Man on a Raft: Fifty Days Adrift at Sea

Man on a Raft also entitled What Cares the Sea? and first published in 1960, is a gripping true account of survival (and death) at sea. Following the 1943 sinking of the merchant ship S.S. Lulworth Hill in the south Atlantic by Italian submarine Leonardo da Vinci, 14 men, including the author, gather on a small liferaft. The men attempt to reach the African coast, but intense sun, starvation, sharks, injuries and madness begin to take their toll. When British warship HMS Rapid reaches the raft nearly two months later, only two men, author Kenneth Cooke and crewmate Colin Armitage, remain alive. This heart-breaking story remains inspirational due to the author's faith, determination, and compassion for his fellow raftmates. Included are six pages of illustrations.