This book is clearly inteded as a manual for naval officers. I don't doubt that it would come in useful. It's a true treasure trove of information concerning US Navy custom and traditions. But the best part is the fact that it goes extensively into the backgrounds of many of the traditions and customs the Navy is steeped in. It is a scholorly book on history as much as it is about custom and tradition.

As a person who's not in the navy and just has an interest in it's history, this book was extremely entertaining and informative. If you're interested in such things, this book is defiantely worth a look.

This is an excellent source of knowledge with a wealth of information. If you want to know about the origins of Naval terms and how certain Naval traditions came about (ie..The Crossing of the Equator, Change of Command ceromonies) this book explains most of it. My only complaint is that it revolves around the officer community too much. I think it would have helped to add some more enlisted info too! So I highly reccomend this book! Fair Winds and Following Seas!

Pursuit of the Seawolf is a continuation of the story of the destroyer OLEARY after it has arrived back in the US following the defeat and destruction of the Asiatic Fleet in the opening months of World War II. Now the OLEARY is being refitted as a convoy escort - fewer boilers but more fuel and ammunition.

The author captures the Atlantic exactly right. It was more the enemy than German submarines and aircraft. He brings home the risks to the escorts from merchant ships unused to sailing in formation and the disasters that this can create. He also brings to light the awful conditions faced by ships and escorts in the Caribbean Sea as they moved throught those waters to the Atlantic Seaboard. The enemy here was not the wind and waves but a highly trained and aggressive German submarine force. The only redeeming factor was that there weren't enough submarines to do more damage.

The charecters are well created. Some we have met in South to Java but new people come along to interest us. The new charecters range from a sailor who has no home but the ship to an officer, short in stature but with a voice that vibrates armor plate. There are sailors who a few months before were working in oil fields to memebers of the Fleet Reserve who were called back to active service instead of sitting with their grandchildren. All of these people are quite authentic and seem to come to life under the author's pen.

There is a fine depiction of US/USSR relations when OLEARY pulls into Murmansk and the Soviet Navy puts on a dance in their honor to commemorate the opening of a new dance hall.

Off duty relations are not neglected by the author. We see one family with children adjusting to a new school - the third in as many years. We see raltionships develope between women and several charecters. Some are destined to work out and others
not.

The author covers the wide spectrum of a nation at war. Not only does he describe a Navy expanding on a daily basis and needing more and more men, but the impact of the war on families as they face the rationing process as they try to move cross country from California to Virginia. He is all encompassing in his treatment of his charecters and he does it well.

I recommend this book to anyone with an interest in the Naval and social history of our country during World War II. It is an excellent read and one you will come back to again and again.

The book is well-written, easy to follow, and up-to-date. True to its name, this book is a great guide for any current or future officer in the US Navy and does not stray from its intended purpose, which includes providing guidance on customs and courtesies, pay and allowances, duties and responsibilities, and other key subjects relevant to Naval officers. I would give the book five stars if it was a bit thicker and more inclusive (like officer guides from other branches), but this guide is an excellent source of information on important subjects and provides references to other sources of information.

I am not currently a member of the United States Navy, but I do aspire to be one of these days. I want to go to Officer Candidate School, earn my commission, and hopefully embark upon a prosperous Naval career. Of course, I know very little of what is involved in being a Naval officer beyond what I am able to glean from conversations with friends and colleagues who are current or past Naval officers. That is why "The Naval Officer's Guide" is so valuable. It gives a breakdown of all aspects of the life of a Naval officer. It deals with areas like training, promotions, Naval customs, and common job responsibilities, to name a few. That is just the tip of the iceberg, though. There is so much more in this guide that it becomes an indispensable manual for those who wish to learn about what it means to be an officer, as well as being a valuable reference piece for those who are already serving. As I read through this guide, I found myself developing a greater understanding of the Navy and finding myself able to visualize serving as an officer. There can be no greater endorsement of literature like this.

As a former navy officer and writer on navy themes I treasure my copy of The Naval Officer's Guide. It is a handy, up-to-date reference that authoritatively addresses vital aspects of leadership and knowledge in the sea service--even to a glossary of slang expressions and a primer on military law. An excellent research source for anyone interested in the way the real navy operates. Should be in every junior officer's pocket. The new material by Commander McComas is particularly valuable and builds on an impressive compendium of naval facts.

