This is a very interesting diary of an ordinary man who did extraordinary things as a sailor in World War II. There were millions of men like him in that conflict who did the same. Unlike most, he kept a diary.
The diary is interesting, if not always accurate. The author often repeats some scuttlebutt as being truth. Yet, this is also interesting, as it tells what the men were telling each other during the conflict during World War II.
The real value of the book is the description of the everyday life of a sailor on a warship. They would spend months on a ship without going on land, and years, I'm not exaggerating, without seeing a woman. Plus, having been in the Marines, I always thought sailors ate well. According to the author's diary, they didn't. Or, and this is possible, the cooks on his ship were terrible. I can tell you, based on my military experience, a good cook makes a big difference in your life.
One fascinating fact, which the author relates twice, is everyone knew one of the great 'supposed' secrets of World War II, that the U.S. had broken the Japanese secret code. This is not the first time I've run across the widespread knowledge of this 'secret.
The diary is interesting, if not always accurate. The author often repeats some scuttlebutt as being truth. Yet, this is also interesting, as it tells what the men were telling each other during the conflict during World War II.
The real value of the book is the description of the everyday life of a sailor on a warship. They would spend months on a ship without going on land, and years, I'm not exaggerating, without seeing a woman. Plus, having been in the Marines, I always thought sailors ate well. According to the author's diary, they didn't. Or, and this is possible, the cooks on his ship were terrible. I can tell you, based on my military experience, a good cook makes a big difference in your life.
One fascinating fact, which the author relates twice, is everyone knew one of the great 'supposed' secrets of World War II, that the U.S. had broken the Japanese secret code. This is not the first time I've run across the widespread knowledge of this 'secret.
