I really enjoyed the minute by minute narrative of the ship's final ...
919695
I really enjoyed the minute by minute narrative of the ship's final journey.  I would have liked to hear more stories and backgrounds of the 29 men who went down with the ship.  Pretty compelling read all the way around, though.
3550471
As a plankowner of another USS Preble (mine is the 6th, DDG-88), I was excited to read about another - though fictionalized - ship of the same name. The story reads as a weaving together of many stories and observations from that era, with the historical backdrop existing to tie everything into a narrative. The Captain's character is the best developed, though I am left to assume that he was never married and doesn't have children. There are a few details of the ship and description that I could quibble over, but I'll let them go.

This book could have really used another pass by a sharp-eyed editor. There are too many missing words or wrong words - all things an author cannot necessarily discern about their own writing, but which is apparent to the reader. Also, the use of "the" before ship names is a common practice, but is wrong. Ship names, like city names, are proper nouns and shall be treated as proper nouns! One exception, of course, is USS The Sullivans.

All in all, a surprisingly good story with good pacing and good action. Excellent research, as evidenced by the fact that VADM Ghormley's flagship and the ocean-going tug that makes an appearance at the end are named correctly! Details matter in historical fiction, and the details are mostly right. Shades of Sand Pebbles and Yangtze Patrol in the China scenes. Certainly a book to read after having already read some others about the time period, as the story is more enjoyable when the reader is able to place it into its proper context.
1371669
This is a satisfying read the balances the human interest side of the story with enough technical details to help one understand the theories of what went wrong.  I would have liked to have read more about what was found during the under water exploration of the wreck but all in all, I was quite pleased with this book.
366216
Erik Larson has done it again. He has written history that reads like a novel and is complete with notes, bibliography, and index. Published to coincide with the 100 year anniversary of the sinking of the Lusitania, "Dead Wake" adeptly covers the politics, technical details, and most especially, the humanity of the tragedy. With quickly alternating chapters, the author takes us to London, Washington, New York, Berlin, and most importantly, he places us on board the ship. With the use of primary sources, he produces a narrative that also includes the mission and routine of the German U-Boat responsible for the sinking.
  The Great War was in its first year when the liner sailed from New York; headed for England. The atmosphere in Europe was one of total war while the U.S. maintained neutrality. Larson covers the political decisions made by the leaders of Germany, Britain, and the U.S. so as to afford the reader ample understanding of the circumstances under which the ship sailed. Admittedly, there are times when the narrative is slow in nature and I found myself struggling to turn a page. Some of the details surrounding President Wilson are insignificant to the story and tend to drone on for too long. However, the backgrounds of the passengers and crew members of the Lusitania are well-developed and lead to a much more empathetic reading when the torpedo strikes. It is from this point on that Larson is magnificent. He provides an almost minute-by-minute account of the sinking that is vivid and complete. The story does not end there, however, as Larson follows through with descriptions of the make-shift morgues, accounts of the fate of the passengers, and the placing of blame. Overall, this a truly remarkable account of a truly profound tragedy.
3398039
It is a well written and insightful journey into what happened to the USS Edsall (DD-219). I totally enjoyed it.
2991321
Captain's Karma is clever and engrossing.  If you feel drawn to the Titanic story and want to read a creative yarn combining present day characters with those of the past, then sit down with this little gem and enjoy.  It's well-written although a bit "way out"...but what the heck--it's fiction.  Might as well make it very, very, very fictional.  I enjoyed it very much and recommend it heartily!
1133654
I wasn't paying attention that this was only a single so I was disappointed when it ended so abruptly, but it was an interesting little story about some of the passengers who sailed that fateful night and the aftermath for them of the sinking.
124690
This book is a very well written account of the short but dramatic life and death of the first USS Hornet (CV-8) aircraft carrier of the US Navy.  Historic books about individual ships are often written by enthusiasts who are full of information but, marginal writers at best.  Lisle Rose is a wonderful exception to the latter side of this rule!  He has crafted "The Ship that Held the Line" into a 278 page true novel that reads like a thriller in places and rarely ceases to rivet the readers attention.  His association with many of the ship's survivors and lifetime fascination with this well known but, little written about fleet carrier whet his desire to write a complete account worthy of this great ship's memory.  He has succeeded admirably.  The Hornet lived for less than one year before her sinking after the Battle of Santa Cruz.  Lisle traces the development of the many hundreds of new crew-members into a cohesive fighting force.  He gives great insight into what the whole Doolittle Raid on Tokyo was like and masterfully describes the chaos that went on for the frustrated Hornet crew during the Battle of Midway.  Great attention is given to helping the reader to understand the little details of carrier and Navy life.  He points out how the American ability to tinker and improvise on an individual and group level was and is critical to winning battles both large and small.  The troubles with effective firefighting during the final battle are vividly portrayed.
All and all, this is an excellent book worthy of the historian and even the general reader.  You will not waste your time at all with this book and will come away with much greater understanding of a pivotal time in our nation's history.
581361
I knew nothing about this tragic historical event before I read Patrick Spencer's excellent narration of it. Spencer tells what happened in a very readable, even suspenseful manner. After reading it, it made such an impression upon me that for the past few days, I think of it frequently. The six short chapters of the book reads like a well-edited fictional short story.
It is about the USS Indianapolis which was torpedoed on July 30, 1945 by a Japanese submarine. Only 321 of its sailors survived. They were in shark infested water without food or drink for five days.
The ships captain was court martialed with two charges against him. He allegedly failed to give his crew orders to abandon ship and failed to zigzag in submarine infested water during a time of good visibility.
Patrick Spencer shows that the charges were wrong. Even the Japanese submarine commander who bombed the ship testified at the court-martial that Captain McVay acted properly. It was impossible to communicate with the crew because the communication system on the ship was damaged by the torpedoes. And visibility was not clear. It was dark.
The Indianapolis sent messages for help. The messages were received but because of incompetence and other reasons, they Navy did not send help during the five days that many in the crew died in the water, some from the sharks, some by drinking the sea water.
I recommend the book. The end of the story is tragic.
616799
This book was selected by my book club, and I slacked and had to read it in a hurry. I started it over my lunch break on Monday, read that evening, Tues lunch and finished it Tues evening so definitely a quick, easy read. Overall I really enjoyed the book  the storyline was unique and I loved the houseboat community (anyone else want to stay on a house boat now?). The characters seemed realistic and easy to picture in my head. The writing style flip-flopping among characters and eras is not my favorite style, but one Ive read before and is OK (though I admit a little confusing the first couple chapters until I got all the characters straight in my Whos Who). The one complaint I had was that the story tied up too neatly at the end. I love it when the storyline braids together at the finish, but I guess I like a few wispy outliers. This novel wrapped up everything, perfectly so you understand why each and every character played a part. I might be the only one who feels this way, but it just un-did some of the realism of the story for me. Overall, I would recommend it!
1121280
I have to admit I love naval stories, especially ones dealing with New England during the 19th century, so I might be a little bit biased, but  this tale is one of the best I've read.  It's an incredible true story of a  Nantucket whaler that gets sunk by an enraged sperm whale, and the struggle  for surival by its crew in the harsh open sea.  The author does a masterful  job of bringing you right into the boat with these men as they sail for  land with primitive navagational tools and try to survive three months at  sea with the meager rations they've saved from the Essex before it sunk.  The author does a nice job weaving all the different narratives that have  been written by the surviving crew members into a cohesive story that gives  you many divergent views of the action.  I also enjoyed learning some of  the intricacies of sailing and whaling that the author brought forth in his  book.  I would recommend this book to anyone interested in a great read.
1522046
There are very few books that I've "had" to have the first day out - this was one - and it didn't disappoint!  This book is a good window into the life of a merchant seaman in general and specifically into life on a ship running along the East coast of Africa.  It was very interesting to understand the thought process of Capt Phillips while under attack and during his time as a hostage.  Best wishes to Captain Phillips and his family!

