Lifeboat Sailors: Disasters, rescues, and the Perilous Future of the Coast Guard's Small Boat Stations
"Noble's research [proves] that...[i]f you wish to see heroes, find the nearest U.S. Coast Guard small boat rescue station." --Proceedings, June 2000I have read many thrilling accounts of lifeboat rescues by services the world over, and Lifeboat Sailors has several that are truly spine-tingling.  But perhaps more importantly, it gives the reader the most intimate view of the lives of the men and women of the U.S. Coast Guard who man the small boat stations that I have ever seen.  Despite all the frustrations of performing great acts of individual heroism within the strictures of a necessarily large government bureaucracy, the men and women of the Coast Guard today share with their forebears one overwhelming characteristic: they are driven to do what they do that others might live. Lifeboat Sailors is for the lifesaving community what The Perfect Storm is for the fishing community: a well-written, intimate look inside a fascinating world.  --D.D. Chomeau, President, Association for Rescue at Sea, Inc.Lifeboat Sailors is an excellent tribute to the crews of the U.S. Coast Guards small boat stations and their selfless efforts to save the lives of those in peril in dangerous waters.  It also offers a perceptive insight into the Coast Guards management of its small boat stations and raises concern for the future.  For those interested in that future, it is a must read.  --William D. Wilkinson, Director Emeritus of the Mariners Museum