The Gathering Wind
The Gathering Wind: Hurricane Sandy, the Sailing Ship Bounty, and a Courageous Rescue at Sea. In October 2012, a famous but troubled replica of an 18th century tall sailing ship was on a collision course with a storm that would become the largest hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic. The Bounty and Superstorm Sandy were racing toward each other for a conflict that would prove dramatic, tragic, perplexing, and ultimately one of the most unforgettable stories of the national crisis that gripped the entire East Coast.
The Bounty was crewed by an eclectic team of seafarers, some with experience and trained as mariners but others who were simply drawn to romantic notions of a tall sailing ship at sea. They were led by a skilled, highly respected captain with decades at the helm, and it would be his decisions – sometimes questionable -- that ultimately decided the fate of his ship and crew.
As the crew struggled in the massive storm, fighting to save their beloved Bounty and finally to save themselves, the men and women of an outlying Coast Guard station in North Carolina rose to the occasion and found the courage to fly into Sandy while the rest of the eastern seaboard was fleeing or bracing for the hurricane’s impact.
Based on exclusive interviews with Bounty survivors and Coast Guard rescuers, The Gathering Wind is the first complete, authoritative account of this incredible story.
Latest News
Forgotten 500 list of rescued airmen has been updated!
The list of airmen rescued in Operation Halyard that was included in THE FORGOTTEN 500 was known to be incomplete, and many people have asked if their family members might have been rescued even though they weren’t on the list. Now we have an updated list, thanks to the great research by Wendy Irwin, a relative of one of the men rescued.
Using the Missing Air Crew Reports that were filed after a bomber went down, Wendy has added a number of crew members who most likely were sheltered by Draja Mihailovich and rescued in the Operation Halyard flights. We still can’t call the list complete, so your relative might have been part of Operation Halyard even if his name isn’t included. But this is a great addition to the Forgotten 500 canon and I hope it answers important questions for some families.
See the updated list here. Order your copy of THE FORGOTTEN 500 here.
THE FORGOTTEN 500 now available in Italian!
The story of Operation Halyard and rescue of airmen in World War II is now available in an Italian translation. This follows the Serbian translation that was released a few years ago. The Italian version is I 500 SOPRAVVISSUTI and is available here.
The Gathering Wind is coming on October 29!
On the one-year anniversary of the loss of the great sailing ship Bounty in Hurricane Sandy, I will release The Gathering Wind: Hurricane Sandy, the Sailing Ship Bounty, and a Courageous Rescue at Sea.
Based on interviews with Bounty survivors and unfettered access to Coast Guard rescue team members, The Gathering Wind offers not only the first, but the most complete account of this heartbreaking, thrilling, and inspirational story. Why in the world was an old wooden ship sailing directly into a hurricane? Why did the crew go along with the captain’s decision? This book will tell you.
I was honored to get to know the Bounty survivors and the rescuers who willingly flew into one of the worst hurricanes in history. Their story will have your attention from the first page to the last.
Red Tails: The Forgotten 500 chapter now released
Red Tails tells the story of the Tuskegee Airmen, the first black pilots in WWII, who saved the lives of 500 Americans. This E-chapter of The Forgotten 500 can be found at Barnes and Noble
New book available now!
The Last Mission of the Wham Bam Boys tells the little known story of an American bomber crew, all young men with families waiting for them back home, and their fateful mission in the last days of World War II. Click here to order The Last Mission of the Wham Bam Boys!....Click Here
Red Tails: A new E-chapter for The Forgotten 500
A new chapter will soon be available for everyone who loved the story in The Forgotten 500. Titled Red Tails, this chapter tells of the previously unknown contribution of the famed Tuskegee Airmen, the first black pilots in World War II, to the rescue of more than 500 American airmen behind enemy lines. The new chapter will be available as an e-book download and includes a summary of the entire story told in The Forgotten 500. Watch this site for information on how to order Red Tails.
Read The Forgotten 500 in Serbian
The Serbian translation of The Forgotten 500 is on sale in Serbia and can be ordered in the U.S. The title is 500 Zaboravljenih by Gregori A. Friman.
To order, send an e-mail to Marko at marko@evro-giunti.com and he will arrange the purchase and shipment.
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Amazon.com Author Page
Go here to find all of Gregory A. Freeman's books and more about the author: Gregory A. Freeman on Amazon.com
Reader Reviews
"A re-creation of the first war crimes trial after World War II… a history making trial, setting the tone for Nuremberg. A chilling tale .. [and] a riveting narrative." — Kirkus Reviews
"Freeman has once again crafted a gripping, cinematic narrative – one that raises important questions about justice and morality in a time of industrial annihilation of civilian populations. A timely and riveting story of heroism and horror."— Alex Kershaw, best selling author of The Longest Winter and The Bedford Boys
"With The Last Mission of the Wham Bam Boys, Gregory A. Freeman delivers a thorough, artful, and absolutely riveting account of a fascinating yet tragic story of war, humanity, and justice. Freeman again proves that he ranks among today's finest historical storytellers."— Alvin Townley, author of Fly Navy and Legacy of Honor