A Captain's Duty: Somali Pirates, Navy SEALs, and Dangerous Days at Sea

By: Richard Phillips and Stephan Talty

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Synopsis: It was just another day on the job for Richard Phillips, captain of the Maersk Alabama, the United States-flagged cargo ship that was carrying, among other things, food and agricultural materials for the World Food Program. That all changed when armed Somali pirates boarded the ship. The pirates didn't expect the crew to fight back, nor did they expect Captain Phillips to offer himself as hostage in exchange for the safety of his crew. Thus began the tense five-day standoff that ended in a daring high-seas rescue when U.S. Navy SEALs opened fire and picked off three of the captors. "It never ends like this," Captain Phillips said. And he's right. "A Captain's Duty" tells the life-and-death drama of the career sailor who was held captive on a tiny lifeboat off Somalia's anarchic, gun-plagued shores. A story of adventure and courage it provides the intimate details of this high-seas hostage-taking--the unbearable heat, the death threats, the mock executions, and the escape attempt. When the pirates boarded his ship, Captain Phillips put his experience into action, doing everything he could to safeguard his crew. And when he was held captive by the pirates, he marshaled all his resources to ensure his own survival, withstanding intense physical hardship and an escalating battle of wills. This was it: the moment where training meets instinct, where character is everything. Richard Phillips was ready.