MULTIZ321
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- Jun 6, 2005
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ROYAL HOLIDAY CLUB RHC (POINTS)
I just finished a book given to me by a WWII Navy veteran,
'To the Honor of the Fleet' by Robert H. Pilpel
Fantastic read with outstanding character development and fascinating insights into events of the time.
Here's a book review from Amazon.com
"To the Honor of the Fleet is a superb book about the activities of two US Navy officers as they work with opposing forces in the prelude to American entry into World War I.
The author skillfully takes you from the dining room of Assistant Secretary of the Navy Franklin D. Roosevelt to the ships of the Imperial German Navy and the Royal Navy in the years prior to the entry of the United States into World War I. He also takes you behind the scenes at the White House of Woodrow Wilson as he strives to keep the United States out of the fighting in Europe and the Admiralty of Admiral of the Fleet Sir John (Jacky) Fisher. It is a story of intelligence gathering by US Navy officers that is vital to both warring countries and the dilemnas that the officers who are attached to the respective fleets feel as they discuss and analyze what they've learned. It is a story that once you get into, it is very difficult to get away from. It is a story of suspicion and doubt and jumping to conclusions based on a faulty analysis of the available information.
The author is equally at home in Roosevelt's dining room as he is in the magazine of a German battleship. He describes events of high drama over the dining room table or in the midst of a battle with excellent attention to detail and atmosphere. You will get the feeling that you are right there with the characters.
The characters are all well developed. The author does a fine job of mixing real people with his fictional characters and making it hard to remember which is which. The action realistic. You can almost smell the gases from the guns and funnels of the ships as they fire at one another. You also get a feel for the emotions and prejudices of the officer class of the US Navy.
It is a fine book that deals with a period that little if any writing has been done for the general reading public. It will interest those with a maritime interest as well as those with an interest in diplomacy and spying which might pass for diplomacy. I highly recommend this book.
Richard
'To the Honor of the Fleet' by Robert H. Pilpel
Fantastic read with outstanding character development and fascinating insights into events of the time.
Here's a book review from Amazon.com
"To the Honor of the Fleet is a superb book about the activities of two US Navy officers as they work with opposing forces in the prelude to American entry into World War I.
The author skillfully takes you from the dining room of Assistant Secretary of the Navy Franklin D. Roosevelt to the ships of the Imperial German Navy and the Royal Navy in the years prior to the entry of the United States into World War I. He also takes you behind the scenes at the White House of Woodrow Wilson as he strives to keep the United States out of the fighting in Europe and the Admiralty of Admiral of the Fleet Sir John (Jacky) Fisher. It is a story of intelligence gathering by US Navy officers that is vital to both warring countries and the dilemnas that the officers who are attached to the respective fleets feel as they discuss and analyze what they've learned. It is a story that once you get into, it is very difficult to get away from. It is a story of suspicion and doubt and jumping to conclusions based on a faulty analysis of the available information.
The author is equally at home in Roosevelt's dining room as he is in the magazine of a German battleship. He describes events of high drama over the dining room table or in the midst of a battle with excellent attention to detail and atmosphere. You will get the feeling that you are right there with the characters.
The characters are all well developed. The author does a fine job of mixing real people with his fictional characters and making it hard to remember which is which. The action realistic. You can almost smell the gases from the guns and funnels of the ships as they fire at one another. You also get a feel for the emotions and prejudices of the officer class of the US Navy.
It is a fine book that deals with a period that little if any writing has been done for the general reading public. It will interest those with a maritime interest as well as those with an interest in diplomacy and spying which might pass for diplomacy. I highly recommend this book.
Richard