Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I enjoyed the book immensely- as a young officer on USS DEYO (DD 989) during a Mediterranean deployment, I sailed into many of those ports just a few years later in 1998. It was my first introduction to the Navy and to the World for that matter... I too remember thinking many times after those late night watches..."What in the world am I doing?" I also remember the beautiful scenes the author describes about the ocean and it's eternity... And Admiral Stavridis is right, God does live out in those waves.
On a professional level, I of course enjoyed hearing of the Admiral's great triumphs, but it was the failures I cherished most... Not because I enjoy seeing the great fall, as so many Americans thirst for... On the contrary, they were appreciated because I failed more times than I could count when I had Command. I battled those same questions, perhaps more so with just 9 years experience under my belt, and it was just nice to know that on occasion he had failed like me. That said, I was never prouder of my men then when we sailed into Bahrain for the final time...in our wake of a job well done. It was, as the Admiral described, such a sweet sweet period of my life. Despite all my shortcomings and failures, those six months remain the proudest of my professional life.
Even after closing the book's cover, it continues to resonate with me, especially when thinking about the supporting cast (XO, Vince, the rest of the gang) whom I would love to learn more about... What a pleasure this has been to reflect on his experiences, as well as my own in such a framework.
A true joy to read. I am grateful that the author shared his experiences with us.
LCDR Michael Brasseur
(Former Captain of USS WHIRLWIND)
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This memoir of James Stavridis' two years in command of the destroyer USS Barry (DDG-52) reveals the human side of what it is like to be in charge of a warship for the first time and in the midst of international crisis. From Haiti to the Balkans to the Arabian Gulf, the Barry was involved in operations throughout the world during his 1993-1995 tour. Drawing on daily journals he kept for the entire period, the author reveals the complex nature of those deployments in a 'real time' context and describes life on board the Barry and liberty ashore for sailors and officers alike.
With all the joy, doubt, self-examination, hope, and fear of a first command, he offers an honest examination of his experience from the bridge to help readers grasp the true nature of command at sea. The window he provides into the personal lives of the crew illuminates not only their hard work in a ship that spent more than 70 percent of its time underway, but also the sacrifices of their families ashore. Stavridis credits his able crew for the many awards the Barry won while he was captain, including the Battenberg Cup for top ship in the Atlantic Fleet. Naval aficionados who like seagoing fiction will be attracted to the book, as will those fascinated by life at sea. Officers from all the services, especially surface warfare naval officers aspiring to command, will find these lessons of a first command by one of the Navy's most respected admirals both entertaining and instructive.
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