I enjoyed this yarn with its description of the retreat from SE Asia at the beginning of the 2nd World War and the heart renching impact this had for all concerned.

I felt the descriptions and characterisations were pretty good. This is a subject which has given rise to a small literature in English. Two other novels are "Surrender" (I don't recall the author) an excellent story about the escape by boat from the Philippines to Australia of two children and a US serviceman and Alistair MacLean's "South To Java Head".

I felt the characterisation of the emotional pain felt by the crew of the elderly destroyer as she left Manila was well captured. I can't help but think that the retired Rear Admiral, who co-authored the work with his son was writing from personal experience, as a young officer dealing with a crew who had emotional commitments in Manila.

One also gets the impression from the description of the ship, its escape and actions that the authors have personal knowledge of the type.

This kind of well researched detail in a novel always gives it a sense of realism and immediacy.

Having lived and worked in South East Asia for a decade or so I can say that some of the descriptions are pretty good.

The romance between the young officer and his Dutch sweetheart is nicely described.

In places the book does become a bit two dimensional, however, the quality of the story carries the reader through these patches.

If the retired Admiral wrote his autobiography I am sure his story would make an interesting read.

This review is submitted on condition the content is not ammended.

South to Java is the story of the US and allied navies which were tasked with the defence of the Philippines and Dutch East Indies at the outset of World War II. It is the story of the crew of the destroyer O'LEARY and their lives in the Far East. Admiral Mack was a participant as a young Naval officer in this campaign and I have no doubt much of what he writes is based on his experiences. The charecters of the crew are excellent and true to life. One of the chiefs is hated by all of the crew, yet he comes through in a crunch and helps prevent the ship from sinking after a battle. Other chiefs are much more humane but equally competent. The Sailors are all totally believable and all are extremely competent and in many cases are doing double duty in keeping the ship operating and at the same time teaching the officers the fine art of leadership. The officers are all believeable whether they were competent or otherwise. This is a story of the old Asiatic Fleet; where Sailors made whole careers serving there and then retiring after 20-30 years. Some Sailors served in the same ship for 8-10 years; a far cry from todays rotating men and women every 2-3 years. The other members of the crew, from the engineers, to the gunners mates, the torpedomen and to the doctor all resonate with authenticity. The romatic aspects of the book are not neglected and they are all extremely well and sensitively done. I was a little surprised to see an Admiral writing with such sensitivity. The interactions between the allies also is well done. These were men who were facing a highly trained and highly professional foe sailing in modern ships and using modern aircraft extremely well. Facing the Japanese fleet was a collection of ships that were obsolete and ready for the scrap heap in many instances. As the authors said at one point, the ships weren't worth much but the crews were worth a great deal. This is a story that doesn't really end. It is really only the end of the beginning. The survivors are left with having made it out of danger but are going to have to go back and face it again to bring the war to a close. Admiral Mack has written other books in this time line, but I would like to see a final book that brings closure to the sacrifices of the men of the O'LEARY in his book about the start of World War II in the Pacific. This is an exceptional book and one that you won't put down. It is one that I have read any number of times and find it just as good a read now as when I first read it. Anyone with an interest in the real Navy as opposed to the Navy of Tom Clancy should read this.

This book was a real sleeper. I picked it up for a friend and ended up learning a lot. I really was pulled into the story of Destroyer Captain and his men fighting their way south from the Phillipines after Japanese attack Dec 7, 1941 (on the same day Pearl Harbor was attacked). I found myself rooting for the likeable crew on their journey,and I was so taken by the story that I did more research on the early part of the war in the Pacific after finishing the book. Highly recommended!

I found this an enjoyable book that gave an insight into everyday operations of a line destroyer.

New Guniea is the story of Naval operations to support Army operations in the Southwest Pacific Area. This Naval force is dwarfed by Admiral Spruance's fast carriers and the assualts in the Central Pacific. It is the story of destroyers and modified landing craft operating the in same roll as cruisers and battleships in the Central Pacific. It is well written with a lively style that gives me at least, a you are there feeling.

The destroyer is a good vehicle for this story. A small ship but one that has many different people to make up the whole. Admiral Mack examines the prejudice factor that was part of the Navy - that no black of filipino could serve in any rate other than that of steward; even though the chief steward of the ship has better skills as a signalman than some of the actual signalmen.

