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Summary: A FASCINATING NARRATION OF SUBMARINE WAREFARE
Review: A FASCINATING ACCOUNT OF PERILOUS AND HAZARDOUS DUTIES ABOARD A WORLD WAR II SUBMARINE OPERATING IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC.
Rating:
Summary: Well told and true to life.
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed this first hand narrative of the life of Jim Calvert as it happened during WWII on board 2 US Navy submarines (USS Jack, USS Haddo). The story begins in the throws of WWII, as a newly graduated ensign fresh from the Academy and Submarine school is assigned to his first submarine. The story ends just after the Japanese surrender ceremony (with an unexpected 'twist' at the end). The recounting is vivid and detailed, yet fast paced. One aspect that I particulary appreciated was the fine character of this man as revealed in the way he writes about his contemporaries in the Navy. His admiration and respect for the officers and enlisted men he served with, show this to be a man of sensitiviy and integrity.
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Summary: Reads Like a TV Documentary
Review: I was hoping to get a real feel for what is was like being in an attack sub in WW II. After reading the Navy Seal book titled "Good to Go" I was able to feel the emotion of the experience, but was unable to get that same sense from this book. I think the author really missed the boat (ha ha) in allowing such an exciting story to be told in such a factual manner. I had no trouble putting the book down. I did pick it back up later because I did enjoy the educational factor of the text. All in all this was a very weak book and I do not recommend you waste your time reading this one.
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Summary: A must read if you have any interest in WWII submarines!
Review: I'm an avid reader of WWII naval history, and have read dozens of first-hand accounts of battles and other wartime experiences. This book stands out as perhaps the best I've ever read of this genre, mostly because of in reading this book you get to meet a man who is somebody that you can truly admire, Jim Calvert. As you read this book, you come to realize just how extrodinary this man truly is, and his narrative of his very distinguished wartime exploits are taken to a new level by the very personal revelations that he makes in his book about his falling in love in Australia (at the time he was a married man) and how his strength of character led him to make some important decisions about this situation.At the finish of Calvert's book, my overwhelming response was that our nation was lucky to have produced such a man - I only wish that in some small way that I could "measure up" in life as young Jim Calvert did when presented with the challanges of the Armageddon at Sea that was WWII and the challanges he faced in his personal life. This book truly transpires the traditional war story and is an insight into the life of a great American
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Summary: Excellent, excellent, excellent!
Review: I've read many novels that did not capture me as well as this one. The story is amazing. The author's ability to fill the work with that certain quality that makes you wish you were there is perfectly done. Set aside a few quality hours to zip through this book because you won't be able to put it down. Amazing!
Rating:
Summary: Greatest WWII Submarine Account I've Ever Read
Review: My father was part of the commissioning crew of the Jack (SS259) and stayed with her for her first 6 patrols.
The facts relayed by Adm. Calvert coincide 100% with the versions of my father and many of his shipmates who I had the honor of meeting in 1989 at a reunion of the Jack's crew.
For those of us lucky enough to have never heard an enemy depth charge explode nearby, this book is the next best thing to being there.
The final pages that recount Adm. Calvert's "expedition" into Tokyo are absolutely hairraising. I wanted to run outside and wave the American flag in the street I was so proud.
This book does the best possible job of describing the hardships that so many endured to preserve the freedoms we enjoy today.
If ever a course is taught called "Patriotism 101", this should be a textbook and Calvert the instructor.
David M. Craig
Rating:
Summary: Greatest WWII Submarine Account I've Ever Read
Review: My father was part of the commissioning crew of the Jack (SS259) and stayed with her for her first 6 patrols. The facts relayed by Adm. Calvert coincide 100% with the versions of my father and many of his shipmates who I had the honor of meeting in 1989 at a reunion of the Jack's crew. For those of us lucky enough to have never heard an enemy depth charge explode nearby, this book is the next best thing to being there. The final pages that recount Adm. Calvert's "expedition" into Tokyo are absolutely hairraising. I wanted to run outside and wave the American flag in the street I was so proud. This book does the best possible job of describing the hardships that so many endured to preserve the freedoms we enjoy today. If ever a course is taught called "Patriotism 101", this should be a textbook and Calvert the instructor. David M. Craig
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Summary: A very good book
Review: Silent Service was a true page turner for me and I found it difficult to put down in the two days I spent with it. Admiral Calvert does an excellent job in conveying the realities of life aboard a WWII attack submarine; the boring day-to-day routines, various navigational methods, the extraordinarily complex relationship between the submarine and it's crew, the adrenaline charged excitement of an attack, the terrors of a depth charging and the courage of the men who went into this exhausting, claustrophobic, unforgiving world with it's ever present threat of a ghastly death (twenty-five percent of American WWII submariners never returned from their last mission). Calvert's prose is engaging, informative and lucid; The book is divided chronologically into fourteen chapters of roughly twenty pages per, each addressing an aspect of his wartime experiences; from the USS Jack's commissioning in January of 1943 to his (mis)adventure in Tokyo immediately following the surrender. A brief afterword follows up these retrospections. I highly recommend this book to those interested in submarines and/or WWII.
Rating:
Summary: A very good book
Review: Silent Service was a true page turner for me and I found it difficult to put down in the two days I spent with it. Admiral Calvert does an excellent job in conveying the realities of life aboard a WWII attack submarine; the boring day-to-day routines, various navigational methods, the extraordinarily complex relationship between the submarine and it's crew, the adrenaline charged excitement of an attack, the terrors of a depth charging and the courage of the men who went into this exhausting, claustrophobic, unforgiving world with it's ever present threat of a ghastly death (twenty-five percent of American WWII submariners never returned from their last mission). Calvert's prose is engaging, informative and lucid; The book is divided chronologically into fourteen chapters of roughly twenty pages per, each addressing an aspect of his wartime experiences; from the USS Jack's commissioning in January of 1943 to his (mis)adventure in Tokyo immediately following the surrender. A brief afterword follows up these retrospections. I highly recommend this book to those interested in submarines and/or WWII.
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Summary: Suspense filled story of actual events during WWII Navy.
Review: The author takes you through his experiences during WWII from the Naval Accademy To VJ day. The events flow from one period to another in an orderly manner. I read this book in three days, not wanting to miss a line. Sometimes reading fast to find out what was happening next. He keeps you in suspense through each chapter and joins each in an orderly transition. As a WWII submarine man, I found the action accurate and reported with sincere modesty. I served with Vice Admiral Calvert in the USS SKATE SSN 578 including two cruises to the North Pole. It was an honor to serve with him and he is a credit to the Navy and the American tradition "get the job done." I would recommend this book to any WWII history buff. Raymond L. Aten, LT(SC) USN(RET)
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