Robert J. Mrazek
Author of A Dawn Like Thunder: The True Story of Torpedo Squadron Eight
About the Author
Series
Works by Robert J. Mrazek
The Indomitable Florence Finch: The Untold Story of a War Widow Turned Resistance Fighter and Savior of American POWs (2020) 67 copies, 5 reviews
The Indomitable Florence Finch: The Untold Story of a War Widow Turned Resistance Fighter and Savior of American POWs (1992) 14 copies
The Congressman 1 copy
The Harvard Murders 1 copy
Eisiges Runengrab: Thriller 1 copy
Associated Works
Reader's Digest Select Editions 1999 v03 #243: The Hammer of Eden / Welcome to the World, Baby Girl! / Stonewall's Gold / River's End (1999) — Contributor — 48 copies, 1 review
Livros Condensados: O Advogado | O Falcão da Neve | Arcangel | O Tesouro de Stonewall Jackson (1999) — Author — 3 copies
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Legal name
- Mrazek, Robert Jan
- Birthdate
- 1945-11-06
- Gender
- male
- Education
- Cornell University
- Occupations
- politician
- Organizations
- U.S. Navy
U.S. House of Representatives
Alaska Wilderness League (founder) - Short biography
- [excerpted from author's website]
Born November 6, 1945, in Newport, RI, Robert Jan Mrazek grew up in Huntington, Long Island, New York. He graduated from Cornell University in 1967 and then joined the US Navy. Following his discharge, Mrazek spent 1969-1971 as an aide to US Senator Vance Hartke (D-Indiana). In 1975, he was elected to the Legislature of Suffolk County and became its minority leader, serving through 1982.
Since his service in the U.S. Congress, Mrazek has authored ten books, earning the American Library Association's top honor for military fiction, the Michael Shaara award for Civil War fiction, and Best Book (American History) from the Washington Post. He also wrote and co-directed the 2016 film The Congressman. He and his wife live in upstate NY and Maine. - Birthplace
- Newport, Rhode Island, USA
- Places of residence
- Huntington, New York, USA
Maine, USA - Associated Place (for map)
- USA
Members
Reviews
The Indomitable Florence Finch: The Untold Story of a War Widow Turned Resistance Fighter and Savior of American POWs by Robert J. Mrazek
Robert Mrazek's compelling book opens the door to Florence Finch's life. From her childhood in the Philippines where she grew up on a plantation run by her eccentric American World War I veteran father to her dealings with bigotry as a mestiza in a boarding school in Manila, Florence learned resilience and resourcefulness. Her intelligence and compassion were innate.
After a brief marriage to an American serviceman, Florence was widowed. As the Japanese took control of the Philippines and show more life became increasingly dangerous for all Filipinos, Florence took an important job with the company supplying the Japanese fighting forces with fuel-- all the while trying to rein in a spoiled teenage niece who couldn't understand why she shouldn't go out any time she felt like it to be with her friends. (I still want to shake some sense into that girl!)
Florence was an incredible person. While most people would be content with staying out of trouble and finding enough food to put on the table, Florence wanted to help. She devised ways to divert fuel from the Japanese to sell on the black market, which not only aided the Filipino Resistance but was also used to help as many prisoners of war as she possibly could, supplying them with desperately needed food and medicine. (The Japanese didn't acknowledge the Geneva Convention concerning the humane treatment of prisoners of war.) And all the time, Japan's grip on her country was tightening. All the time, they were closing in on what Florence was doing.
Mrazek had access to primary source materials (including taped interviews) that bring the time period and Florence's activities right out of the shadows and into the blazing sun where they belong. I was familiar with American military experiences in that part of the world for two reasons. During his service in the U.S. Navy during World War II, my grandfather spent a lot of time sailing in and out of the Philippines. Some of the mementos he brought home include items from the occupying Japanese forces. In addition, a man from the little farm town where I grew up actually survived the Bataan Death March. But my attention had focused almost entirely on the experiences of the military. What Mrazek brought to horrifying life for me was what the people of the Philippines-- of Manila-- went through, especially when the Japanese began to leave. I was sickened... and it made me hold Florence Finch in even higher regard. This woman epitomizes the strength and resiliency and beauty of the human spirit, and she deserves to be much better known than she is.
The Indomitable Florence Finch may not be the easiest book to read, but it's a book that should be read, and I'm glad I did. We all need to know that wonderful human beings like her can and do exist. show less
After a brief marriage to an American serviceman, Florence was widowed. As the Japanese took control of the Philippines and show more life became increasingly dangerous for all Filipinos, Florence took an important job with the company supplying the Japanese fighting forces with fuel-- all the while trying to rein in a spoiled teenage niece who couldn't understand why she shouldn't go out any time she felt like it to be with her friends. (I still want to shake some sense into that girl!)
