Hurricane Wotan

About the Book

Cap’n Jack Ledford would say that his book records the fin-de-siecle of scheduled American coastwise passenger ship operations. The great depression had aged the fleets, and those that survived were sunk by U-Boat wolf packs within three months after Pearl Harbor. The old SS Madison was the last coal-burning passenger ship afloat, and survival of the great storm at sea was itself a miracle.

All the old sea dogs like Lampost Gus, Ol’Jim and Chris are gone with the wind. Few remain who knew their kind, fewer who can name the masts of a seven-masted schooner.

With only the crudest of weather relay systems, no Gyro Compass, no phones, only morse code ship-to-shore contact, all they had was some old seamen, a gifted skipper, and the old coal-burning ship, repaired but seaworthy.

But the memories of the 1930s include dancing to the big bands and the love of golden-haired Mazie.

About the Author

Jack Ledford was born in Knoxville, Tennessee. Now retired, he lives with his wife in Alabama. Overpass is his first book.