Prior to the ascendancy of transcontinental air flight, the great passenger ships of the mid-twentieth century offered transatlantic travelers unparalleled safety, luxury, and service. This opulence and security was not, however, shared by the merchant seamen who dwelt "below decks." Their milieu was far darker, and far less secure. Group 4 is the story of a bright and likable seventeen-year-old who has spent his boyhood in Manhattan watching the great ships parade past his window and dreaming of exotic ports of call. Against his mother's wishes, he foregoes college to follow his heart to an adventure at sea. Little does he know the qualities that held him in good stead back at home could well mark him for death in this often brutal new world.