Roger Jewett

Battle Stations by Roger Jewett
NAVY #1

Pearl Harbor was the date that many lives changed and especially those of Americans. This book focuses on five men that were in or joined the US Navy and fought in WWII as a result of the US going to war after Pearl Harbor was attacked. All five meet one another more than once in the book. All five meet women that impact their lives in one way or another. All five encounter experiences that challenge them in more ways than one and though they are called heroes they more often than not focused on doing what needed to be done to survive another day. As this is a series the book left more than one man hanging in a bit of limbo leaving the reader wondering how they will fare in the next book of the series. All of the men had women that were important in their lives though none had achieved their happily ever after ride into the sunset ending by the last page of this book.

What I liked:
* The real feel of the battle scenes
* The character development and feeling that I knew the men
* The friendships forged between the men in the story as well as some friendships they had with other sailors they met along the way
* That I felt I was in the scenes and that they were true to the time period
* The snippets learned about the families of the main characters
* That war was not glorified and the idea that most at war really seek peace

What I did not like:
* Being reminded that wars still exist and that they probably always will
* Being reminded of atrocities and death and all the rest that war brings
* More a question than a dislike and that is why neither the men nor the women used contraceptives as they were available in the 1940’s
* Being left wondering what will happen next...will the men survive and thrive or...not

Thank you to NetGalley and Sapere Books for the ARC – This is my honest review.

4 Stars… (meer)

naval-history, historical-novel, historical-places-events, historical-research, thriller, WW2*****

The naval history is very well done, but I would have preferred a little less emphasis on the bedhopping that happens when men are so distanced from their families (but without erotica). All of the scenarios onboard the ships, the ethnic rivalries, and of course the dangers and horrors of war all ring true. In spite of my personal views I really liked the book and read it in one stay-at-home day.
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Sapere Books via NetGalley.… (meer)