NOW AVAILABLE FROM LYONS PRESS
Dark Nights, Deadly Waters: American PT Boats at Guadalcanal
Eighty feet long, built of layered mahagony and powered by three monstrous 1500-horsepower V-12 engines, the US Navy’s Patrol Torpedo (PT) boats screamed across the water at over forty knots. They were not only fast, but also armed to the teeth, bristling with a deadly array of machine guns, autocannon, torpedoes and depth charges. Duty aboard the boats was often reserved for the spirited, the aggressive, and the very young, with the average age of a PT sailor being twenty-four years of age. The “mosquito boats” carried out a variety of missions during the war, including scouting and reconnaissance, search and rescue, interdiction of supply routes, strafing of enemy shore installations, supporting coast watchers and special operations forces, and even putting armed crewmembers ashore to perform commando-style raids on far-flung enemy outposts.
The boats were used in every theater of the Second World War, but they are most famous for their daring exploits in the South Pacific, where they were the US Navy’s first line of defense against the “Tokyo Express,” the nightly attacks of Japanese destroyers against American forces on Guadalcanal. Dark Nights, Deadly Waters tells the story of the first PT boats deployed to the fetid and malarial island of Tulagi, in the desperate early days of America’s “island hopping” campaign across the Pacific. Using a gritty and evocative narrative style, citing first-hand accounts, after-action reports and official navy documents, Dark Nights, Deadly Waters tells of the austere conditions under which the sailors lived and worked, and the highly-dangerous nocturnal missions they performed.
QUARTERDECK MAGAZINE:
"Keith Warren Lloyd has written a compelling fact-based account that follows the first deployment of PT boats to the Solomons and their support of operations against the Japanese at Guadalcanal. Anyone interested in US naval operations during World War II or the Guadalcanal campaign will enjoy Dark Nights, Deadly Waters."
LIBRARY JOURNAL:
"This title will likely prove appealing to readers interested in the Second World War’s Pacific strategies, operations, and battles, particularly naval surface warfare in 1942 and 1943."
REVIEWS FROM READERS:
"It was fascinating to learn about the PT boats and their capabilities as well as their foibles. This was the third of this author’s books that I have read, and each of them has provided detailed perspectives on the human elements of these events. Can’t wait for the next one."
NOW AVAILABLE IN HARDCOVER AND eBOOK
NOW AVAILABLE from Lyons Press
Avenging Pearl Harbor: The Saga of America's Battleships in the Pacific War.
FROM THE PUBLISHER:
Avenging Pearl Harbor describes in vivid detail the Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, telling the story of the severe damage dealt to the battleships Maryland, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, California, and Tennessee and the incredible acts of courage performed by the sailors of each crew that morning. It continues with how each ship was raised and repaired—a project Herculean in scope—and the mustering of new commanders, officers and crewmen. It details the final drama of their revenge three years later as each of the five ships returns to the battle fleet, and their ultimate triumph at the Battle of Surigao Strait.
NAVAL HISTORICAL FOUNDATION:
"The author has a very engaging 'storytelling' style of writing. He provides an interesting and unique account of the battleships present at Pearl Harbor in December 1941, their subsequent resurrections, reassignments, and ultimate destiny."
REVIEWS FROM READERS:
"A wonderful narrative about the death and resurrection of the dreadnoughts of the U.S. Pacific Fleet in World War Two."
"Lloyd does a good job of describing the challenges—and sometimes the horror—of salvaging these ships in Pearl Harbor."
"I could not put down this book. Excellent step-by-step narrative. Crisply written and well documented. I look forward to the author's next book."
NOW AVAILABLE IN HARDCOVER, eBOOK AND AUDIOBOOK
THE STORY OF THE PAPAGO PARK PRISONER OF WAR ESCAPE
The Great Desert Escape tells the fascinating story of how twenty-five determined German sailors tunneled out of the Papago Park POW camp in Phoenix, Arizona and attempted to flee to Mexico across the unforgiving Sonoran desert.
NEW YORK JOURNAL OF BOOKS:
"With all of the emphasis on Allied POW escapes over the years, it is interesting to learn about the same from the German perspective."
