A Deep Blue Sounding: Dark Voyage with the U.S. Coast Guard

This is a book about sevral US Coast Guard Intellingence officer who uncover an ill-legal operation within the Coast Guard. This book starts with the mysterious sinking of one of the Coast Guards Cutters, and when it is invistigated, thier is a lot of suspesion. It takes the setting to sevral diffrent parts of the US, and deals with the point of views of sevral charaecters, both good and bad. I would recomend this book to anyone who knows some things about the Coast Guard, or would like to know about it. Even though there are some slow parts to this book, there are still many exciting parts to it, and it's a fairly good book.

A DEEP BLUE SOUNDING: A Dark Voyage With the U.S.Coast Guard By Donald B. Hutton Since the Don Winslow of the Coast Guard series of the 1940's there has been no significant adventure novel centering around the activities of the U.S. Coast Guard. Only a Coastie could author one and Don Hutton a Coast Guard veteran has done just that. The book establishes the mystery of the sinking of the fictional CGC Cape Solace in the very beginning and takes us through 169 well written pages of high adventure, treachery, and murder on the high seas. You are advised to start the book early in the evening as you will have trouble putting it down before you retire. The only distraction in the book is a few technical inaccuracies but after all this is a work of fiction - I hope!8/6/2000 Reviewed by Jack A. Eckert LCDR, USCG (retired)

I picked this book for a summertime read and got a great one! Once I hit the author's stride, I found that the story shot like a torpedo (pardon the pun) aimed straight at the Congress and the various adminstrations that have allowed the Coast Guard to languish in the backwaters of Washington politics. As a turning 50 Baby Boomer, and like alot of my generation, I missed the service but still respect it and those who served. I'm not a Coastie, nor a member of any service, so I didn't catch what some knowledgeable insiders consider inaccuracies. What came through was an riveting story that shed needed light on a branch of the service that heretofore has gotten little mention.This was an entertaining read and an enlightening piece of fiction. As I recall the books that I read in the summer of 2000, I'll look back on this one and think it was time well spent.

This book presented a wonderful array of characters and an easy-to-follow, interesting story line. The political games that the characters played, the blatant neglect of the fleet by those in power, and the underhanded actions of shady characters all added up to a fun ride for any reader. Donald Hutton has opened the door of this trilogy in fine fashion.

A Deep Blue Sounding, grabs you by the arm as soon as you open the cover and continues to grip tighter and tighter as each page is turned. Although this book is purported to be fiction there are some all too true elements mixed throughout this book. There is not doubt that the author had been a coasty and had chipped some paint and suffered the frustrations of aged equipment and some self-serving officers. Then of course there is always Washington DC, who cuts the budget and expects more and more and demands that it is done with less and less. A Deep Blue Sounding is a definite read book for any and all. All coasties should read this book, regardless of rank; it will not only entertain, but also provide some very definite food for thought.