Rating: 
Summary: What people are saying vs. the story
Review: Generally I am opposed to the fictionalization of true stories; my reason is that it trivializes real events and real people. For example, the tragic scope of the Titanic sinking is never depicted richly enough in fiction or movies, where we follow the stories of a few when there are as many stories as there are people involved.I will make an exception for this World War II story. "Sea of Glory" is well-crafted and easy to read, and will probably find a wide audience as books about WWII are popular these days. My only criticism is that the authors get a little syrupy in depicting the relationship among the four chaplains, which rings a little too good to be true. Surely they had some differences now and then, as we all do.....Nevertheless, all four men were heroes, without a doubt, and their inspirational story deserves to be heard.
Rating: 
Summary: a tale of faith and courage
Review: Generally I am opposed to the fictionalization of true stories; my reason is that it trivializes real events and real people. For example, the tragic scope of the Titanic sinking is never depicted richly enough in fiction or movies, where we follow the stories of a few when there are as many stories as there are people involved. I will make an exception for this World War II story. "Sea of Glory" is well-crafted and easy to read, and will probably find a wide audience as books about WWII are popular these days. My only criticism is that the authors get a little syrupy in depicting the relationship among the four chaplains, which rings a little too good to be true. Surely they had some differences now and then, as we all do.....Nevertheless, all four men were heroes, without a doubt, and their inspirational story deserves to be heard.
Rating:
Summary: The Greatest Sacrifice
Review: I recently read this book in a summer reading program, and I loved it! It made me think of all the other men and women who gave their lives in World War II. This story follows four naval chaplins on the USAT Dorchester-a rabbi, a Dutch Reformed minister, a Catholic priest, and a Protestant minister. This story tells about their backgrounds, how they came to meet each other on the Dorchester, and the greatest sacrifice they gave (their lives) when the ship sank. This is an outstanding book!
Rating: 
Summary: A Good Read In Need Of a Sports-Wise Editor
Review: I'm an avid fiction reader. "Ice Station Zebra" and "HMS Ulysess" are some of the best novels I've read regarding the sea. Occasionally I'll delve into adventurous nonfiction; I found "The Perfect Storm," "Into Thin Air," and "In the Heart of the Sea" to be modern classics. "Sea of Glory" is a story worth telling and I can't help but recommend it, however...I think the publisher makes a big mistake. "Sea of Glory" is a nonfiction account marketed as a novel. This is misleading to big fiction readers like myself. This is not well-constructed fiction: it spends four separate chapters introducing the main characters in a nonfictional format, then spends the rest of the book trying to be a novel. "Sea of Glory," like "In the Heart of the Sea," could have been told in a reconstructive nonfiction manner that allows some liberty on the author's part while maintaining the intregrity and suspense of events that actually happened. Yes, this story is well-paced and well-written. I'd recommend it for its content alone. It does, however, fail to live up the best in either fiction or nonfiction genres. This book is full of inconsistencies...The cover art is top-notch, but the words along the bottom have typos (should be "WWII", not "WW II"..."the story of four chaplains", not "the story of the four chaplains"). With better planning on the publisher's end, I think this book could have been elevated to a higher level. As it stands, "Sea of Glory" is a moving account of Godly men in the midst of combat. In light of our present struggles as a nation, this book should be an encouragement and a challenge to believers everywhere.
Rating:
Summary: Good Writing...Faulty Marketing
Review: I'm an avid fiction reader. "Ice Station Zebra" and "HMS Ulysess" are some of the best novels I've read regarding the sea. Occasionally I'll delve into adventurous nonfiction; I found "The Perfect Storm," "Into Thin Air," and "In the Heart of the Sea" to be modern classics. "Sea of Glory" is a story worth telling and I can't help but recommend it, however...I think the publisher makes a big mistake. "Sea of Glory" is a nonfiction account marketed as a novel. This is misleading to big fiction readers like myself. This is not well-constructed fiction: it spends four separate chapters introducing the main characters in a nonfictional format, then spends the rest of the book trying to be a novel. "Sea of Glory," like "In the Heart of the Sea," could have been told in a reconstructive nonfiction manner that allows some liberty on the author's part while maintaining the intregrity and suspense of events that actually happened. Yes, this story is well-paced and well-written. I'd recommend it for its content alone. It does, however, fail to live up the best in either fiction or nonfiction genres. This book is full of inconsistencies...The cover art is top-notch, but the words along the bottom have typos (should be "WWII", not "WW II"..."the story of four chaplains", not "the story of the four chaplains"). With better planning on the publisher's end, I think this book could have been elevated to a higher level. As it stands, "Sea of Glory" is a moving account of Godly men in the midst of combat. In light of our present struggles as a nation, this book should be an encouragement and a challenge to believers everywhere.
