Rating: 
Summary: Coast Guard - Where's the Peace Dividend?
Review: A Deep Blue Sounding has an abundance of very interesting characters, some to love, some to loathe. The story is written in such a way that the reader will get a real sense of the pain, love, frustration, grief and tragedy the characters experience. The humiliation of the evil Captain was priceless! So much of the story comes from real life that the reader will come away wondering how close the actual everyday "power plays" come to making this reality.There are a few inconsistencies that most Coasties will pick up on right away but they don't detract from the story of how the Coast Guard is treated like some illegitimate child of the Navy. Hand-me-downs, underfunding and a backbreaking workload are a way of life for the Coast Guard. Lieutenant Brad Thomas was not on an enlistment - that's for enlisted men. He was on a contract (normal for OCS officers) and he would not have been a direct commission as that is for doctors and lawyers. The position of Commandant is a "twilight tour" of duty, followed by mandatory retirement. The book seems to suggest that someone else could get promoted ahead of him and bump him back to a lesser position. It was really great how the Cape Solace's cannister was finally brought into play at the end of the book. Each time it was mentioned, the reader was reminded that there was going to be a story or something of importance. The reading of the Ensign's letter at the end really hit home! It is also fascinating to see how all the little power plays that take place in everyday life would be if they were to get totally out of hand as they did in the book. The solving of the mystery was a little bit of a letdown - but then there wasn't much space for a good old-fashioned detective story. I suspect that will be different in the next book. I was hoping for more good detective work to solve the plot rather than all the "tips".
Rating:
Summary: Treachery in Our Smallest Service
Review: A DEEP BLUE SOUNDING: A Dark Voyage With the U.S.Coast Guard By Donald B. Hutton Since the Don Winslow of the Coast Guard series of the 1940's there has been no significant adventure novel centering around the activities of the U.S. Coast Guard. Only a Coastie could author one and Don Hutton a Coast Guard veteran has done just that. The book establishes the mystery of the sinking of the fictional CGC Cape Solace in the very beginning and takes us through 169 well written pages of high adventure, treachery, and murder on the high seas. You are advised to start the book early in the evening as you will have trouble putting it down before you retire. The only distraction in the book is a few technical inaccuracies but after all this is a work of fiction - I hope!8/6/2000 Reviewed by Jack A. Eckert LCDR, USCG (retired)
Rating:
Summary: Treachery in Our Smallest Service
Review: A DEEP BLUE SOUNDING: A Dark Voyage With the U.S.Coast Guard By Donald B. Hutton Since the Don Winslow of the Coast Guard series of the 1940's there has been no significant adventure novel centering around the activities of the U.S. Coast Guard. Only a Coastie could author one and Don Hutton a Coast Guard veteran has done just that. The book establishes the mystery of the sinking of the fictional CGC Cape Solace in the very beginning and takes us through 169 well written pages of high adventure, treachery, and murder on the high seas. You are advised to start the book early in the evening as you will have trouble putting it down before you retire. The only distraction in the book is a few technical inaccuracies but after all this is a work of fiction - I hope!8/6/2000 Reviewed by Jack A. Eckert LCDR, USCG (retired)
Rating:
Summary: A Deep Blue Sounding
Review: A real page burner ... ACTION PACKED ! ... Great story and fantastic ending ... Am I partial? Not really, but I do like the salty Senior Chief who by the way is named, Fred. Don Hutton, an ex-Coastie Boatswain Mate, spins a great sea story with A Deep Blue Sounding.
Rating: 
Summary: Technical advisor needed
Review: As has been mentioned at length the amount of innaccuracies and errors in this fictional work about the U.S. Coast Guard are a major detractor to this book. Mr. Hutton can obviously write, and pieces together an interesting story, but that can't overcome all the errors in this book. Colors at 0630 and the mention of "Charlie Gulf" (Golf). Maybe non-CG folks might enjoy this offering, but if you are a Coastie you may want to stay away.
Rating:
Summary: "A Deep Blue Sounding" makes GREAT SUMMER READING!
Review: I picked this book for a summertime read and got a great one! Once I hit the author's stride, I found that the story shot like a torpedo (pardon the pun) aimed straight at the Congress and the various adminstrations that have allowed the Coast Guard to languish in the backwaters of Washington politics. As a turning 50 Baby Boomer, and like alot of my generation, I missed the service but still respect it and those who served. I'm not a Coastie, nor a member of any service, so I didn't catch what some knowledgeable insiders consider inaccuracies. What came through was an riveting story that shed needed light on a branch of the service that heretofore has gotten little mention. This was an entertaining read and an enlightening piece of fiction. As I recall the books that I read in the summer of 2000, I'll look back on this one and think it was time well spent.
Rating: 
Summary: Worth A Shot
Review: I was hoping that this book would finaly promote the Coast Guard in a deserving and exciting light, but unfortunately I was let down. Being an active Coastie on a 210', I was thrilled to see a Coast Guard fiction book on the shelves. After forcing myself to read it however, I became very disapointed in the obvious lack of research performed by Mr. Hutton, which I need not reproduce, as many other of these reviews have already stated them. It was a well enough story in itself, although there were few areas where I felt "caught by the action". I have kept the book only because I am an avid Coastie, but if you can mind the multitude of factual mistakes and sometimes slow plot advance, then this book may be worth a try.
Rating: 
Summary: Coasties: Save your money
Review: I wouldn't recommend this book due to Mr. Huton's disregard for fact. It certainly would have made better reading if he'd done a little more research. Some examples: 1) A 210 foot Coast Guard Cutter has more than 29 people on it. 2) The 1st Coast Guard District is in Boston, not New York. I didn't get far before this book found it's way to the trash. Sorry for the bad review but it stinks!
Rating:
Summary: I don't know what Coast Guard the author served in.
Review: It is hard to believe that the author was ever in the Coast Guard. He has created a story while decent has no basis in how the Coast Guard actually operates. I have been a Coastie since 1991 and it was almost painful to read this due to the inaccuracies. If you aren't a coastie, please don't view this as an accuarate view on how the Coast Guard operates.
Rating:
Summary: I don't know what Coast Guard the author served in.
Review: It is hard to believe that the author was ever in the Coast Guard. He has created a story while decent has no basis in how the Coast Guard actually operates. I have been a Coastie since 1991 and it was almost painful to read this due to the inaccuracies. If you aren't a coastie, please don't view this as an accuarate view on how the Coast Guard operates.
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