MILITARY REVIEW - THE PROFESSIONAL JOURNAL OF THE U.S. ARMY:
"The Great Desert Escape is an extremely well-written account... an enlightening, enjoyable, and extremely quick read that brings to life the little-known history of Axis POWs held in American camps during World War II. If your measure of an interesting book (that also holds your attention) is that it makes you read more information on the various topics discussed within, then The Great Desert Escape is for you."
REVIEWS FROM READERS::
'Wildly entertaining true story...Well researched, I was captivated reading about the ingenuity and ineptitude throughout the escape."
"Fascinating look at an event few people today know about, THE GREAT DESERT ESCAPE enlightens and educates the reader in a very entertaining way. The book was a joy to read."
Now available in hardcover, paperback, eBook and audiobook
Keith's best-selling work of non-fiction
A NEW ANTHOLOGY OF PRISONER OF WAR ESCAPE STORIES
- Tom, Dick and Harry - The Great Escape from Germany's Stalag III
- Dieter Dengler's escape from Laos, subject of the film Rescue Dawn starring Christian Bale.
- Airey Neave's escape from the Nazi POW camp in Colditz Castle.
- Winston Churchill's flight from Pretoria during the South African Boer War.
REVIEWS FROM READERS:
"In the introduction the author states that escaping is a universal desire of prisoners of war in all countries. The stories he shares are clear and varied examples of those escapes. I was continually impressed by their drive, creativity and courage."
"It must be the editing as each story is well written and fascinating. The post scripts are amazing and sobering. I am reading a bunch of books on this topic and this is one of the best."
Now available in paperback and eBook
ABOVE AND BEYOND
The Incredible Story of Frank Luke Jr., Arizona's Medal of Honor Flying Ace of the First World War
Keith Warren Lloyd's Above and Beyond is the incredible true story of Frank Luke Jr., the first aviator to be awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. Born in Phoenix in 1897, Luke was an adventurous young man who roamed the still-untamed Arizona backcountry on horseback. When America entered the First World War in 1917, Luke became a fighter pilot in the newly-formed U.S. Army Air Service and was soon serving with a front-line squadron in France. Despite being seen as a "high-strung, excitable boy," scorned by his squadron mates and frequently at odds with his commanders, Luke became one of the most revered fighter aces on the Western Front. Exhibiting great audacity and skill in combat, he quickly racked up an impressive number of air-to-air victories, many of them against the heavily-defended German observation balloons which few pilots dared to attack. The popular press would label him "The Arizona Balloon Buster." Above and Beyond chronicles Luke's most daring mission of all on September 29, 1918, which cost him his life, and for which he was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor.
REVIEWS FROM READERS:
"A gripping biographical account of the valorous service of a 21 year old American in WWI."
"A highly-readable account of Frank Luke's tragically short life. Lloyd's version is concise and yet not sparing of details, providing wonderful insights into the personality of young Luke."
AVAILABLE IN QUALITY PAPERBACK, eBOOK AND AUDIOBOOK
About Keith
Keith Warren Lloyd is an author and historian, a US Navy veteran, and a retired firefighter. Keith graduated from Arizona State University, where he studied history and political science. He lives in Flagstaff, Arizona.
Keith's newest work is Dark Nights, Deadly Waters: American PT Boats at Guadalcanal, released by Roman and Littlefield's Lyons Press in November 2023. He is also the author of the following titles:
Avenging Pearl Harbor: The Saga of America's Battleships in the Pacific War. (2021)
The Great Desert Escape: How the Flight of 25 German Prisoners of War Sparked One of the Largest Manhunts in American History. (2019)
The Greatest POW Escape Stories Ever Told, an anthology of famous prisoner of war escape stories. (2020)
Above and Beyond: The Incredible Story of Frank Luke Jr., Arizona's Medal of Honor Flying Ace of the First World War. (2015)
Keith's When Heaven Was Falling, Cape Hatteras and On Island Time are historical novels, featuring fictional characters thrust into actual events and often interacting with real-life historical figures.
Keith's Books
All books are available in print or eBook
Keith's Events
Keith will be delivering his presentation on The Great Desert Escape to the City of Scottsdale Neighborhood College on February 21, 2024 at 11:00 AM at Mustang Library, 10101 N 90th St, Scottsdale, AZ 85258.