Left for dead : a young man's search for justice for the USS Indianapolis

Peter Nelson ; with a preface by Hunter Scott.
It has been awhile since I have focused on this one area that I am passionate about learning about. The library reminded me that I had this book by sending me an e-mail notifying me that it would be over-due soon. So once again I delved into the topic.
Funny how the interest and intrigue so quickly resume. I have studied a lot about the USS Indianapolis and the events that surrounded and resulted from her sinking, however I never tire of it. I still shiver when they describe in detail what these men went through in the water. I rage when I read about the Navy bringing over the Japanese Commander who sunk the ship to testify against McVay. My heart breaks when I think about what this man endured, the loss of his ship that he was responsible for, the loss of men that he felt responsible for, the five days he survived in the water, the shame of being court-martialed and the devastation at recieving hate mail from the families of the men that were lost. How did he manage? Any one of those things alone would take a great hit on a man, but he endured them all. I find it amazing that he did not commit suicide earlier than he did. How can someone live with that much on their soul? He knew logically that none of it was his fault, but what does logic have to do with emotion?
This book is a great intro to the topic, with a great balance of stories and facts. It focuses quite a bit on Hunter Scott, the sixth grader who eventually ended up being a key player in getting the Government to acknowledge that McVays courtmartial was ludicrous.
It also spends a great deal of time on the court-martial and the efforts of the survivors to exonerate their captain.
As any book on this subject, it was great.