The Nugget: A Novel (P. T. Deutermann WWII Novels)

The Nugget by P.T. Deutermann
World War II Navy #6

I remember reading books by C. S. Forester with Horatio Hornblower that were kept on a special shelf in my father’s library. Earlier than that I had an interest in women pirates after reading a book in an American Heritage series. This book took me back in time but not as far back in time as the books I just mentioned. This took me to WWII and Pearl Harbor when it was bombed and then later into battle in the Pacific.

The main character narrates this story and in so doing vividly shares his experiences in a way that engaged all of my senses. I followed Robert T. Steele as he woke to the bombing of Pearl Harbor and managed to survive, qualified to land his plane on the deck of a ship in show more the middle of the ocean, dealt with the loss of those he fought and flew with, was with him when he ran into trouble flying or on ships and was beside him as he dealt with being marooned on a Philippine Island occupied by Japanese. The horrors perpetrated by the Japanese were atrocious, inhumane and grimly shared. The work that Steele and his gunner, Rooster, managed to accomplish on that fictional island were both heroic and impressive making me thankful I was merely an observer from my living room armchair rather than in the pitched battles Steele seemed to find himself in.

My grandfather was in the Navy during WW I and my father was in Pearl Harbor waiting to be shipped out when the war ended. I have been to Pearl Harbor and have thought about all of those men that were lost. This book made me think and feel and care as it made me remember World War II. It also reminded me of the ship that evacuated me from Lebanon on my birthday in 1984.

Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I read more by this author? Definitely
Did I need to read previous books in this series before reading this one? No

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars show less

This is a Forrest Gump type novel of a naval aviator who was on the USS Oklahoma at Pearl on December 7, 1941, put a big bomb square on the flight deck of a big Jap carrier at Midway, put another big bomb square on the flight deck of big Jap carrier at Santa Cruz, survived the destruction of USS Hornet with his gunner, was rescued by a US sub, survived the destruction of the sub, came ashore on a fictional island where he helped the people destroy the Jap garrison, and who managed to get back to Pearl. For most of it, it is a fun read, but in any war novel, there are casualties and there a lot, especially of the people on the fictional island.