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The Veterans Memorial Museum in Chehalis recently announced that New York Times bestselling author Sara Vladic will be at the museum at 6 p.m. May 16 for the release of her new book “The Dangerous Shore.”
“The Dangerous Shore” uncovers a little-known chapter of World War II history: the sustained and dangerous campaign waged against the American home front by German U-boats — and the unlikely group of citizens who fought back.
For decades, history books have largely framed the Pearl Harbor attack as the only significant assault on U.S. soil during the war. But as Vladic reveals through years of archival research, the threat extended far beyond Hawaii. Along the eastern seaboard, German submarines sank ships within sight of shore, landed saboteurs on American beaches and plotted attacks on major cities, a news release from the Veterans Memorial Museum stated. With the nation’s focus fixed overseas, the United States was dangerously vulnerable at home.
The book follows several characters, such as aviation pioneer Gill Robb Wilson, who led a volunteer corps of civilian pilots patrolling the coastline in small private aircraft. In Ohio, engineer Joseph Desch spearheaded groundbreaking cryptographic work that proved vital to Allied intelligence efforts. Commander Kenneth Knowles oversaw the so-called “Phantom Fleet,” helping coordinate operations tied to top-secret ULTRA intelligence.
Meanwhile, German spy-turned-double agent Grace Buchanan-Dineen worked with U.S. authorities to expose enemy operatives. Infamous mob figures Lucky Luciano, Meyer Lansky and Socks Lanza struck quiet deals with Naval Intelligence to help secure American ports from sabotage.
A Booklist starred selection, “The Dangerous Shore” has drawn early praise from historians, military leaders, and bestselling authors:
• Pulitzer Prize finalist James M. Scott calls it “a humdinger of a World War II tale populated by a cast of characters even Hollywood couldn’t invent.”
• Robert Kurson describes the book as “a powerful testament to the distinctly American resolve that kept disaster from our shores.”
• Rear Admiral Sam Cox (Ret.) praises it as “better than any espionage novel, because it’s all true,” while German naval historian Axel Niestlé commends its fresh and balanced approach to U-boat history.
Blending research with narrative drive, Vladic brings to life a forgotten battlefield and the Americans who refused to stand by while their country was threatened. The Dangerous Shore challenges long-held assumptions about the war and honors the quiet courage of those who defended the nation when few were watching, the news release stated.
“The Dangerous Shore” is available wherever books are sold.
