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Out of the Depths - by Edward Harrell, USMC






The sinking of the USS Indianapolis is a well-known story to most every student of the second World War, and many who know little about those dark years have still heard of the Indy.  It's one of the great tragedies of America's war history, and reading about it is never easy. But the book Out of the Depths, written by USS Indianapolis survivor Edward Harrell (United States Marine Core) brings a distinctly Christian perspective to this heart-wrenching tale.

Out of the Depths is a very well-written book, and the author does a terrific job of recognizing God's hand in the events detailed throughout each chapter. The facts are laid out in combination with Mr. Harrell's own personal perspective, and the incident along with it's after-effects are described with enough detail to give the reader a clear understanding of what took place, but with no extra "gore" added for drama's sake. It's clear the author has opted to glorify the Lord through this book, and that is refreshing for a military/historical work.

Reading this book reminded me once again of the grave cost of war, which is actually a grave cost of sin. The way Mr. Harrell weaves his faith into his book is a wonderful reminder of the hope we have in Christ, even in the darkest hours of our lives. I really enjoyed reading Out of the Depths...although it does not "feel" correct to use the word enjoyed when sharing about a book detailing the sinking of the USS Indianapolis.

In fact, I have decided to make Out of the Depths a part of homeschool's high school history coursework. It's one small piece of American and world history, but it's an important piece. This book does the tragedy justice.

On my "Page Turner Scale" of 1 to 5, I gave this book a 5. 

Disclaimer ~ I received this book for free from Bethany House for review purposes. All opinions shared here are solely my own.

 Day 314 done :)

Jan L. Burt
author of The Homeschooling Mothers Bible Study

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