Events / Book Signings

Navy League, Washington D.C.

Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, Halifax, NS, Canada

California State University Long Beach

California State University Fullerton

Eckerd College, Palm Harbor Campus, Florida

Eckerd College, St. Petersburg, Florida

University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida

Florida Atlantic University, Jupiter, Florida

Lost Tree Library, N. Palm Beach, Florida

Oyster Creek Community Association, Englewood, Florida

Oak Forest Community Association, Englewood, Florida

Brockway Memorial Library, Miami, Florida

Story & Song Bookstore, before the presentation with bookstore owners, Mark and Donna Kaufman, Fernandina Beach, Florida

Rotary International meeting, Amelia Island, Florida

The Strand, Naples, Florida

Members of The Strand First Chapter Bookclub show their support for “Without Warning.”

Hideaway Beach, Marco Island, Florida

The Morning Forum of Los Altos.

Members of the San Diego Lyncean Group attend Tom’s Athenia presentation at the Southwestern Yacht Club in Point Loma.

Santa Barbara Maritime Museum patrons listen to Tom’s lecture: “Sunk Without Warning: Athenia and the Start of WW II.”

Docents at the USS Midway Museum learn about the beginnings of World War II in the Atlantic.

Members of the University of Oregon OLLI program in Bend, listen to Tom’s WW II history presentation.

Tom gives a presentation to members of the University of Oregon’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute.

Tom signs copies of his book at the San Diego Festival of Books.

Members of the Navy League and MOAA hear Tom’s book presentation at the Coronado Yacht Club.

Attendees at San Diego’s Central Library hear Tom discuss his WWII novel, Without Warning.

Members of the Social Service League of La Jolla hear Tom’s presentation of Athenia’s little-known story.

Tom speaks at UCSD’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute

Tom signs copies of Without Warning for members of SIRs group in Los Altos, CA

Tom arrives at the Madonna Inn, San Luis Obispo, California, to be featured luncheon speaker.

Tom lead a much enjoyed discussion with the San Diego’s Kappa Alpha Theta alum book club in March.

Tom presents Athenia’s Story to an Oasis audience in Point Loma.

Audience members at White Sands presentation ask Tom about Athenia’s sinking.

An enthusiastic crowd enjoyed Tom’s book talk for Bay Books and the Coronado Library.

Tom met with Brian Zimmerman, president of the La Jolla Sunrise Rotary, before speaking about Without Warning.

Tom at Oasis adult education center.

Tom presented his Athenia talk to docents at San Diego Maritime Museum.

About 80 people attended Tom’s book launch in La Jolla.

Tom talks about his book, Without Warning, at a gathering with friends in Portland, OR.

Past Events:


