Book Reviews

Title: Constant Bearing - Decreasing Range: A Makeover for Sailor Sam
Author: Skip Vogel
Genre: Fiction, Literary, Navy
Reviewer: Rob Ballister

ISBN (links go to the MWSA Amazon store): 1419651455

Skip Vogel's CONSTANT BEARING - DECREASING RANGE: The Collision of Public Policy and National Defense is a compelling character-driven story of intrigue, tragedy, honor, and humor within the U.S. Navy as it was undermined by the questionable efforts of American politicians and social engineers as they attempted to integrate low aptitude personnel and criminals into our naval forces, and the unfortunate consequences that resulted from these policies.

Title: Retribution
Author: John Schembra
Genre: Fiction, Mystery
Reviewer: Jim Stewart

ISBN (links go to the MWSA Amazon store): 1876962682

Follow San Francisco homicide detective Vince Torelli as he tries to outwit and capture an elusive, murdering vigilante in this award winning mystery novel.

Title: For the Good of the Many
Author: Gary Carter
Genre: Fiction, Literary, Military
Reviewer: Andrew Lubin

ISBN (links go to the MWSA Amazon store): 1424138515

After surviving a helicopter crash during the 1968 Tet offensive in Vietnam, Marine corporal Jason McBride and his fellow survivors are captured and tortured by a sadistic Viet Cong captain. Afterward, orchestrating a harrowing escape, Jason is awarded the Silver Star for bravery. Now, in contemporary America, with the world on the brink of war over dwindling oil supplies, Jason finds that he and his men are being hunted down by the CIA, under orders from the President to get them off the streets, dead or alive. What happened in Vietnam to make Jason, now a rich and powerful attorney, the victim of a nationwide manhunt? Betrayed by the country they sacrificed for, can Jason and his fellow Marines get to the bottom of things before they are killed? Or will they go the way of countless other veterans, caught up in a web of lies and deceit with some of the most powerful men in Washington?

Title: Irish Eyes
Author: Zoe Grider
Genre: Fiction, Military Adventure
Reviewer: Bill McDonald

ISBN (links go to the MWSA Amazon store): ISBN / EAN

Irish Eyes spins Danny Kirk from a boring desk job with the Army into the adventure of her dreams. From the island beaches of Hawaii, to New Brunswick, Canada, and the woods of Virginia, Danny vows to protect the country and its people by any means possible.

Recruited by the Secret Security Agency, the sky is the only limit. Killer sharks, dangerous parachute jumps into dense rain forests, and deadly terrorists keep her second-guessing her decision to become part of a team of government-backed renegades.

Just as she gets comfortable with the idea, her former trainer, Sir Edward, tries to drown her and a crazed maniac attempts to kill her. Her anger drives her, even as she succumbs to a dark and sexy security officer, Phil Salio, and embarks on her first dangerous mission. But will her training be enough to keep her alive?

Title: Gangway, Regular Navy: Memoirs of Life and Humor in the United States Navy during the Cold War
Author: Richard Merrell
Genre: Non-Fiction, Military, Navy
Reviewer: Rob Ballister

ISBN (links go to the MWSA Amazon store): 0788432834

Inspired by an extraordinary twenty-year U.S. Navy career, Gangway, Regular Navy! is the end result of two decades of blood, sweat, and beers. Covering the Cold War era from 1960-1980, Gangway, Regular Navy! is a historically and militarily accurate portrayal of world events during that time period. These pages contain an in-depth "behind the scenes," whirlwind journey that lets the reader experience the historical, hilarious, shocking, and sometimes criminal activities that the author witnessed as a member of the world's most powerful and diverse fighting force-the United States Navy. Gangway, Regular Navy! is a no-holds-barred, unapologetic, politically incorrect, first-hand account of these activities, from a time when being a member of the U.S. Navy meant not only overwhelming responsibilities, but also unbridled freedom and good times for millions of young men and women. Young people often dream of escaping the boundaries of their mundane hometowns and traveling to exotic lands, experiencing unique cultures, and meeting unforgettable characters around the world. The author lived this dream during a twenty year U.S. Navy career that proved to be the adventure of a lifetime and a learning experience that cannot be taught in any school. Much of the material in the book was dredged from hard nights in the sleazy, grimy, wonderful back alleys and gin mills of some of the world's most shady places, where the hookers would just as soon slit your throat as perform their intended obligations. It is here where sailors gather to drink heartily and engage in the age-old art of verbal one-upmanship, taking great pride in telling the most amazing, the funniest, or the most bizarre story of the evening. Written by a tried and true Tin Can Sailor, the author's diverse background as both an enlisted man and an officer gives a truly unique perspective of Navy life, and also provides insight into the amazing men and women who served during that time. As a humorous, honest, uplifting account of a twenty-year slice of naval history, Gangway, Regular Navy! is certain to entertain, inform, and delight everyone who dares read its pages.