The cold gripping fear, frustration,and agony of the convoy escorts in the North Atlantic during WWII. The physical and emotional sacrafices of the men assigned to escort duty to protect the life blood of Great Britan. Monsarrat is a fantastic story teller, filling the reader with emotions in a way that very few writers will ever master. The realization that Command is really lonely,and the second guessing of descisions is a tough pill for Captain Ericson to swallow. These sailors are not Regular Navy from a Family lineage of Naval service, rather the average Joe brought together by the war. Yet they form a strong fighting unit. As as in every war, death is not picky about whom it takes. A great book that will be hard to put down till it is finished. Give it some time and you will read it again.

A realistic tale of the Second World War at sea This war time drama is played out through the desperate struggle of one man, his crew and their ship. We follow the expliots of a Royal Navy corvette HMS Compass Rose, as she carries out her duty in protecting the vulnerable convoys from the hunting packs of U-boats in the North Atlantic. All the experiences of the war at sea are there, in the faces of the men, the arduous conditions of the rough seas and in the horrors of war like the poor wretched survivors they pluck from the sea, choking and covered in oil. However, the most memorable scene, and one of which is surely equal to any other in cinematic history, has to be when Captain Ericson (Jack Hawkins) is forced to decide whether or not to attack a U-boat or save a group of British survivors that struggle in the water directly above his intended target.

After 1942 this dilemma was turned into a blunt order when the Admiralty instructed anti-submarine vessels to make every attempt to destroy a U-boat thus carrying out their sole duty of protecting the convoy. At that time U-boats were believed to be diving close to the sinking ship so that their presence in the area would be harder to detect by the ship's Asdic radar. This often resulted in survivors losing their lives or being seriously injured from an indiscriminate depth charge attack. In the book by Herbert Gordon Male 'In All Respects Ready For Sea,' there is a true story of such an attack and the author gives such an account.

My father served on a anti-submarrine armed trawler during the war and his experiences were of special interest to the film's main star Jack Hawkins whom he met and became friends with during the completion of the film. My father felt that this film was an important one as it told a real story of the men and their sacrifice during the history of the Battle of the Atlantic. Today it is as honest a film as it was then and shows the effects of war on the ordinary men who fought it. Only a few films have since dared to portray the personal and true realities of war with out the usual and expected thrilling pyrotechnics of the big screen action film.

This book literally changed my life.

In the eleventh grade in Greenville, South Carolina, i had an English teacher who designated Thursday as "Free Reading Day" and encouraged the entire class to read anything they wanted to (well, within limits -- "Playboy" would have been Right Out, i'm sure.) -- and, in case you had nothing of your own, she laid out an assortment of magazines and books on a table at the front of the room.

On that table, one Thursday, was a copy of "The Cruel Sea". Since i've always been at least a bit interested in sea stories, and it looked interesting, i picked it up. From the first i was hooked solidly.

In the next three or so years, i reread it twice at least, possibly more than that.

And then i joined the Navy -- and i am sure that it was because of what i read in this book, and what i sensed behind it, in what Monsarrat -- who, like his viewpoint character, Lockhart, was there from the beginning, working his way up to command his own ship before the end of the war -- didn't so much say as assume about the sea and the Navy -- *any* Navy.

Monsarrat presents us here with a brotherhood of the sea, corny as that idea may sound. Sailors, more than the other Armed Forces, tend to regard other sailors -- even enemy sailors -- as brothers in arms, and, as Monsarrat says, the only true enemy is the cruel sea itself.

As he shows us here, the sailor who was your enemy five minutes ago, who was trying to kill you as you tried to kill him, is merely another survivor to be rescued from the cruel sea once you've sunk his ship.

And, even more so, as Monsarrat portrays it, there is a kind of brotherhood that binds sailors in the same Navy together in very mcuh a family manner -- you may not like your cousin, but you want to know what's happening to him and, when all is said and done, he IS your relative.

