaplains and a petty officer Charles W. David boldly sacrificed their lives during the sinking of the Dorchester by a German U-Boat. It doesn't get any better than this. The chaplains, two Protestant, one Catholic, and one Jewish, all served the men on the ship. The backstories of the chaplains make for an even richer story, as you get the complete picture about the lives of these selfless men. The only area where it drags a bit is during the Intro, and at certain points in the middle. Collis goes a bit too into lecture mode during the beginning, but then quickly gets back to the fine points of the story. If ever we needed a story of self sacrifice and complete sacrificial love that time is now. Thank you Steven Collis.
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- Adam Conley
- 09-07-24
Heartwarming and heartbreaking posthumous tribute to these religious Heroes (great narration by Traber Burns)
What can I say that hasn’t been said, but this is an incredible book and a beautiful retelling by the author. Great structure and plays out as a movie in your head if you can muster the imagination. Well done to all involved.
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- Cindy Whitmer
- 06-22-22
Touching
This story honors the lives of 5 men who were quiet hero’s in WWII. Prepare to laugh, cry, be angry, and live the valiant men who chose humanity over orders.
It also honors those who continued on with out there beloved husbands, fathers or sons. It is to these authors who capture these heroics in the written word so they are not forgotten, but remember for the price paid so we all can be free in our country.
Well written, and well read.
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