Florence was an incredible person. While most people would be content with staying out of trouble and finding enough food to put on the table, Florence wanted to help. She devised ways to divert fuel from the Japanese to sell on the black market, which not only aided the Filipino Resistance but was also used to help as many prisoners of war as she possibly could, supplying them with desperately needed food and medicine. (The Japanese didn't acknowledge the Geneva Convention concerning the humane treatment of prisoners of war.) And all the time, Japan's grip on her country was tightening. All the time, they were closing in on what Florence was doing.
Mrazek had access to primary source materials (including taped interviews) that bring the time period and Florence's activities right out of the shadows and into the blazing sun where they belong. I was familiar with American military experiences in that part of the world for two reasons. During his service in the U.S. Navy during World War II, my grandfather spent a lot of time sailing in and out of the Philippines. Some of the mementos he brought home include items from the occupying Japanese forces. In addition, a man from the little farm town where I grew up actually survived the Bataan Death March. But my attention had focused almost entirely on the experiences of the military. What Mrazek brought to horrifying life for me was what the people of the Philippines-- of Manila-- went through, especially when the Japanese began to leave. I was sickened... and it made me hold Florence Finch in even higher regard. This woman epitomizes the strength and resiliency and beauty of the human spirit, and she deserves to be much better known than she is.
The Indomitable Florence Finch may not be the easiest book to read, but it's a book that should be read, and I'm glad I did. We all need to know that wonderful human beings like her can and do exist. show less
Like the Light Brigade at Balaclava and the 7th Cavalry at the Little Big Horn, Torpedo Squadron 8 achieved immortality through a shattering defeat. On June 4, 1942, fifteen of the squadron’s planes took off from the aircraft carrier Hornet, and six more from Midway Island, to attack an oncoming Japanese fleet. Twenty of the twenty-one planes were shot down, and more than thirty-five men killed, without inflicting damage on the enemy.
A Dawn Like Thunder tells the story of the doomed show more attack at great length and in gripping detail, but it is not solely, or even primarily, about that story. It is a book about the first year of the Pacific War—uneasy peace, the shock of Pearl Harbor, desperate defensive actions, and the beginning of an organized counter-offensive—seen through the eyes of a small group of junior officers and enlisted men. It pays careful attention to describing the experience of combat and the larger strategic tapestry of the war, but the men are always at the forefront of the story.
Author Robert J. Mrazek profiles the men of Torpedo 8 with obvious respect and affection, but without sentimentality. They exhibit determination, resilience, and extraordinary courage, but also fear, boredom, anger, and jealousy. The squadron’s second commander, Harold “Swede” Larsen, is portrayed as a ferocious warrior but a terrible leader, who comes within inches—on several occasions—of being shot by his own men. Far up the chain of command, meanwhile, senior officers’ blunders repeatedly put the squadron in unnecessary peril, and set the stage for the debacle at Midway. The Second World War (“Greatest Generation” hagiography aside) was won by flawed, scruffy, imperfect human beings doing the best they could at a terrible job. A Dawn Like Thunder is a compelling look at one small group of them. show less
A Dawn Like Thunder tells the story of the doomed show more attack at great length and in gripping detail, but it is not solely, or even primarily, about that story. It is a book about the first year of the Pacific War—uneasy peace, the shock of Pearl Harbor, desperate defensive actions, and the beginning of an organized counter-offensive—seen through the eyes of a small group of junior officers and enlisted men. It pays careful attention to describing the experience of combat and the larger strategic tapestry of the war, but the men are always at the forefront of the story.
Author Robert J. Mrazek profiles the men of Torpedo 8 with obvious respect and affection, but without sentimentality. They exhibit determination, resilience, and extraordinary courage, but also fear, boredom, anger, and jealousy. The squadron’s second commander, Harold “Swede” Larsen, is portrayed as a ferocious warrior but a terrible leader, who comes within inches—on several occasions—of being shot by his own men. Far up the chain of command, meanwhile, senior officers’ blunders repeatedly put the squadron in unnecessary peril, and set the stage for the debacle at Midway. The Second World War (“Greatest Generation” hagiography aside) was won by flawed, scruffy, imperfect human beings doing the best they could at a terrible job. A Dawn Like Thunder is a compelling look at one small group of them. show less
4.5 stars.
