German U-boats were the most feared predator of the sea during the early years of World War 2. But on September 12th, 1942 a U-boat sunk a 600-foot British troop ship some 600 miles from the Atlantic - then turned around and started saving the passengers from shark attacks, drowning and exposure. Why? 

Using powerpoint images of of the real people and vessels involved, this one-hour long program discusses the technology of German U-boats, the strategic decisions that sent the Laconia to sea alone, and how one lifeboat of survivors drifted all the way to Africa. 

Author Alison O'Leary is a longtime journalist who has won acclaim for history writing. For this book, she studied primary documents, oral histories of survivors, and every available account of this incident. She is the co-author of another non-fiction WW2 story, So Close To Home, about an American Family caught in the cross-hairs of the war in the Gulf of Mexico. 

See more at www.alisonoleary.com.

This is a virtual event. Zoom registration is required. Register HERE.

This event is sponsored by the Friends of the Newburyport Library.