For Crew and Country

November 19, 2012
On October 25, 1944, the USS Samuel B. Roberts took part in one of the most doomed naval battles in U.S. history. The Roberts—a destroyer escort not designed for heavy combat—and a small fleet were caught unawares in the Philippines by an enormous Japanese armada. Upon spotting the enemy, the outnumbered and out–fire-powered Roberts rushed headlong into battle, determined to inflict as much harm as possible before her time was up. Landing plenty of hits, the Roberts played a crucial role in prompting the enemy to retreat, though damage sustained during the fight forced surviving crewmembers to abandon their sinking ship. Once in the water, men scrambled for life rafts and prayed for a rescue that did not come for 50 hours. Wukovits recounts the battle in harrowing detail, while providing intimate glimpses into the lives of the men on board: the captain who, as a child, played war games in his backyard; the young newlywed whose wife was eight months pregnant when he enlisted; the captain of the high school swim team and Atlantic City lifeguard. An officer on another ship remarked that the Roberts was “the most ridiculous, the most naked... the most superb attack of the entire .” Wukovits makes that much abundantly clear. B&w photos, maps. Agent: Jim Hornfischer, Hornfischer Literary Management.

When you have a tale as compelling as this story of naval heroism during WWII, it's vital that the narrator not get in the way. Robertson Dean offers a solid reading but never seeks to upstage the narrative. He lets the action speak for itself. His reading isn't dry or unemotional, but he controls the emotional level, offering just enough to enhance but not overwhelm the writing. The book starts slowly--covering the building of the ship and the formation of its crew--and listeners might be tempted to quit. But the pace quickens in the second half as a lightly armed group of U.S. ships confronts an overwhelming Japanese force and so distracts the enemy commander that General MacArthur's troops invading the Philippines are saved. R.C.G.

May 15, 2013

Military historian Wukovits (American Commando) celebrates the heroic crew of the destroyer escort Samuel B. Roberts, sunk on October 25, 1944, in a daring attack against a vastly superior Japanese naval force near the Philippines. Drawing on letters and interviews, Wukovits follows the Roberts from its launch in early 1944, recounting how the inexperienced crew became a cohesive unit under her captain, Robert Copeland. Then, in harrowing detail, he describes her final battle and the terrible ordeal of survivors in shark-infested waters. Actor Robinson Dean delivers a solid performance, reading sometimes highly emotional passages with clarity and empathy. VERDICT Recommended for fans of military history.--Forrest Link, Coll. of New Jersey Lib., Ewing

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