In Dead Man's Bridge by Robert J. Mrazek, disgraced Army veteran and St. Andrews College campus security officer Jake Cantrell is certain the hanging death of college alum Dennis Wheatley is murder but his boss Captain Janet Morgo declares it a suicide.
Jake left the Army under a cloud due a mission gone horribly wrong and he still shoulders a great deal of guilt for the loss of several men under his command. Virtually unemployable in the aftermath, his longtime friend and college show more president Jordan Langford secures a position for Cantrell as campus security officer. Captain Morgo might not have a choice in hiring Jake, but this does not mean she likes him nor does she trust his judgment. Jake immediately clashes with Morgo over their differing viewpoints on the death but when Dennis's wife demands Cantrell be put in charge of the investigation, Janet has no choice but to acquiesce to the request. With another victim and a hurricane induced storm bearing down on the college, Jake is soon in a race against time to catch the killer before it is too late.
Despite his somewhat checkered past, Jake is an immensely appealing protagonist who is incredibly compassionate and caring. His tenderness when caring for his ailing dog, Bug, shows the type of man he is as does his loyalty to his longtime friend Jordan. Despite their somewhat complicated past, Jake does not hesitate to agree to look into a very delicate situation that jeopardizes Jordan's career at the college. In addition to looking into Jordan's problem, Jake is also willing to risk both his job and his life in order to uncover the truth about Wheatley's untimely death.
Robert J. Mrazek's Jake Cantrell Mystery series is off to a very strong beginning with Dead Man's Bridge. Jake is an intrepid sleuth who is willing to buck authority when necessary but it is his endearing loyalty that will win readers' hearts. The mystery surrounding Dennis Wheatley's death is quite intriguing as is the story arc dealing with Jordan's embarrassing predicament. The novel comes to an action-paced and adrenaline laced conclusion that completely wraps up the various storylines. I absolutely loved and highly recommend this exciting first installment in what promises to be an outstanding mystery series. show less
In Dead Man's Bridge by Robert J. Mrazek, disgraced Army veteran and St. Andrews College campus security officer Jake Cantrell is certain the hanging death of college alum Dennis Wheatley is murder but his boss Captain Janet Morgo declares it a suicide.
Jake left the Army under a cloud due a mission gone horribly wrong and he still shoulders a great deal of guilt for the loss of several men under his command. Virtually unemployable in the aftermath, his longtime friend and college show more president Jordan Langford secures a position for Cantrell as campus security officer. Captain Morgo might not have a choice in hiring Jake, but this does not mean she likes him nor does she trust his judgment. Jake immediately clashes with Morgo over their differing viewpoints on the death but when Dennis's wife demands Cantrell be put in charge of the investigation, Janet has no choice but to acquiesce to the request. With another victim and a hurricane induced storm bearing down on the college, Jake is soon in a race against time to catch the killer before it is too late.
Despite his somewhat checkered past, Jake is an immensely appealing protagonist who is incredibly compassionate and caring. His tenderness when caring for his ailing dog, Bug, shows the type of man he is as does his loyalty to his longtime friend Jordan. Despite their somewhat complicated past, Jake does not hesitate to agree to look into a very delicate situation that jeopardizes Jordan's career at the college. In addition to looking into Jordan's problem, Jake is also willing to risk both his job and his life in order to uncover the truth about Wheatley's untimely death.
Robert J. Mrazek's Jake Cantrell Mystery series is off to a very strong beginning with Dead Man's Bridge. Jake is an intrepid sleuth who is willing to buck authority when necessary but it is his endearing loyalty that will win readers' hearts. The mystery surrounding Dennis Wheatley's death is quite intriguing as is the story arc dealing with Jordan's embarrassing predicament. The novel comes to an action-paced and adrenaline laced conclusion that completely wraps up the various storylines. I absolutely loved and highly recommend this exciting first installment in what promises to be an outstanding mystery series. show less
I am a fan of campus mysteries, and this one caught my eye. I was not familiar with the author, but after reading Dead Man's Bridge, I am a new fan. All the elements of a great mystery are here: an interesting and slightly mysterious protagonist with a past, an unusual crime, great dialogue, episodes of violence intermixed with logical procedural narrative, and of course, a dog! The side blackmail plot was also good, though a bit kinky. I will have no problem recommending this book to my show more mystery fans at the library! Great series debut, and I hope to read more Jake Cantrell mysteries in the future. show less
Awards
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Associated Authors
Statistics
- Works
- 17
- Also by
- 5
- Members
- 800
- Popularity
- #31,871
- Rating
- 3.7
- Reviews
- 24
- ISBNs
- 85
- Languages
- 2
- Favorited
- 1