A novice naval aviator grows into a hero in this gripping and authentic World War II adventure by master storyteller P. T. Deutermann Lieutenant Bobby Steele, USN, is a fresh-faced and eager naval aviator: a “Nugget,” who needs to learn the ropes and complex procedures of taking off and returning safely to his aircraft carrier. A blurry night of drinking lands him in an unfamiliar bed aboard the … unfamiliar bed aboard the USS Oklahoma; later that day, the Japanese destroy Pearl Harbor. After cheating death and losing his friend in this act of war, the formerly naive Steele vows to avenge the attack.
Flying sea battle after battle, Steele survives the most dangerous air combat in World War II, including Midway, is shot down twice, rescued twice, and eventually leads a daring mission to free prisoners from a secluded Japanese POW camp. Packed with authentic military action on land and at sea in the Pacific Theatre of WWII and featuring a memorable protagonist based on a true-life hero, The Nugget is a first-class adventure by a former commander whose family served in the Pacific.
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I can easily see how this book wouldn’t be for everyone, it’s a full throttle action story set in World War II. It kicks off with the attack on Pearl Harbor and keeps running fast. I like history and I like action/thrillers and this book has it all. What it doesn’t do is slow down long enough to develop the characters like they should be to earn a full five stars. What the book does do is tell a great story of the battles, how they developed and their strategies. I loved this book and will now go back and get all the others. I highly recommend this book to those who read action/thrillers.
The Nugget by P.T. Deutermann
World War II Navy #6
I remember reading books by C. S. Forester with Horatio Hornblower that were kept on a special shelf in my father’s library. Earlier than that I had an interest in women pirates after reading a book in an American Heritage series. This book took me back in time but not as far back in time as the books I just mentioned. This took me to WWII and Pearl Harbor when it was bombed and then later into battle in the Pacific.
The main character narrates this story and in so doing vividly shares his experiences in a way that engaged all of my senses. I followed Robert T. Steele as he woke to the bombing of Pearl Harbor and managed to survive, qualified to land his plane on the deck of a ship in the middle of the ocean, dealt with the loss of those he fought and flew with, was with him when he ran into trouble flying or on ships and was beside him as he dealt with being marooned on a Philippine Island occupied by Japanese. The horrors perpetrated by the Japanese were atrocious, inhumane and grimly shared. The work that Steele and his gunner, Rooster, managed to accomplish on that fictional island were both heroic and impressive making me thankful I was merely an observer from my living room armchair rather than in the pitched battles Steele seemed to find himself in.
My grandfather was in the Navy during WW I and my father was in Pearl Harbor waiting to be shipped out when the war ended. I have been to Pearl Harbor and have thought about all of those men that were lost. This book made me think and feel and care as it made me remember World War II. It also reminded me of the ship that evacuated me from Lebanon on my birthday in 1984.
Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I read more by this author? Definitely
Did I need to read previous books in this series before reading this one? No
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC – This is my honest review.
5 Stars
After 25 years in the Navy including the command of a destroyer and later the command of an entire destroyer squadron, it should come as no surprise that P.T. Deutermann has written a few novels about naval warfare. Preceded by “Pacific Glory” (2011), “Ghosts of Bungo Suido” (2013, “Sentinels of Fire”(2014), and “ The Iceman” (2018), “The Nugget” continues Deutermann’s tales of W.W. II in the Pacific Ocean. “ The Nugget” follows Lieutenant Bobby Steele, a fresh caught Navy pilot, fresh from flight school, to Pearl Harbor and on to his first carrier assignment. Steele survives naval combat including being shot down and having his carrier sunk. Almost half of this book follows Steele as he participates and later leads resistance against the Japanese on a small island in the Philippines. Steele’s guerrilla warfare antics bring to mind the real life exploits of heroes like Joe Baker, Ed Ramsey, and Gene Strickland who fought a guerrilla style war in the Philippines. Deutermann’s works of fiction are so authentic that they read as if they were non-fiction. Sometimes the reader actually forgets that he is reading a novel. “The Nugget “ is a first class W.W. II adventure story. This book, and all of Deutermann’s war novels, are a must read for those who enjoy this genre. I received an advance reader copy of this book. The book goes on sale in October 2019.