      • September 18, 2019.  Washington, D.C.  Tom meets with Doug Denneny, president of the National Capital Council of the Navy League, before speaking to the group. 
      • September 3, 2019.  Halifax, Nova Scotia: Tom told the story of Athenia’s sinking to a standing-room-only crowd at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic on the 80th anniversary of the event. 
      • May 17, 2019. Long Beach, California: Tom reviewed events leading up to WWII during his Athenia presentation to OLLI members.
      • Feb. 26, 2019. Fullerton, California: OLLI members attend Tom’s talk about the sinking of Athenia on the first day of WWII.
      • Feb. 5, 2019. Palm Harbor, Florida: Members of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) heard Tom’s presentation at the Eckerd College Palm Harbor campus.
      • Feb. 4, 2019. St. Petersburg, Florida: Tom spoke to about 40 OLLI members at the Eckerd College campus.
      • Feb. 1, 2019. Tampa, Florida: Tom talked about the sinking of Athenia to members of the OLLI program in association with the University of South Florida.
      • Jan. 31, 2019. Jupiter, Florida: Two Athenia survivors attended Tom’s presentation and book signing for OLLI members at Florida Atlantic University.
      • Jan. 29, 2019. North Palm Beach, Florida: Tom spoke at the Lost Tree community main library about events leading up to the start of WWII and the sinking of Athenia.
      • Jan. 22, 2019. Englewood, Florida: Tom gave a presentation about his novel, Without Warning, to the Oyster Creek Community Association.
      • Jan. 21, 2019. Englewood, Florida: Members of the Oak Forrest Community Association attended Tom’s talk and book signing.
      • Jan. 19, 2019. Miami Shores, Florida: A standing-room-only crowd greeted Tom when he spoke to Florida International University OLLI members at Brockway Memorial Library.
      • Jan. 16, 2019. Fernandina Beach, Florida: Independent bookstore owners Mark and Donna Kaufman hosted Tom’s presentation and book signing at their Story & Song book store.
      • Jan. 16, 2019. Members of the Fernandina Beach Rotary Club heard Tom’s talk about Athenia, the first British ship sunk by Germany in WWII.
      • Jan. 11, 2019. Naples, Florida: Tom discussed researching and writing Without Warning with members of the Strand Sisters First Chapter Book Club.
      • Jan. 10, 2019. Marco Island, Florida: Tom told Athenia’s story to members of the Hideaway Beach Chapter One Book Club.
      • Nov. 20, 2018 Los Altos, California: More than 400 people attended Tom’s talk on the Athenia at The Morning Forum of Los Altos.
      • Nov. 14, 2018 Point Loma, California: About 60 members of the San Diego Lyncean Group came to a luncheon meeting to hear Tom tell the story of Athenia’s sinking at the beginning of WWII.
      • Sept. 13, 2018 Santa Barbara, California: Tom presented a lecture about the sinking of Athenia to donors and members of the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum.
      • Sept. 12, 2018  San Diego, California:  Tom spoke on the USS Midway to some of museum’s hundreds of volunteers.
      • Sept. 6, 2018  Bend, Oregon: Tom taught a class to Osher members at the University of Oregon, Bend Campus.
      • Sept. 5, 2018  Eugene, Oregon:  Members of OLLI at the University of Oregon heard Tom give a historical perspective about the beginning of World War II.
      • August 25, 2018 Tom shared his thoughts on a panel discussing “Military Fiction” at the San Diego Festival of Books.
      • August 20, 2018 Tom gave a talk about Without Warning to the Coronado chapters of the Navy League and Military Officers Association of America.
      • July 11, 2018 Members of a La Jolla book club participated in a discussion about the sinking of the Athenia and the civilian toll of war.
      • June 15, 2018 Tom taught a class about the beginning of World War II and the Athenia incident for San Diego Oasis members at the Braille Institute.
      • June 2, 2018  Chosen by Friends of the Central Library as San Diego author of the month for June, Tom presented his historical novel about the sinking of the British passenger ship, Athenia, on the first day of WWII

      • May 9, 2018  Without Warning and the attack on Athenia was the subject of a talk Tom gave to the Social Service League of La Jolla, CA.

      • April 30, 2018   Tom presented a class on the Athenia incident at the start of World War II at UC San Diego’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute.

      • April 18, 2018   Tom spoke to 250 members of a men’s group in Silicon Valley.

      • April 17, 2018  Tom gave a presentation to a retired men’s group luncheon in San Luis Obispo, California

      • March 7, 2018 Tom led a discussion about Without Warning with members of the Kappa Alpha Theta San Diego Alumnae book club.
      • February 7, 2018 Tom discussed “Athenia’s Story” for San Diego Oasis at the Point Loma Public Library. It was his second presentation to the adult education group.
      • December 8, 2017 Tom spoke about Without Warning at White Sands of La Jolla.
      • November 1, 2017 Book talk at the Coronado Public Library in partnership with Bay Books, 640 Orange Ave., Coronado, CA., 6:30 p.m.
      • October 18, 2017  Tom spoke about the Athenia to the La Jolla Sunrise Rotary Club.
      • October 12, 2017  Tom lectured about the beginning of WW II at the San Diego Oasis adult education center.
      • Sept. 25, 2017 “Athenia Story” given by Tom Sanger at monthly docents meeting, San Diego Maritime Museum,1492 N. Harbor Dr., San Diego.

    • Sept. 10, 2017  Book talk and signing at La Jolla Riford Library, 7555 Draper Ave., La Jolla, CA, 2 – 4 p.m.