John Fernald
Author of Sense of Direction
Works by John Fernald
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- Works
- 5
- Members
- 33
- Popularity
- #421,955
- Rating
- 2.7
- Reviews
- 1
- ISBNs
- 5
The idea that it is, at heart, a memoir helps to explain the structure: There's no large-scale arc to the plot, and the few action scenes are staged matter-of-factly. It is a testimony to the fact that many (perhaps most) of those who serve in wartime spend most of their time doing routine things -- dangerous perhaps, necessary certainly, but still routine. Fernald captures that routine, and (by evoking its details and rhythms with precision) makes it fascinating.
Destroyer from America won't make any fan of WWII maritime fiction forget Nicholas Monsarrat's The Cruel Sea, the classic novel of the "small ships" that escorted the convoys (also based on the author's wartime service), but it's a fair match for (though a bit less polished than) Monsarrat's lesser works, like "Heavy Rescue" and "HMS Marlborough Will Enter Harbor." It didn't change my life (nor did they) but I'm glad I read it.… (more)