Synopses & Reviews
On October 12, 2000, eleven months before the 9/11 attacks, the USS Cole docked in the port of Aden in Yemen for a routine fueling stop.and#160; At 1118, on a hot, sunny morning, the 8,400-ton destroyer was rocked by an enormous explosion. The shipandrsquo;s commander, Kirk Lippold, felt the ship violently thrust up and to the right, as everything not bolted down seemed to float in midair. Tiles tumbled from the ceiling, and the ship was plunged into darkness, beginning to sink. In a matter of moments Lippold knew that the Cole had been attacked. What he didnandrsquo;t know was how much the world was changing around him.and#160;The bombing of the Cole was al Qaedaandrsquo;s first direct assault against the United States and expanded their brazen and deadly string of terrorist attacks throughout the Middle East. In this gripping first-person narrative, Lippold reveals the details of this harrowing experience leading his crew of valiant sailors through the attack and its aftermath. Seventeen sailors died in the explosion and thirty-seven were woundedandmdash;but thanks to the valor of the crew in the perilous days that followed, the ship was saved.and#160;Yet even with al Qaedaandrsquo;s intentions made clear in an unmistakable act of war, the United States government delayed retaliating. Bureaucrats and politicians sought to shift and pin blame as they ignored the danger signaled by the attack, shirking responsibility until the event was ultimately overshadowed by 9/11.and#160;Front Burner captures a critical moment in Americaandrsquo;s battle against al Qaeda, telling a vital story that hasandmdash;until nowandmdash;been lost in the fog of the war on terror.
Synopsis
The former Commander of the USS Cole tells the full story of the deadly terrorist attack on his ship and its frustrating, fateful aftermath
About the Author
Commander Kirk Lippold was the commanding officer of the USS Cole during Al Qaeda's attack in October 2000. Lippold's personal awards include the Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Meritorious Service Medal, and Combat Action Ribbon, among others. He retired from the Navy in 2007 and remains active in current events and national security affairs. He lives in Carson City, Nevada.