The Ghost Ships of Archangel: The Arctic Voyage That Defied the Nazis

Robert Davis’ The Ghost Ships of Archangel tells the story of a fairly unknown chapter of World War II; the Allied supply route to the Soviet Union. The setting takes place in the second half of 1941 and most of 1942 when the Soviet Union was embroiled in heavy fighting against the occupying Nazi forces. As part of the Lend-Lease program, the Allies supplied various war materiel to the Soviets. The book tells the story of the ship Troubador and its indomitable crew on their perilous mission: Convoy PQ-17. The convoy faced daily dangers not only from Nazi bombers and torpedoes but also the dangerous and unpredictable weather. Davis paints a sobering account of the physical and mental hardships the crew endured throughout their arduous journey to the ports of Murmansk and Archangel.

The Ghost Ships of Archangel definitely doesn’t read like a boring historical account. It is an engaging story of the men who made history. Davis does a great job of developing the crew, and I empathized with them. I would definitely recommend this book to any World War II or history buff.