Many Were Held by the Sea ─ The Tragic Sinking of HMS Otranto

NAVAL HISTORY WORLD WAR I

"Great naval battles, terrible privation, and mind-boggling acts of heroism flow through Scott's book, which successfully blends the characteristics of a page-turner with meticulous, scholarly research. The charmed life and tragic sinking of the troopship HMS Otranto under the cliffs of a Scottish island resulted in America's heaviest loss of life at sea during World War I, but it could have been so much worse. This was one of the terrible but ultimately uplifting tragedies from which the `special relationship' between Britain and the United States has been forged. Scott issues a timely reminder. We must never forget."---Carl Reavey, editor, The (Islay, Scotland)

"Professor Scott tells a well-researched, fast-paced story of one of the most dramatic and courageous sea rescues in modern history, tempered by the tragic loss of so many Young American troops. Working with detailed firsthand accounts, historical documents, and private letters, Scott recounts a gripping and heart-rending story of heroism and horror. In the absence of public monuments to the worst maritime disaster to befall American soldiers during World War I, Many were Held by the Sea serves as a memorial and in itself a monument to the 470 men of HMS Otranto who lost their lives on that unlucky day."---Irwin H. Streight, Royal Military College of Canada

R. Neil Scott was professor and user services librarian at Middle Tennessee State University until his death in 2012. His prior publications include Flannery O’Connor: An Annotated Reference Guide to Criticism (a Choice Outstanding Academic Title in 2002) and Flannery O’Connor: The Contemporary Reviews, as well as numerous scholarly articles.