Dead Reckoning - Book Review

Dead Reckoning
by Michael Corbin Ray and Therese Vannier

Dead Reckoning revisits the part of history where the US Navy experienced the largest peacetime loss. On the evening of September 8, 1923, seven destroyers ran aground off the coast of California. The authors, Michael Corbin Ray and Therese Vannier, reconstruct the story of the voyage itself and the mariners’ life.

Dead Reckoning is a historical fiction inspired by the US Navy tragedy that occurred on September 8, 1923, at the Honda Point. It’s a story of courage, determination, and friendship. It features the sailors’ bravery against the dangerous situations that lay ahead.

Dead Reckoning begins with Eugene H. Dooman, a Secretary at the American Embassy in Tokyo, Japan. He travels onboard the ship “Cleveland” from Japan to the US. As soon as he arrives at the port in San Francisco, a con man lures him to play cards. He lost not only his bet money but also his wallet and diplomatic credentials. Three accomplices of the trickster complete the game of fraud.

Dooman eventually runs into an old friend as he tries to check in at a hotel. This friend, Commodore Edward Watson, is the commander of a fleet about to leave for San Diego. Watson invites Dooman to take the trip with him.

Dead Reckoning: The Fateful Journey

The 14 Clemson-class destroyers of DesRon 11 start the voyage amid gloomy weather. And, although there are some arguments among the crew over certain matters, the sailing is uneventful at first. Watson introduces Dooman to the other officers onboard the ‘Delphy’.

Soon enough, the diplomat discovers that the conman is also onboard. And, the action in Dead Reckoning begins.

The Book and the Authors

Dead Reckoning is a short book. It’s a story of courageous sailors who do their best in the face of tragedy. I appreciate the authors’ effort to recreate the story of the crew on that fateful trip. Their descriptions of how the sailors cope with the dangerous situation give the reader a perspective different from the news.

Meanwhile, on the technical side, I see no typographical or grammatical errors in the book. It’s well proofread. What I like the most in the book is the friendship that bonds Emmett and the three guys.

However, I’m disappointed in some aspects. First, there’s apparently no central character in the story. The authors’ attempt to build Emmett Haines’ persona fails. He’s rather half-baked. Watson’s character is hardly defined. And, worst of all, Dooman’s persona is like a floating spirit. Secondly, the characters are not given sufficient background. For example, Ruby just pops into the scene. Thus, leaving the whole story with so many untied loose ends. And, third, the four sailors that portray the conmen give a negative image of the men in uniform. Military people observe a code of conduct. But these four men behave otherwise.

Overall, I give Dead Reckoning a rating of 3 out of 5 stars. Due to the flaws that I notice in the book, I’m rather reluctant to recommend it to readers. I can only say that if you want to learn more about the Honda Point disaster, you better check it out in History books or in news reports.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Rise and Fall of the Fourth Reich - Book Review

Image
The Rise and Fall of the Fourth Reich by Neal Owens Adolf Hitler may be long dead, but his spirit lives on. Prominent party members of Nazi Germany’s totalitarian government who escaped to Spain wanted to establish the Führer’s legacy in America. I've just read Neal Owens' The Rise and Fall of the Fourth Reich. The book is set in the post-World War II period and explores the idea of what might have happened if the remnants of Nazi Germany's government had tried to establish a Fourth Reich in America. The story follows a group of former SS, Gestapo, and Nazi intelligence officers who fled to Spain after the war. The CIA approached them, through their leader, Heinrich Dorfmeister, and was offered a deal to work as consultants and spies for the Americans. Dorfmeister agrees to the contract and moves to the US with his family under new identities. In the US, Dorfmeister and his group align themselves with the America First Coalition and manipulate their way into positions of po...
Read more

Home for the Bewildered - Book Review

Image
  Home for the Bewildered by Michelle Tobin As much as she tries to, Dorothy finds it difficult to separate her personal struggles from her patients' experiences. How she dealt with such difficulty may resonate among other practitioners in the field of mental health. Home for the Bewildered  follows the struggles of Dr. Dorothy Morrissey, a psychologist at St. Lawrence Asylum. She handles a handful of patients whose issues somehow resonate with her own personal experiences.  Born and raised a Catholic, Dorothy is torn between adhering to her family's strict conservative lifestyle and adopting to her Protestant boyfriend's outlook. Dorothy's struggles do not end here. She. must also deal with her family's dynamics. While people in the mental health discipline call her a doctor, her family does not acknowledge it as a real profession. Dorothy.also feels her patients' individual conditions reflect her personal struggles. The Book and the Author Michelle...
Read more

Out Front the Following Sea - Book Review

Image
Out Front the Following Sea by Leah Angstman Out Front the Following Sea is a tragic story of Ruth Miner. In a culture that frowns upon independent and unmarried women, she needs to stand strong on her principles. Out Front the Following Sea  is a historical fiction set in the 17th century. The year is 1689, the beginning of King William’s War between the French and the English settlers in New England. The story opens with Ruth Miner trying to buy some crops from the market. Sadly, all of the vendors are not keen on selling their goods to her. Every person in town scoffs at her for being a thief, a liar, and a witch. One man even chases her with a stick. Luckily, though, a sailor arrives in time to rescue her. The sailor’s name is Owen, an old friend of Ruth. He escorts and helps the lady get some goods. Ruth goes home to a wooden house in the clearing and takes care of her ailing grandmother. But, one day, a serious incident happens in the two women’s lives. It’s a defining moment...
Read more