The best summation of this sort of attitude (which i felt to some extent myself during my time in the US Navy) comes when Ericson, the Captain, is touring his new ship as she stands under construction in a Glasgow shipyard; he meets one of his future officers, and mentions the name of his previous ship, which was lost with over three-quarters of her crew, and realises that

"He's heard about 'Compass Rose', he probably remembers the exact details--that she went down in seven minutes, that we lost eighty men out of ninety-one. He knows all about it, like everyone else in the Navy, whether they're in destroyers in the Mediterranean or attached to the base at Scapa Flow: it's part of the linked feeling, part of the fact of family bereavement. Thousands of sailors felt personally sad when they read about her loss; Johnson was one of them, though he'd never been within a thousand miles of 'Compass Rose' and had never heard her name before."

To be part of a band of brothers like that is a proud thing, and Monsarrat captures it perfectly.

He also captures the terrified boredom of being in enemy territory with nothing happening as you wait for the enemy to make the first move, and the shock, confusion and horror of combat (particularly sea combat, in which the battlefield itself is the deadly, patient enemy of both sides).

And he captures the glories and rewards of life at sea, the beauty of a glorious clear dawn at sea, the stars and the moon and the wake at night and so much more.

This is the book that made a sailor out of me.

It will tell you what it is to be a sailor.

First, I'll admit I'm not an unbiased reviewer. My dad served in Enterprise for three hard years ('42-45), and I've made my own efforts to tell her story.

That said, "The Big E" is without peer, as both a history of the World War II-era carrier Enterprise, and as a record of what carrier warfare in the '40's was like. Stafford's prose is both elegant and -- given the records he had available in 1960 -- accurate. His descriptions are vivid: you can feel the decks whip violently at Santa Cruz, you can see the vibrant green of the Philippines at Leyte Gulf, you can sense the tension in the ready rooms at Midway. Her men are not just names on a page, but tangible characters: bold, fast-thinking, humble, optimistic, but sometimes very worried about their prospects.

There are a couple points about the book which the prospective reader should be aware of. Stafford's focus is primarily on the ship's squadrons, and less so on efforts of her crew. Originally published over 40 years ago, some of the language is a bit dated, though, again, overall the writing is superb.

The fact, however, that a 40-year old book about a ship that was decommissioned in 1947 is deemed fit to reprint in 2002 should tell you two things. The book is not a throwaway, but a genuine work of literature. And Enterprise was not just a warship, but a unique bonding of man and machine, that came through for her country when she was needed most.

I have had this book since it was first published and I can no longer keep the book together, so it is time to replace it. I'm was thriller to see it still in print.
My father was a plank owner of the BIG "E" and loved the ship with a special love that only someone who have faced death and servived can feel. It was a disgrace to have her scrapped and after readin Cdr Stafford's incredible story, I believe that everyone would agree she(and more importantly the men who seved on her) were and are national treasures

This was the first book I read about World War II and it inspired me regarding the selfless way these men who fought put themselves on the line everyday for 4 years. Cmdr Stafford brought the ship to life. I lost this book over the years and the copy I have now is precious to me. The sacrifice of those on board cannot ever be discounted nor will it ever cease to inspire.

One of the (If not the best war plays). Touching and humourous. Truly a maaaad play.

Mister Roberts had the right amount of amusement and sadness, which is the main reason I really liked it. At first I was not sure how I was going to enjoy it. The first chapter started out fairly slow, but this was just because it was an introduction of characters. The rest of the book was much clearer with this introduction. Throughout the entire novel there was a lot of humor. It was a fast read with all this comedy. I really admire Heggen's writing style because he incorporated wit with war. Heggen gave a more amusing account of the war than other factual book could have.

This is a fabulous story. Heggen expertly captures the monotony, the cynicism, the bravado and depression of life at sea. The story ranges from hilarious to heartbreaking, and it's sad Heggen ended his own life before writing again. I find it amazing that this book is not on the CNO's professional reading list.

Francis Drake, Maarten Harpertzoon Tromp, Horatio Nelson, David Glasgow Farragut, Heihachiro Togo and more! The book not only has 19 chapters, each dealing with a great Admiral of one of the world's navies, but also there 6 survey chapters, which tell you about changes in ships, weapons and tactics to allow you to be kept up-to-date with the changes in naval warfare as you follow along with the greats, from Drake's expeditions to the battles in the Pacific during World War Two.

