Burning Cold: The Cruise Ship Prinsendam and the Greatest Sea Rescue of All Time

by H. Paul Jeffers

Book Overview

During the evening of October 4, 1980, in the Pacific Ocean nearly 330 miles from Valdez, Alaska, a fire engulfed the engine room of the Prinsendam, a Holland America cruise ship carrying 320... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0760320799
• ISBN13: 9780760320792
• Release Date: January 2006
• Publisher: Zenith Press
• Length: 304 Pages
• Weight: 1.28 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.4" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

Cruise Ship Prinsendam

A very interesting tale of disaster at sea. An enjoyable read with a few technical errors. Having been involved in this event as a member of the U. S. Coast Guard in Juneau at the time of the disaster I was very interested in the story. Overall a very good job on the part of the author.

(Nurse) Opinion From One of the Last Off The Ship

The Story Of The Prinsedam is one that was long overdue. As the only Nurse onboard the Prinsedam as it caught Fire and Sank I would have greatly enjoyed sharing my accounts of what happened on that day to Mr. Jeffers. The Story is still very intriguing, swaying here and there from the truth. Overall I enjoyed reading about an event in my life that makes a really great story.

a book about the "Prinsendam"

The book was interesting. Why did it take so long to get a book on the "Prinsendam"? The reason for four stars is that the author claims that this was "the greatest sea rescue of all time". No, it wasn't. THE GREATEST SEA RESCUE OF ALL TIME WAS IN JULY 1956 WHEN NEARLY 1,700 PEOPLE WERE SAVED FROM THE "ANDREA DORIA"

Highly entertaining reading

You don't have to have a particular interest in cruise ships or the sea to enjoy "Burning Cold." I found the telling of the fire and consequent rescue of more than 500 mostly elderly persons from the cruise ship Prinsendam hard to put down. Mr. Jeffers research is certainly outstanding, but he has a special way with words that brings the tale to life. It isn't hard to imagine an 85 year old lady, clad only in curtains and bedroom slippers, cold and exhausted in a pitching lifeboat. Or a gentleman in a velvet tuxedo warding off the waves. The remembrances of various passengers give the book a fascination that makes it hard to put down. And anyone who questions the talents of the Coast Guard has only to read this book to find his opinions reversed. If you enjoy the technicalities of sailing vessels, there's a lot for you as well. Yet it's presented in a way that's of interest to dedicated landlubbers. This one's a winner. What a great movie it would make!