The Immortals by Steven T. Collis
ACCLAIMED AUTHOR & LEGAL SCHOLAR STEVEN T. COLLIS TO RELEASE NEW WORK – THE IMMORTALS
-The Immortals tells an incredible, true story of heroism and sacrifice at the height of WWII-SALT LAKE CITY – The inspiration behind Steven T. Collis’s new book, The Immortals, came from a small and simple thing: a three-cent postage stamp from the 1940s depicting four chaplains, a sinking ship, and the words “These Immortal Chaplains…Interfaith in Action.”
Intrigued, Collis learned the stamp was created to honor four military chaplains of different faiths — Catholic, Protestant, and Jewish — who made the ultimate sacrifice when a German U-boat attacked the SS Dorchester in February 1943. But during his research into what was one of the costliest troop disasters of WWII, Collis discovered another, often unrecognized, hero of the tragedy — Coast Guardsman Charles W. David, Jr.
“Charles W. David, Jr. was a young steward’s mate and one of the only Black Coast Guardsmen aboard the Coast Guard cutter Comanche,” says Collis. “While the Dorchester was sinking, David repeatedly dove into the frigid waters of the North Atlantic and single-handedly saved scores of sailors and soldiers. Sadly, his heroic efforts ultimately cost him his life, as he succumbed to pneumonia shortly after.”
Thoroughly researched and exquisitely narrated, The Immortals presents the story through dual points of view: the chaplains’ and David’s stories and the German U-boat captain’s. The U-boat commander and his crew kept meticulous journals and logs, allowing readers to experience a perspective not often seen in WWII histories.
Beyond conducting research through US and German military records and press reports, Collis was able to get detailed accounts of the event and its impact by interviewing actual survivors of the Dorchester as well as from descendants of Charles W. David, Jr., other survivors, and the chaplains. “The impact of these five men and their selfless acts of courage cannot be overstated,” Collis remarks. “Their sacrifices in the name of unity and service should be a shining example to all of us today – no matter our differences.”
The Immortals: The World War II Story of Five Fearless Heroes, the Sinking of the Dorchester, and an Awe-Inspiring Rescue will be available nationwide on May 11, 2021, wherever books are sold. For more information on Steven T. Collis and his works, visit: www.shadowmountain.com.
Hardcover, 288 pages
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Steven T. Collis is the author of the nonfiction books Deep Conviction and The Immortals and the novel At Any Cost. He is a storyteller at heart, but in his other life, he is also a law professor at the University of Texas School of Law, where he is the faculty director of the Bech-Loughlin First Amendment Center and Texas’s Law & Religion Clinic.
Prior to joining the faculty at Texas, he was the Olin-Darling Research Fellow in the Constitutional Law Center at Stanford Law School and was an equity partner at Holland & Hart LLP, where he chaired the firm’s nationwide religious institutions and First Amendment practice group.
Before embarking on his legal and writing career, Steven graduated magna cum laude from the University of Michigan Law School, where he was elected to the Order of the Coif and served as an editor on the Michigan Law Review and the Michigan Journal of Race and Law. Steven also holds an M.F.A. in creative writing from Virginia Commonwealth University, where he served as the associate editor of the literary journal Blackbird. He completed his undergraduate studies, with university honors, at Brigham Young University.
Originally from New Mexico, Steven lives in Austin with his wife and children. He is on the web at www.steventcollis.com.
Virtual Book Launch Details:
Join Steven T. Collis, author of THE IMMORTALS, and Bill Kaemmer, Exec. Dir. of the Four Chaplains Memorial Foundation, as well as descendants from The Dorchester, for a special event.
Everyone who signs up will receive a free bookplate signed by Steven T. Collis, and there will be giveaways during the launch party.
Eventbrite Link:https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-immortals-virtual-book-launch-event-with-steven-t-collis-tickets-154343364157
Book Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qP5L9oxdSM
FB Event Link: https://www.facebook.com/events/128912332538454
Publisher Page:https://shadowmountain.com/immortals/