If you liked this book, I would also suggest; Every Man Will Do His Duty: An Anthology of Firsthand Accounts From the Age of Nelson, 1793-1815. Edited by Dean King with John B. Hattendorf.

Mr. Sweetman has done a fine job with this interesting and readable collection. From Drake to Farragut to Togo to Halsey, this book will draw you in to examine the great generals of the past, detailing the decisive battles they commanded. The essays by the editor also supply a wealth of information about the history and tactics of naval warfare. A fine tome.

The thing that amazed me the most about TWO YEARS ON THE ALABAMA was that I was unable to put it down. Each chapter gave me a curiosity and eagerness to find out what would happen next, even though I was acquainted with the general facts of the Alabama's depredations. Although Sinclair wrote this book some time after the Civil War the writing style shows no signs of being outdated and therefore the book is very easy to read. On the whole, it read almost like some adventure novel, like Jules Verne's 20,000 leagues under the sea. It is an absolute must for everyone interested in Civil War naval matters, and I think a lot non-Civil War enthusiasts will enjoy it as well.

TWO YEARS ON THE ALABAMA is a contemporary account of the voyages and sailors of the CSS ALABAMA. It was written by Lt. Arthur Sinclair, the fifth officer of the ship. It provides a comprehensive account of the ships encountered and prizes taken by this vessel in the service of the Confederate States. I liked very much the personal details of the lives of the individual officers and men who crewed her. There are over 30 illustrations showing portraits of many of these men and this helped to put a human face on this account. It showed Captain Semmes to be a brilliant naval officer and not at all the pirate the northern press often portrayed him to be.He was an expert in international maritime law and followed it to the letter.On two occasions he released ships taken as prizes when he determined that they had been apprehended just inside the 3 mile limit. There was an excellent account of the battle with Kearsarge and the Alabama's sinking. I was pleasantly surprised to f! ind there was no attempt to rewrite history or refight battles or take the apologist's role by Sinclair. Just simple, factual accounting. I highly recommend this book to the historian with an interest in Civil War naval operations.

in spanish, imparcial investigacion acerca de un doloroso episodio de nuestra historia, en que nuestros vecinos del norte violando todas las normas del derecho internacional, sin previa declaracion de guerra o motivo alguno, si es que lo pudiera haber, cañonearon el inerme puerto de Veracruz, invadiendolo posteriormente, masacrando al hacerlo a la población porteña, y dando lugar a heroicos episodios por parte de los cadetes Azueta, Holzinger y otros, quienes pagaron caramente su amor a México.

U.S. Marine Corps provides a comprehensive yet readable survey of the U.S. Marine Corps, considering how the service evolved, overcame challenges to its existence, and established a separate strength greater than some armies. Black and white photos liberally pepper a title which traces the activities and evolution of the Marines from their origins to modern times.

When I ordered this book back in 1995, I wanted to know more than
the history of the US Naval Academy. The Academy's alumni is a
Who's Who in American military leadership and command presence.
I only wished I had attended Annapolis. Anyone who loves our service academies should not miss the opportunity to buy this wonderful book.

Saburo Sakai was a national hero in Japan as its greatest surviving air ace of world war two. This book is his story. It is a fascinating and honest look at the air war in the Pacific from the Japanese perspective. Sakai is shown to have been a patriotic and heroic fighter, who, like most soldiers, gave little thought to the politics of the war. Like young men in many lands in many times, when his country called, he answered.

Sakai gives us an honest assessment of both sides as regards the Pacific air war. There is little or no jingoism here. He highlights some of the critical mistakes that the Japanese navy made in the war--one of which was that before the war the Navy only turned out about 100 pilots a year--not remotely enough for the total war Japan was about to wage against the world's greatest industrial power. The standards for entering and graduating from the Naval air training course in Japan were unreasonably high, and simply prevented the country from producing the number of pilots it would come to need. When the Americans eliminated over 300 Japanese pilots in 3 days at the Battle of Midway, Japan never recovered the loss of these trained men. On the other hand, Sakai reminds the American reader that in the Japanese America faced a motivated, intelligent, and very brave foe deriving from a violent military tradition.

