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Changes and news
22 January 2007
The National Maritime Historical Society has invited me to give a lecture about the Roberts near their headquarters in Peekskill, NY, at noon on Saturday, July 28, at noon at the Hendrick Hudson Free Library, 185 Kings Ferry Road, Montrose, N.Y. 10548 Phone: 914-739-5654.[Map & directions]
14 January 2006
New events: I have a book signing scheduled at the Borders bookstore in Springfield, Va., at 7 p.m. on Fri., Jan. 19, and a noontime lecture at the Navy Memorial in downtown Washington, D.C. on March 21.
11 October 2006
New event: I have a book signing scheduled (tentatively) at the Borders bookstore in the Annapolis (Md.) Mall at 7 p.m. on Dec. 5.
11 October 2006
Big news! No Higher Honor is going into a second printing! That means it's exceeded sales expectations. Thanks to everyone who helped make this achievement possible.
11 October 2006
Several reviews are in. See Navy Times, Armed Forces Journal, Maritime Reporter, and The Waterline.
31 August 2006
Added photos of the 8 December 1984 launch of the Sammy B at Bath Iron Works.
17 August 2006
In the hours and days after the mine strike, electronics officer Lt. (j.g.) Robert Chambers recorded several of Cmdr. Paul Rinn's broadcasts over the ship's 1MC, or public address system, including a situation update about an hour or two after the blast and a congratulatory call from President Reagan. Listen to them.
15 August 2006
Plans to have a book signing in San Diego after the Aug. 17 SNA conference have fallen through. The SNA conference is still open to the public (although it's too late to register for lunch). Hope this does not cause any inconvenience. Meanwhile, another St. Louis book signing has been added: Sept. 18, Barnes & Noble (Ladue Crossing, 8871 Ladue Road, Saint Louis, Mo. 63124. Phone: 314-862-6280).
25 July 2006
Added 27 Sammy B photos taken by and used with kind permission of then-Lt. (j.g.) Bob Chambers.
18 July 2006
In the right-side rail, I've added a link to the Portland Press Herald's 16 July interview with me, and some links to nice things people have written about the book.
6 July 2006
West Coast book event added! The Surface Navy Association has invited me to speak at their Summer 2006 symposium at Naval Base San Diego on Aug. 17. We're also looking to set up an evening signing at a bookstore out in town.
6 July 2006
By the way, books have been shipping from Amazon.com for about two weeks. One satisfied reader has already contributed a review to the page (thanks, CM!); others are encouraged to do so as well.
28 June 2006
Added an unofficial muster list of sailors on board the Roberts on 14 April 1988. The list is based on Naval Personnel Command documents, with edits as suggested by other documents and interviews. Corrections are welcomed.
19 June 2006
It's taking a little longer than anticipated to get the books to all the stores, but the Naval Institute Press will make sure there are batches available for the first book events:
Sunday, June 25, in St. Louis; (Borders: 11745 Olive Blvd, Creve Coeur, Mo. 63141. 314-432-3575) [map & directions]
Tuesday, June 27, in Washington, D.C. (Olssons Bookstore, Penn Quarter: 418 7th St NW, Washington, D.C. 20004. 202-638-7610) [map & directions]
Hope to see you there!
14 June 2006
The Borders bookstore in Virginia Beach, Va., will host a talk-and-signing event for "No Higher Honor" at 2 p.m. on July 29. Tell your Norfolk-area friends!
3 June 2006
Printed copies of "No Higher Honor" have arrived at the Naval Institute Press, which means that they'll start shipping within a few weeks to bookstores, Amazon.com, and people who have ordered them.
23 May 2006
Added a dozen photos of the Roberts in the aftermath of the mine strike.
11 May 2006
Added more than 30 photos of the damaged Sammy B taken by and used with kind permission of then-OS1 Tom Mowry.
8 May 2006
Added a photo of Sammy B and the Sahand. Added more chatter and photos of the damaged Stark.
6 May 2006
Added mid-1988 photo of Cmdr. Rinn and BMCS Frost posing above the Battle E marks on the Roberts' port bridge wing.
4 May 2006
Added an Operation Nimble Archer page.
19 April 2006
Added a calendar with book-related events such as museum lectures, bookstore signings, etc.
14 April 2006
For the 18th anniversary of the mine blast, I added a video news clip about Operation Praying Mantis that was produced by Navy public affairs and aired on 30 April 1988.
1 April 2006
Added five shots of the Roberts departing BIW, heading down the Kennebec River, and undergoing Navy tests off the Maine coast.
31 March 2006
Added Mighty Servant 2 gallery: loading Roberts off the UAE coast, bringing it home to Newport, unloading in Narragansett Bay
25 March 2006
Added Operation Praying Mantis photos: U.S. ships, Marines aboard the Sassan platform, A-6s in action, and Iranian ships under attack. Also added RSS feed.
21 March 2006
Beefed up narrative for Coxswain Roberts, Earnest Will pics, and DE 413 timeline.
14 March 2006
Added three more pics to the Capture of the Iran Ajr galleries. Added Bridgeton pic. Added many Earnest Will pics.
13 March 2006
Added many more pics to the Capture of the Iran Ajr galleries.
11 March 2006
Added pic of ship's namesake, Coxswain Samuel B. Roberts.
28 February 2006
Added lots of photos to the page about the ship's commissioning at BIW on 12 April 1986.
20 February 2006
Added lots of photos to the main timeline, plus photos of FFG 58 under repair at Bath Iron Works in 1988-89.
13 February 2006
Added photo of FFG 58 soon after commissioning at Bath Iron Works.
10 February 2006
Added Tell-A-Friend link on left navbar.
8 February 2006
Added this page
7 February 2006
Added Google map showing some of the important locations in the story of the USS Samuel B. Roberts (FFG 58).
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About The Book
No Higher Honor is the first book to detail the extraordinary tale of the USS Samuel B. Roberts (FFG 58) and the crew's heroic efforts to save the ship after it hit an Iranian mine in 1988. Drawing on years of research and scores of interviews, Bradley Peniston chronicles the origins of the Perry-class frigate; the crew's training; its operations in the Persian Gulf; the U.S. retaliation against Iran, which became the biggest surface battle since World War II; and the complex repairs that returned the ship to duty.
Published by Naval Institute Press, the 275-page book contains 20 photos, several diagrams of the damage, and a muster list of the shipmates aboard the Roberts during its fight for survival.
