In April 2009, Captain Richard Phillips took command of the MV Maersk Alabama, a US-flagged cargo ship sailing through the Gulf of Aden. When Somali pirates intercept the vessel, Phillips works to protect his crew from the hostile boarding party. What follows is a standoff between two men from two different worlds, both operating under pressures far beyond their control. A biographical thriller about duty, survival, and what it costs to keep other people safe.