The Edge of Honor

Well, Captain P.T. Deutermann USN (Ret) has done it again. He has written another well thought-out military thriller that also has all the ingredients of a good mystery. With each book released, he just gets better and better. LT Brian Holcomb is a young surface warfare officer who is trying to undo the damage of a potentially career-ending fitness report. Attempting to do so, he takes an assignment to a guided missile cruiser, the USS JOHN BELL HOOD. Once aboard, he realizes that he will have his hands full. Drug abuse is rampant and as those of us who remember 1969 can attest, the American war effort was already universally reviled by civilians and military people alike. LT Holcomb leaves behind his wife Maddy who is beginning to feel the stirring of restlessness and the desire to be her own person. She realizes as she embarks on a career as a banker that she does not need to be the good little Navy wife and stand by her man. She does not need to be Mrs. "Lieutenant" Holcomb to have a life of her own making. But Brian is at war and the USS JOHN BELL HOOD is on the firing line in the South China Sea. Mr Deutermann does an outstanding job of describing life at sea during those unpopular war years. He knows from whence he speaks, having commanded a cruiser himself. Mr Deutermann served his country in the Navy for more than 25 years. He has captured the essence of that service and what sacrifices are made by service members to a "T." If anyone doubts what naval service during the Vietnam War meant, I recommend that they read this book. It is a great look into that period of time and what it meant to value duty, honor and country. Brian Holcomb is a fine character and a better junior officer than he gave himself credit for. Peter Deutermann did a great job with all of the characterizations in this book, but especially Holcomb's Commanding Officer. I would go so far as to say that if schools around the country pick a naval story to replace THE CAINE MUTINY in their American Lit classes, then this should be the one. But don't take my word for it, read this book and you'll be hooked. You'll go looking for the backlist of all the books by Peter Deutermann and you won't be disappointed. Thank you Captain Deutermann for another great read. BZ from a former paratrooper.

This is the best contemporary Navy story I have read. Many of us who served in the Navy in that era fought the same fights on our ships as did LT Holcumb on the mythical Hood. (Don't think the problem Holcomb had on the Hood didn't exist - it did. We had a similar experience with drug use on my ship as several key personnel we were removed from duty at a critical time.) The CIC scenes in the book are excellent - they brought back memories of long, difficult watches. The relationship between Holcomb and his Chief is well done - with Holcomb trying to learn from the more experienced man, while trying to provide leadership. Further, Deutermann well describes the loneliness and stuggles faced by spouses left behind when the ship deployed. While I am an avid reader, I rarely reread a book. However, I've reread this one several times. It is highly reccommended. REC

For those us that experienced Viet Nam as junior officers in the United State Navy, this book is more fact then fiction. Americans would be well served if this novel is made into a movie, providing of course that Mr. Deutermann is given complete artistic control. America needs another glimpse of this part of our history as seen through the eyes of young Americans in a bad place, at a bad time, doing the best job they can. To all that shared this experience and to P.T.Deutermann, Capt., USN, I say Bravo Zulu and godspeed.

This is a great book from the perspective of someone who actually served in Combat Information Center on board the ship which was used as the model for the book. I was dissappointed in the drug related issue since drugs were few and far between on the ship at that time. It took the shine off an otherwise stellar read. In all other aspects. particularly the operations and technical info this was first rate with few exceptions.

As I read further into the book, I started to wonder if the author was not describing my own ship as I was a QM2 standing my own QMOW watches on board the USS Preble(DLG-15) during 1968 in particular. Many of the events that did and were taking place in the book started to be real re-enactments of my experience on the ship. Mr. Deutermann then clarified that the Hood was another ship and the Preble was a shipped summoned for assistance. The book was very well written and grabbed the reader in terms of suspense and emotion and I would recommend "The Edge of Honor" to both readers who may have a military interest and/or background, as well as, the reader interested in adventure, action, suspense and emotion in one book. The author certainly brings a qualified and realistic insight to his work. I look forward to reading more work from Mr. Deutermann.