U.S.S. Seawolf: Submarine Raider of the Pacific
Written by Gerold Frank, James D. Horan and Joseph Eckberg
Narrated by Tom Perkins
4.5/5
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About this audiobook
Having narrowly avoided the attack on Pearl Harbor the Seawolf set out for the seas of the Pacific to wreak havoc on Japanese shipping.
Joseph Melvin Eckberg was on the Seawolf from her maiden voyage and remained with her until January 1943. As chief radioman he was instrumental in assisting Captain Frederick Warder to find and destroy enemy targets.
From the claustrophobia of being trapped under water and the overwhelming fear of depth charges to the joys of aiding the war-effort and the camaraderie on the ship, Eckberg's account, told to the authors Gerold Frank and James Horan, gives remarkable insight into submarine warfare of the Second World War.
Gerold Frank
Gerold Frank (1907–1998) was an American author and ghostwriter. Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Frank attended Ohio State University. After graduation, he moved to New York with dreams of becoming a poet, and then moved back to Cleveland to work as a newspaperman. Later, he returned to New York to work for the Journal-American. During World War II, Frank was a war correspondent in the Middle East. He won two Edgar Awards for Best Fact Crime, for his books The Deed and The Boston Strangler, the latter of which was adapted into a film starring Tony Curtis. He was a pioneer of the contemporary literary form of the as-told-to celebrity biography. Frank’s books number in the dozens, and include collaborations with Lillian Roth, Mike Connolly, Diana Barrymore, Zsa Zsa Gabor, and Judy Garland.
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The Boston Strangler Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5War in the South Pacific: Out in the Boondocks, U.S. Marines Tell Their Stories Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
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Reviews for U.S.S. Seawolf
41 ratings3 reviews
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Narration was good. Exciting and realistic. The real submariners experience.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I read this one in one sitting! All the time, I felt as if I could smell the sweaty stink of bodies enclosed in a tin can for weeks on end, the terror of depth-charging, and the elation of sinking an enemy ship.
This is a barebones, but a very readable point of view story of Chief Radioman of the U.S.S Seawolf, J. M. Eckberg, as told by two well-founded writers. The story they weave together is one that keeps you on the edge of your seat through each patrol. And it ends, just as suddenly, as Chief Eckberg is released from duty in San Fransico during the Seawolf's last overhaul.
The story of the U.S.S Seawolf does not end there, as her next patrol was her last. Unfortunately, this book does tell of the tragic end of the heroic Seawolf by "Friendly Fire". Details of that patrol can be found on Wikipedia and in "Sink 'Em All" by Charles A. Lockwood, the Commander Submarines Asia Fleet under which the Seawolf sailed.
A great telling of one of the most famous submarines in WWII. Worth the read for any WWII Navy buff, submariner or not! - Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Hats off to the author - he took a topic that is usually of interest to just a smaller group (submarine-philes ) and kept it readable and engaging. Recommend anyone interested in human interest stories - don't need to be a submarine expert to enjoy reading this.