Jarrolds London 1954 reprint
The story of Alex Cherry, an American from Buffalo, New York, who ditched his job as a Wall Street banker and volunteered to serve with the Royal Navy during World War 2. The author writes with verve and humour and the illustrations are well done. The book evokes the feel of a perilous time when the democratic institutions of western civilization were under real threat. Also, it gives a sailor's appraisal of the Battle of the Atlantic, a conflict Churchill considered the gravest threat to England and the Allies. The real uniqueness of the book lies in its description of Royal Navy traditions. As all its traditions and ways were new and "foreign" to Cherry, he goes into great detail about the strange ways of the Royal Navy and does so with great humour and an eye to detail. While it's amusing and worthwhile reading, the real value of the book may lie in its giving future generations an insight into the culture of the greatest military force in the world from the 18th century through the 20th century...