MWSA Book Review

Steve McQueen Would Be Proud

Authors: Steve Mitchell

Publisher:  Xlibris

Reviewer: Bill McDonald – President of the MWSA

A U.S. Navy Coming of Age Story – Vietnam War

Steve Mitchell has created a unique coming of age novel set during the Vietnam War called “Steve McQueen Would Be Proud.”  As the title of this book might suggest, this novel deals with lots of attitude, tension, and of course, insubordination. The story takes us to the Orient of 1973 which might bring back memories for some Navy veterans of that era.

The hero is no saint in this book and is almost an anti-hero – but Mitchell draws the reader in and makes you feel some empathy for his main character Randy Larsen. This story is an easy read and in spite of the length (over 500 pages) it will hold your attention and entertain you.

I think old Navy guys will enjoy the heck out of this book as will those who are looking for a novel of substance dealing with the Navy during this time period. The author makes good use out of his dialog and the cast of characters he presents. This book is a reading adventure and well worth buying!

This book needs to be read by people trying to understand the mission and the purpose of what the USA is doing in Iraq. It gives you a view that you are not getting in the media today. Put this book on your reading list!

Book Synopsis from Website

Early morning steam rises from the pier pilings of the Subic Bay Naval Base as the shore patrol escorts a handcuffed Fatty Fitzgerald to the quarterdeck of his new ship, the U.S.S. Dermody. Instead of a uniform, Fatty is clothed in a soiled bed sheet. From that moment, life changes for the men aboard the Dermody, especially Larsen, a young sailor fresh from electronics school.

The year is 1973, the dog days of the Vietnam War, and the Dermody is beginning her WESTPAC cruise. With no enemy to fight, the ship´s crew turns on itself in fits of racial tension, drug use and insubordination.

Enforcing his will with his massive belly, Fatty Fitzgerald brings his spit and polish "rules" to the ship, intent on instilling the discipline of the "old navy" upon his electronics division. Larsen must decide whether to bend to Fatty´s indomitable will, or experience the revolution with Goat, a fellow technician and self-proclaimed hippie. Other influences are Sonny, the emotional leader of the ship´s blacks, and Nettles, the bible-thumping corpsman who attempts to save Larsen´s soul, but loses his own. To complicate things, Larsen falls for Juliet, the Chinese bargirl who steals his heart-for a price.

This 157,000-word novel takes place at sea and in the exotic ports of the Orient. Larsen loses his money on the muddy streets of Olongapo, is chased back to his ship by a typhoon in Hong Kong, and endures the Shellback initiation at the equator. By the time the Dermody arrives in Singapore, Larsen has made a decision that will change his life forever.

"Steve McQueen Would be Proud" is a coming-of-age story that explores a world that no longer exists, except in the memories of thousands of sailors who served in the Western Pacific during the Vietnam War.