Program

So Close to Home is a fascinating look at an American family's experience during World War II when the ship they were traveling on was torpedoed by a German submarine in the Gulf of Mexico. A surviving family member lives in Quincy, Mass. and the captain, first and second mates of the ship were all from Massachusetts.

The spring of 1942 saw dozens of German submarines terrorizing shipping along the East Coast of the U.S., a fact rarely taught or remembered any more. About one ship was sunk per day for months on end, and when the submarines ran out of potential victims they turned to the Gulf of Mexico.

Author Alison O'Leary has published many articles on the Battle of the Atlantic in 1942, including in World War II Magazine, and was given a Silver Charlie Award from the Florida Magazine Association for history writing in 2017.

Sample videos of the author's presentations may be viewed at www.alisonoleary.com along with endorsements from many libraries.