The story goes from Guadalcanal to the assault on the Philippines - very important period in the Naval war in the Pacific. We see the lives of the crew, not as cyphers filling in a tapestry but as a group of men, of various backgrounds, thrown together to operate a fighting ship in it's mission of destroying the enemy. The enemy in this case varies from Japanese aircraft attacks to typhoons.

This is a book that is entertaining, informative and sheds light on joint warfare before it became the mantra of the 1990s. I recommend this to all people with an interest in Naval warfare in World War II - especially in the lesser known Naval theatres of operations.

The author had a good plot and enough basic knowledge of sailing ships to write a decent book. Unfortunately, he apparently lacked a strong editor to send the book back for a second draft. The vapid dialog needed re-writing and his characters could use a little more depth. In addition, there were several places in the book that read like a paragraph or more was accidently left out. For example, Kilburnie is suddently a captain, but the book doesn't tell us how he found out about his promotion. Finally, Mack's description of how the British Navy operated (for example, how Captains were assigned to ships) is very different from how every other author I've read has descripted it. Overall, there are many better choices to choose from if you want to read about 18th & early 19th Century sailing ships.

A very thinly fleshed out novel, with a bare minimum of the details needed to make it a novel worth reading. Mack's attempt to cover a period of Kilburnie career from before the mast to Post Captain didn't allow room to develope the book properly, making the book read more as a synopsis or outline instead of a stand a lone novel. Mack needs to do much more research about the Royal Navy of that period. His ending was a prime example of the lack of a serious attempt to write a seafaring novel worthy of O'brien and his peers. Capt. Kilburnie has his command sunk and he merrily goes to Scotland with no effort to get to the Admiralty or stand trial for the lost of his ship, which was standing proceedure for the time if all the other top authors of the gernre are to be believed. I suggest that Adm. Mack stick to novels of the 20th century Navy, with which he is more aquainted, also a new publicist couldn't hurt.

I enjoyed this novel even though the format is vastly different from O'Brian, Kent, Lambdin, Pope and the other major writers in this genre. Following the career of Fergus Kilburnie from lowly sailor to Post Captain in one book forces a faster pace and fewer details than is normally encountered. While I prefer the normal format of one ship, one major battle or event per book - which allows for better character development, this was a fun read. When I finished, I immediately ordered the sequel.

This novel has so many flaws that it is impossible to list them all. However, the first page should have enough to deter any serious reader of sailing fiction or the American Revolution: Congress issuing letters of marque in March 1775, which is a month before the Battle of Lexington in April 1775 (see any history). A forty ton ship carrying sixteen 9-pounders,which should more appropriately be four or six 6-pounders maximum (see Chapelle, Millar, Eller, etc.). French influence on small ship design, which is questionable at best and only possibly applicable to Frigate design (see Chapelle).

Moreover, the numerous contemporary slang used in the novel were rediculous. I've read the fiction of Marryat, Styles, Forester, Kent (Reeman), Pope, O'Brian, Parkinson, Woodman, Hoyt, Llewellyn, Lambdin, Nelson, Cooper and others. All were able to accurately depict the times and moods of the period, so greatly so and some only moderately so. However, Lieutenant Christopher by Mack is a horrible failure and doesn't come close. I've destroyed my copy of the novel so that it doesn't fall into the hands of any unsuspecting reader.

C.S. Forester and Patrick O'Brian have set a high bar for novels set in the "Age of Fighting Sail." Some authors such as Alexander Kent or James Nelson meet or get close to that bar. Unfortunately, William Mack does not. To be fair, I must admit that I have not read his series of novels set on a World War Two destroyer, so I can't say if this book is any better or worse. I can say that it suffers from rather flat characters, a lack of that descriptive "color" that makes the reader feel a participant in some grand historic event, and dialogue that sounds far too modern. The last is particularly jarring : one bit of dialogue refers to "kicking their butt"; another refers to English as "Brits," a twentieth-century term. At one point a character refers to "Texans." In 1777? Wasn't it called "Tejas" then? Recommended for real Fighting Sail enthusiasts only.

Mack's first novel about the Continental Navy is fast-paced and fun to read. The Christopher family of shipwrights on the Chesapeake Bay is believeable and skillfully portrayed. When father and son go privateering against the British, you are right on board with them, and when the son volunteers to serve under the legendary Captain John Paul Jones the patriots' cause comes alive. The author's description of shipbuilding supports this salty tale and is full of interesting information about America's first Navy.