In 1942, black smoke and orange flames from torpedoed vessels filled
the ocean skies from New England to New Orleans. Explosions rattled
window panes and the nerves of coastal residents. Beaches were awash
with wreckage, oil, empty lifeboats, and bodies.
War Zone is a gripping
panorama of the plight of merchant sailors, of Coast Guardsmen watching
helplessly as sailors plunged into pools of burning oil, and of the baby
born in a lifeboat. Learn about intrepid citizens who defended America
in little boats and in small planes; the truth behind the famous phrase
“Sighted sub, sank same;” and the children who spied on German spies.
Discover the real story behind the legends of secret agents,
midget-submarine landings, and the shelling of a chemical plant on Kure
Beach. Follow the accounts of three climactic engagements between U.S.
forces and German U-boats off the North Carolina coast with the Battle
of the Atlantic hanging in the balance; and the time a tearful son from
England visited his father’s grave on Ocracoke Island for the first time
in 62 years.
War Zone is a classic
American story told from the perspective of everyday people who daily
faced daunting challenges with perseverance, patriotism, and uncommon
valor. Shocking, emotionally stirring, humorous, and ironic, War Zone preserves these memories of the greatest generation of Americans living on the coast of North Carolina in 1942. 
