THE BRAVEST MAN The Story of Richard O'Kane & U.S. Submarines in the Pacific Rim

With 27 ships sunk, O'Kane, who was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor and three Navy Crosses, was the premier U.S. submarine ace of WWII. In addition to telling the story of O'Kane's incredible heroism (including his brutal captivity in Japan in the final months of the war), Tuohy tells the story of the subs, their skippers and crews, and their determined efforts to devastate the Japanese merchant marine. The submarine force accounted for less than 2 percent of the Navy's manpower, had a loss rate of 22 percent, and sank over 50 percent of Japan's merchant marine ships. Tuohy, a Pulitzer Prize-winning war correspondent, provides a well-written account, although the storyline is somewhat disjointed. James's mellow baritone and easy-going delivery add to an adequate narration of this work. M.T.F. (c) AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine [Published: AUG/SEP 03]