MWSA Book Review

Bacalao

Author:  J.T. McDaniel

Publisher:  Riverdale Books

Reviewer: Bill McDonald – President of the MWSA

A Fictional WWII Submarine Techno-thriller!

There have been many excellent books written about WWII submarine warfare over the decades. One would think that this genre was over done and that nothing new or better could done with this theme—and you would be wrong! J. T. McDaniel has a great tale to tell through a fictional sub and its crew in his novel called “Bacalao.” This one will eventually join the ranks of old naval classic submarine stories like “Run Silent, Run Deep” and a very short list of others that are considered classic war stories.

McDaniel has captured the emotions of the sub crews and what seems to me, as a technically accurate portrayal of what these subs were really like. He paints with his words visual images that are mixed into real historic back drops of time and place to create a feeling that this all could have happened. I believed in the story line and the people and the sub itself.

The writing is brilliant and the reader will have little trouble following the plot. The book takes you from the construction of the submarine in Connecticut, through Pearl Harbor and onto patrol in the Pacific. The author allows the story to unfold from the view point of Laurence Miller who rose from junior officer to the commanding officer of the Bacalao. This works very well for telling this story.

The book is a good read and will keep you interested from the first couple of pages to the ending. It is given the MWSA TOP RATING – FIVE STARS!

2005 Distinguished Honor Award!

Reviewer: Jeff Edwards - MWSA member

Equal Parts Saltwater and Adrenaline…

Bacalao is, easily the best World War II submarine thriller I've read in years.  J. T. McDaniel takes the helm with the steady hand of a seasoned seafarer, painting an accurate and fascinating image of daily life aboard a diesel attack submarine in the 1940s.  From the builder's yard in Connecticut, to white-knuckle combat in the Pacific Theater, to the heart-pounding thunder of exploding depth charges, every detail rings with authenticity.  McDaniel writes with the technical precision of Tom Clancy, the pacing of Michael DiMercurio, and the human comprehension Edward L. Beach.

Reviewer: Homer Hickam ― Author

Bacalao is an impressive and exciting novel of undersea warfare that follows an American attack sub from the moments its keel is laid and on into the deep, blue Pacific Ocean to do battle against the Japanese Empire.  Her commander and crew are individuals we come to respect, even worry over.  The Bacalao also becomes one of those individuals, a steel spirit with a great heart and persevering soul.  J.T. McDaniel, an authority on World War II submarines, is a terrific writer who has created a classic of wartime adventure. Heartily recommend!”

Reviewer: Joe Fabel ― MWSA Review Board

Without hesitation McDaniel takes the reader into the actions and demands of submarine warfare. As we travel from peace time preparation and training into the psychological pressures of war time, the author vividly explains in great detail the intricate workings of his undersea weapon, the submarine.

We learn along with the new crew members all of the detailed responsibilities which make the American submarine a formidable fighting machine. Within the enclosed undersea community, each officer and enlisted man must be fully trained in all of the equipment and their workings. One never knows when war time injuries or even death might call upon another crew member to do your job.

The submariner’s life is special. It is an occupation that forces its crews to perform demanding tasks within extremely limiting work areas. And that performance must be beyond reproach since the lives of all of the crew are dependent upon each member doing his job correctly.

We think of the submarine as a silent, deathly hunter. However, within seconds the sub can become the hunted. Only the skill and ingenuity of the commander, his officers’ staff and each member of the crew will enable them to elude the determined enemy surface force bent upon destroying them.

McDaniel doesn’t sugar coat things. He carries the reader into the action and describes what is happening and what demands the crews are facing during each instance as the battle rages. Events happen quickly! Attention to your duties is paramount. Your response must be instantaneous and correct. Other options are not acceptable!

Once the reader has finished the novel, he/she feels a certain vicarious competency as a potential submariner; yet one must appreciate the overwhelming demands of this particularly specialized branch of military service.