Rating:
Summary: Dorchester Relative
Review: My uncle died on this ship. He was in the Coast Guard. I heard my mom all my life talk of the Dorchester and the Four Chaplains. Now I was finally able to read a story about it. Thank you for writing this book. I did cry at some parts for the uncle I never knew. I wish my mom was still alive to read it. I have my uncle's purple heart and I will lay this book next to it. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read some family history. This book was excellent.
Rating:
Summary: No Greater Love: Remembering the Four Chaplains
Review: No doubt the eyes of many have glazed over on the subject of World War II. Yet, it would be a shame if in their saturation they skip over Ken Wales and David Poling's new novel, "Sea of Glory." In it, Wales and Poling tell the heroic account of four army chaplains who died during World War II when the troop transport carrying them across the Atlantic Ocean sank. The chaplains died because they gave their own life jackets to men who had lost theirs. But more than merely relaying the events on the day the U.S.A.T. Dorchester sank, "Sea of Glory" tells of the lives of the four chaplains before providence brought them together. It recognizes the contributions of the chaplains to the men around them in the weeks before the fateful sinking. The United States can be grateful for the sacrifice of its men in uniform. While doing so, Americans must also remember the men who provided our fighting forces with spiritual guidance along the way -- sometimes at the cost of their lives.
Rating:
Summary: Greater love hath no man....
Review: The four chaplains who gave their lives selflessly to prevent others from dying certainly deserve for their story to be known, however, I would like to have seen equal voice given to their four different faiths. The story seems to be told more from the viewpoint of fundamental Christianity, and the character and beliefs of the chaplains of other faiths, Judaism, for example, seem neglected. What I found important in the chaplains' story was the comraderie and unity among them, in spite of their different faiths. This mutual respect is a great lesson for teaching the importance of loving one another, and I imagine made a positive impact on the men they served, although this was not emphasized in the book. When the greatest test of all came, and the soldiers found themselves in the water, all of the chaplains, no matter what their religion, showed their commitment to God and man by making the lives of their fellow soldiers more important than their own. This is the emotional high point of the story, as we envision the fear of men facing death, and see the faith of the chaplains stand firm. We wonder what we would have done in the same situation, and we are left with a lesson that life is fleeting and to consider our lives in the context of the eternal.
Rating:
Summary: What America Needs
Review: The release of "Sea of Glory" could not have come at a better time in our country's history. This Novel by Ken Wales and David Poling, shows the best mankind has ever produced, both as servants of God and Country! This slightly fictionalized account, details one of Americas most heroic actions in WWII. The story of the Four Chaplains and the USAT Dorchester is an emotionally strong one by itself, but these authors were able to amplify the emotions producing a book you will never forget.
Rating:
Summary: Nonfiction as fiction - a success
Review: The story of the Four Chaplains has been told before. Indeed, a book of the same name was published in the early 1950s. That book was essentially the individual stories of the Four Chaplains from childhood until they met their collective fate off Southern Greenland on February 3, 1943. Now, in treating the historical event as fiction, based on fact, the authors have made history easier to understand, particuarly for younger readers and those without prior knowledge of the story. Who were these men? How did they become friends. What in their backgrounds allowed them to come together so heroically during the 20 minute between the torpedo exploding and the Dorchester sinking? Where was the ship going and why? What happened to the U-Boat. How did the story of the Four Chaplains survive the sinking? History is more than a collection of facts. Wales and Poling's interpretation have added additional life to a wonderful story that deserves to live on to be read by new generations. This inspirational story of four men of different faiths coming together in a time of crisis is particularly pertinent in the new post-September 1, 2001 America.
| 