The book also includes some very interesting glimpses at the Japanese home front during the war. Life in prewar Japan was hard for the lower classes--sufficiently hard that even the savage discipline (which Sakai describes at length) of the Japanese Navy appeared to be a reasonable alternative to the grinding poverty he otherwise faced.

Overall, a wonderful look at "the other side of the hill" and into the mind of one of World War Two's greatest air combat pilots.

This book is a must for any history buff or anyone interested in what the "other side" of World War II was like. This work chronicles the career of Saburo Sakai and his many air battles throughout World War II. His words debunk many myths about Japanese pilots (he even admits to turning back from a suicide mission) and gives one a personal feel to the historical events that unfolded around him. One can also plot the technological climb of aircraft as Sakai describes how adversaries steadily got better and better. This book would even be good reading for "peaceniks" who think development of new aircraft and weapons are a waste of money. They will see through Sakai's work how one superior fighter plane (the Zero) was able to command the skies in the Pacific war for several years until better aircraft were turned out by the U.S. In the future, the U.S. may not be so lucky. This is a superior book and is one of the best written about World War II.

This book is a must for any history buff or anyone interested in seeing WWII through enemy eyes. This work chronicles the career of Saburo Sakai and his many air battles through World War II. His words debunk many myths about Japanese pilots (he admits of even turning back from a suicide mission) and gives one a personal feel to the historical events that unfolded around him. One can also plot the technological climb of aircraft as Sakai describes how his adversaries' aircraft steadily got better and better. This book is also a must read for those who think the development of new aircraft and weapons are a waste of money. They will see through Sakai's words how one superior aircraft (the Zero) was able to command the skies in the war in the Pacific for quite some time until better aircraft finally were developed by the US. In the future the US may not have the luxury of time and should plan ahead.

This is a superior book and one of the best written about World War II.

The Good Shepherd I felt was a good book talking about life during World War II and how the men dealt with it. They were assigned a dangerous mission and this was protecting and escorting convoy ships from the United States across the Atlantic Ocean to England. They encountered many German U-boats. The Ocean was an unforgiving place and the men found this out the hard way. So they were always on the look out for the torpedoes that would be leaving the U-boats. Some of the ships were hit, but not all of them were and the men aboard these boats were happy of this. They found they were running out of oil and had to keep zigzaging around the subs to avoid getting hit by them. In relaying messages to the other escort vessels it was apparent that the comnander was indeed a good shepherd as he was always concerned about the welfare of the other men.

Not nearly as thrilling or full of adventure as Forester's 'Hornblower' novels, 'The Good Shephard' is nevertheless a stirring tale of action, suspense, and human drama played out in the North Atlantic during WWII. Captain Krause, a character of similar attitude as the doubt-ridden Hornblower, is in command of a convoy bound for England. His foe is the Kriegsmarine with it's deadliest weapon, the U-boat. Throughout the story Krause must battle the Germans along with his own fatigue and self-doubt. While this novel doesn't quite live up to the 'Hornblower' standard (like 'Captain from Connecticut' or 'The Nightmare'), it nevertheless manages to capture the same tense feelings and gripping drama that made 'Hornblower' Forester's trademark.

I first read this book many years ago when I was in high school. (At the time I was working my way through Forester's Hornblower saga.) One of the things that I find amazing is how fresh and moving it is on subsequent reading many years later, even after I've developed a considerable degree of middle-aged cynicism. The strength of the book lies in the characterization of the protagonist. He is above all realistic and believable, with very definite foibles and insecurities. Nonetheless, he also represents all that is best in the "warrior" tradition: duty, discipline, loyalty, focus, and application of consientiously developed professional skills and knowledge. No one can write about nautical matters like C.S. Forester, and the story of one eastward-bound trans-Atlantic convoy is spell-binding in its intensity and carefully thought out attention to detail. But the richly fabricated interior world of Commander George Krause is what makes the book really great and not just another war story. Even for those that have no particular interest in naval or military fiction, it is a superlative study of grace under pressure--of an honourable man facing the most difficult moments of his life and succeeding by doing the best he can!