  Rich Madden
  Chief Mate, Maersk Alabama
  Anchored off Djibouti
  07 April 2010
3701860
A succinct but thorough account of the last voyage of the tall ship Bounty. Gives profiles of the main figures in the tragedy. If you are interested in sailing, tall ships, or sea disasters I would recommend this.
928660
As an old Ship's Engineer with 18 ships under me, the atmosphere, the detail, the ambiance of shipboard life all came to life in this exceptionally well researched book. Also a child of WWll from Germany, all the detail seemed real and palpable, having me try to reach out to touch the storyline. Also, having just finished my own autobiography, I am pleased by the effort of Alan Furst must have expended to create a worthwhile document of the time.

Klaus V. Luehning
3880348
I had the great privilege and good fortune to sail all 130,000 nautical miles with Admiral Stavridis during his command tour aboard USS BARRY (DDG 52).  This book brought back a wave of great memories.  The book brilliantly captures the many elements that made BARRY such a special ship during that time period. Although Admiral Stavridis focuses on the accomplishments of the crew and how they contributed to the success and accolades the ship enjoyed, any reader of the book will recognize the role his leadership played in, among other things, bringing out the best in every crewmember.
  The occasional doubts and fears that the Admiral speaks to in the book were very revealing, even to someone who was serving aboard at the time. He certainly kept them well hidden from those of us who were watching him closely, as any great leader will do. In any case, it is a compelling view of the emotional and physical ups and downs of leadership and the unique experience of command at sea.
  As someone who is preparing for his first command at sea, I found the book full of valuable insight that I am sure will serve me quite well. Great Captain, great ship, great book!
- Robb Chadwick
4448437
S. Thomas Russell has written a wonderfully descriptive novel of life in the Royal Navy, painting his pictures skillfully with his choice of words.  Having spent a career at sea, I appreciated the excellent story telling, whether the tale was about the environment aboard, or the sea, or the skies, or the relationships that happen in shipboard life.  Add to the basic story line intrigue and how "connections" and skillful manipulation of the truth can risk the men, both in their careers, their reputations and physically.

Once I got past the first few chapters of character development, the story became a fast paced read, full of surprises and twists, all of which are easily read as the real outcomes to the events taking place.

The characters are a good study in themselves, and by the time you have reached the end of the novel, you know them well for their demeanor and attributes.

Worth the time to read, and it leaves lots of "sea room" for more to come in a series!
2295454
Philbrick as written this tragedy in such a manner that you must experience the trip with the sailors. Altho non-fiction, it is easily read, a book that is savored and felt for the bravery, courage, humanity and convictions of the men. I highly recommend this - good for sailing reading material!