The commodore

Book Cover
Average Rating
Publisher
St. Martin's Press
Publication Date
©2016.
Language
English

Description

P. T. Deutermann's previous novels of the US Navy in World War II - Pacific Glory, Ghosts of Bungo Suido, and Sentinels of Fire - have been acclaimed by reviewers and readers for their powerful drama and authentic detail.In The Commodore, the Navy in 1942-1943 is fighting a losing battle against Japan for control of the Solomon Islands. Vice Admiral William "Bull" Halsey is tasked to change the course of the war. Halsey, a maverick, goes on the offensive and appoints a host of new destroyer commanders, including a wild-card named Harmon Wolf. An American Indian from a Minnesota reservation, Wolf has never fit in with the traditional Navy officer corps. But under Halsey, Wolf's aggressive tactics and gambling nature bring immediate results, and he is swiftly promoted to Commodore of an entire destroyer squadron.What happens next will change Wolf's life, career, and the fate of his ships forever. An epic story of courage, disaster, survival, and triumph that culminates in the pivotal battle of Vela Gulf, The Commodore is a masterful novel of an unlikely military hero.

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ISBN
9781250078070

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Also in this Series

  • Pacific glory (World War II novels (P. T. Deutermann) Volume 1) Cover
  • The ghosts of Bungo Suido: a novel (World War II novels (P. T. Deutermann) Volume 2) Cover
  • Sentinels of fire (World War II novels (P. T. Deutermann) Volume 3) Cover
  • The commodore (World War II novels (P. T. Deutermann) Volume 4) Cover
  • The Iceman (World War II novels (P. T. Deutermann) Volume 5) Cover
  • The nugget (World War II novels (P. T. Deutermann) Volume 6) Cover
  • The hooligans: a novel (World War II novels (P. T. Deutermann) Volume 7) Cover
  • Trial by fire (World War II novels (P. T. Deutermann) Volume 8) Cover
  • The last paladin (World War II novels (P. T. Deutermann) Volume 9) Cover
  • Iwo, 26 Charlie (World War II novels (P. T. Deutermann) Volume 10) Cover
  • The second sun (World War II novels (P. T. Deutermann) Volume 11) Cover

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Published Reviews

Booklist Review

In the pre-WWII U.S. Navy, promotion was glacially slow, usually coming only through death or retirement. So, Harmon Sluff Wolf, USNA '26, only gets his first command in 1942, in the desperate early days of the naval war in the Solomon Islands. Sluff, whose nickname is a wonderfully vulgar acronym he coined about his appearance, is an unlikely naval officer. He's a Native American in a navy that limits men of color to menial assignments. But Admiral William Bull Halsey has been ordered to defeat the Japanese juggernaut that has inflicted crushing defeats on his ships and threatens the marines on Guadalcanal, and he gambles on Sluff's tactical intelligence, willingness to innovate, and bellicosity. Deutermann, who usually writes solid thrillers, once commanded a destroyer. His experience and his deep knowledge of WWII naval warfare illuminate every page. Japan's naval superiority immediately after Pearl Harbor and the weakness of the U.S. is forcefully portrayed. Sluff is a fascinating character, and The Commodore is top-shelf naval adventure.--Gaughan, Thomas Copyright 2016 Booklist

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
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Publisher's Weekly Review

Deutermann's experience as a U.S. Navy captain informs this engrossing novel set in the Pacific theater during WWII. Capt. Harmon "Sluff" Wolf commands the USS John B. King, "a brand-new, 2,100-ton Fletcher-class destroyer." The son of a Chippewa father and an Irish mother whose family emigrated to the U.S. from Canada, he received the nickname Sluff (for "short little ugly fat fucker") at the Naval Academy. Given the prejudice of the day, his rise in the formal white-gloved ranks of the Navy is all the more impressive. While patrolling the waters off Guadalcanal in the J.B. King, he develops new ways of fighting the enemy that save his ship and sink Japanese warships, but his superiors are slow to appreciate, much less adopt, his tactics. Sluff is stubborn and sticks to his guns, and in a series of night engagements he proves his worth and earns a promotion to commodore. Deutermann (Pacific Glory) handles the human-interest aspects well, but it's his battle sequences on the high seas that stand out. Fans of military action thrillers will race through the pages and finish the book wanting more. Agent: Nick Ellison, Nick Ellison Agency. (Aug.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
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Booklist Reviews

In the pre-WWII U.S. Navy, promotion was glacially slow, usually coming only through death or retirement. So, Harmon "Sluff" Wolf, USNA '26, only gets his first command in 1942, in the desperate early days of the naval war in the Solomon Islands. Sluff, whose nickname is a wonderfully vulgar acronym he coined about his appearance, is an unlikely naval officer. He's a Native American in a navy that limits men of color to menial assignments. But Admiral William "Bull" Halsey has been ordered to defeat the Japanese juggernaut that has inflicted crushing defeats on his ships and threatens the marines on Guadalcanal, and he gambles on Sluff's tactical intelligence, willingness to innovate, and bellicosity. Deutermann, who usually writes solid thrillers, once commanded a destroyer. His experience and his deep knowledge of WWII naval warfare illuminate every page. Japan's naval superiority immediately after Pearl Harbor—and the weakness of the U.S.—is forcefully portrayed. Sluff is a fascinating character, and The Commodore is top-shelf naval adventure. Copyright 2014 Booklist Reviews.

Copyright 2014 Booklist Reviews.
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Publishers Weekly Reviews

Deutermann's experience as a U.S. Navy captain informs this engrossing novel set in the Pacific theater during WWII. Capt. Harmon "Sluff" Wolf commands the USS John B. King, "a brand-new, 2,100-ton Fletcher-class destroyer." The son of a Chippewa father and an Irish mother whose family emigrated to the U.S. from Canada, he received the nickname Sluff (for "short little ugly fat fucker") at the Naval Academy. Given the prejudice of the day, his rise in the formal white-gloved ranks of the Navy is all the more impressive. While patrolling the waters off Guadalcanal in the J.B. King, he develops new ways of fighting the enemy that save his ship and sink Japanese warships, but his superiors are slow to appreciate, much less adopt, his tactics. Sluff is stubborn and sticks to his guns, and in a series of night engagements he proves his worth and earns a promotion to commodore. Deutermann (Pacific Glory) handles the human-interest aspects well, but it's his battle sequences on the high seas that stand out. Fans of military action thrillers will race through the pages and finish the book wanting more. Agent: Nick Ellison, Nick Ellison Agency. (Aug.)

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