About the Book

On the morning of February 24, 1942, a ship filled with Jewish refugees was crossing the Black Sea when a devastating explosion ripped it apart. Nearly 800 passengers were killed in the destruction of the Struma; more than a hundred of the dead were children.

Douglas Frantz and Catherine Collins explore this tragedy in two parallel narratives. The first examines the diplomatic maneuvers and callousness of Great Britain, Romania, Turkey and the international community in general that led to the largest civilian maritime loss of life during World War II, and the second traces an attempt by divers to locate the remains of the ship six decades later. Death on the Black Sea illuminates a forgotten episode of World War II and pays tribute to the heroes who keep its memory alive.

Douglas Frantz is an investigative reporter for the Los Angeles Times. He is the former Istanbul bureau chief of the New York Times, and was an investigative reporter at the Chicago Tribune. Catherine Collins covers Turkey for the Chicago Tribune and has written for the New York Times and Los Angeles Times. Frantz and Collins have written several nonfiction books, most recently Celebration, U.S.A.

“This is a brilliantly researched, gripping saga of tragic dimensions. A truly remarkable look at a forgotten atrocity.” — Douglas Brinkley, Director of the Eisenhower Center for American Studies

Critical Praise

“Among the countless books about the Holocaust, Death on the Black Sea is particularly important.” — Washington Times

“Mr. Frantz and Ms. Collins have performed a vital act of reclamation.” — New York Times

“A meticulous, judicious, at times searing chronicle... It will leave no reader unmoved. — Chicago Tribune

“A balanced, textured account that juxtaposes byzantine, coldly calculating diplomatic maneuverings with the suffering of the refugees.” — Fort Worth Star-Telegram

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Product Details

• ISBN: 9780060936853
• ISBN 10: 0060936851
• Imprint: Ecco
• On Sale: 04/13/2004
• Trimsize: 5.310 in (w) x 8.000 in (h) x 0.860 in (d)
• Pages: 384
• List Price: $18.00
• BISAC1 : HISTORY / Jewish
• BISAC2 : HISTORY / Military / World War II
• BISAC3 : HISTORY / Holocaust