Finally got round to
so far excellent
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Yes it is! My all-time favorite “Cold War gone hot” novel. I wish someone trustworthy would make it into a miniseries.
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Just finished reading Never Call me a Hero about a week ago.
“NEVER CALL ME A HERO” By N. Jack “Dusty” Kleiss.
On the morning of June 4, 1942, high above the tiny Pacific atoll of Midway, Lt. (j.g.) “Dusty” Kleiss burst out of the clouds and piloted his SBD Dauntless into a near-vertical dive aimed at the heart of Japan’s Imperial Navy, which six months earlier had ruthlessly struck Pearl Harbor. The greatest naval battle in history raged around him, its outcome hanging in the balance as the U.S. desperately searched for its first major victory of the Second World War. Then, in a matter of seconds, Dusty Kleiss’s daring 20,000-foot dive helped forever alter the war’s trajectory.
Plummeting through the air at 240 knots amid blistering anti-aircraft fire, the twenty-six-year-old pilot from USS Enterprise’s elite Scouting Squadron Six fixed on an invaluable target—the aircraft carrier Kaga, one of Japan’s most important capital ships. He released three bombs at the last possible instant, then desperately pulled out of his gut-wrenching 9-g dive. As his plane leveled out just above the roiling Pacific Ocean, Dusty’s perfectly placed bombs struck the carrier’s deck, and Kaga erupted into an inferno from which it would never recover.
Arriving safely back at Enterprise, Dusty was met with heartbreaking news: his best friend was missing and presumed dead along with two dozen of their fellow naval aviators. Unbowed, Dusty returned to the air that same afternoon and, remarkably, would fatally strike another enemy carrier, Hiryu. Two days later, his deadeye aim contributed to the destruction of a third Japanese warship, the cruiser Mikuma, thereby making Dusty the only pilot from either side to land hits on three different ships, all of which sank—losses that crippled the once-fearsome Japanese fleet.
By battle’s end, the humble young sailor from Kansas had earned his place in history—and yet he stayed silent for decades, living quietly with his children and his wife, Jean, whom he married less than a month after Midway. Now his extraordinary and long-awaited memoir, Never Call Me a Hero, tells the Navy Cross recipient’s full story for the first time, offering an unprecedentedly intimate look at the “the decisive contest for control of the Pacific in World War II” (New York Times)—and one man’s essential role in helping secure its outcome.
Dusty worked on this book for years with naval historians Timothy and Laura Orr, aiming to publish Never Call Me a Hero for Midway’s seventy-fifth anniversary in June 2017. Sadly, as the book neared completion in 2016, Dusty Kleiss passed away at age 100, one of the last surviving dive-bomber pilots to have fought at Midway. And yet the publication of Never Call Me a Hero is a cause for celebration: these pages are Dusty’s remarkable legacy, providing a riveting eyewitness account of the Battle of Midway, and an inspiring testimony to the brave men who fought, died, and shaped history during those four extraordinary days in June, seventy-five years ago.
Been almost 83 years since the battle now.
There were no great new revelations revealed in the book but it was another good read of one man’s experiences before, during, and after the Battle of Midway.
Wheels
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IMHO it is accounts like this that are so important. They serve to personalise, rather than glorify, the tragedy that is War.
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Grrrr. I had to “sail the high seas” as amazon is ridiculous for buying books now. But I’m halfway through “chieftains” now. Its incredible
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Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh
Books like this are why I’ve recently given sci-fi more consideration than I once did. Good ones make me think about what it is to be human; what is right and wrong in war and sometimes, as is the case here, what is love. There is plenty of action and time shifting and a fair bit of queer politics, if that’s your thing. All 450 pages flew by in just a couple of days.
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Currently reading Seveneves by Neal Stephenson. For sci-fi it doesn’t get more science than this. Thank the deity of your choice that KSP has given me a rudimentary knowledge of orbital mechanics.
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I love Neal Stephenson. He hasn’t written anything yet that I didn’t find at least interesting and engaging and at best utterly mindblowing.
Currently enjoying Robin Olds’ biography. Sierra hotel, truly outstanding, both the man and the book.
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I’m about a third of the way in and it’s pretty good so far. Can be enjoyed if you haven’t read the other novels, but best consumed in order. @guod if you are still in touch, this is right in Chunx’s wheelhouse, espionage at China Lake.
In the electrifying fourth novel of the Punk series, Admiral “Punk” Reichert faces a critical mission that could redefine naval warfare. With the future of the USS Gerald Ford—and the entire aircraft carrier program—hanging in the balance, Punk must prove that America’s pride can defend itself against the most advanced hypersonic missile threats. If he fails, long-range bombers may replace carriers, and the Navy’s legacy will be forever altered.
Tasked with Operation Blue Aegis, Punk assembles a formidable team of former squadmates and brilliant engineers to deploy a cutting-edge directed-energy weapon, leveraging the latest in machine learning technology for battlefield supremacy. Yet, as he battles bureaucratic obstacles and personal crises—including his wife’s cancer diagnosis—he soon realizes that a far more sinister plot is unfolding.
Enter Justin Wolfe, a ruthless tech magnate whose ambitions stretch from machine learning to supplying drones to terrorist groups. Wolfe’s vendetta against the Navy drives him to orchestrate an elaborate scheme involving a traitor within Punk’s ranks. With the stakes escalating, Wolfe will stop at nothing to see the Ford sunk, believing it will usher in a new era where technology reigns supreme over traditional military might. As tensions rise, Punk’s team grapples with internal conflicts and the shocking murder of a young engineer, heightening suspicion and anxiety. With only one directed-energy weapon at his disposal, Punk fights to maintain focus and morale among his team as they prepare for the test of a lifetime. On the day of the operation, chaos erupts as Wolfe hacks the Air Force’s systems to launch live hypersonic missiles at the Ford. The Navy and Air Force engage in a high-stakes showdown off the California coast, pitting the best pilots against the clock. In a heart-pounding race against time, Punk must rely on his leadership and the unwavering spirit of his team to counter a barrage of missiles that threaten to annihilate everything they’ve worked for. Punk’s Force is a gripping tale of loyalty, betrayal, and the relentless pursuit of excellence. As Punk navigates the storm of treachery and innovation, he learns that in the face of unprecedented threats, it is the human connection and teamwork that ultimately lead to victory. Join Punk and his allies in this thrilling installment, where every decision can mean the difference between survival and destruction, and the future of naval warfare hangs by a thread. Will they rise to the occasion and secure their legacy, or will they be lost to the tides of technology? The answer awaits in Punk’s Force.
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…if you are still in touch, this is right in Chunx’s wheelhouse, espionage at China Lake.
Done. 
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Finished Punk’s Force, now moved on to the dramatized The Murderbot Diaries on Audible.
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Will look into that series …I can recommend the Taylor Anderson destroyermen series if you like a bit of alternative history + sci-fi
And also the first few books in the admiral morgen series ( the last couple get a bit samey and unbelievable)
The first is called Nimitz class by Patrick Robinson
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Reading this (again)
My go-to every now and then when I’m in the mood for slam-bang no-holds-barred, interstellar slaughter. Below are a few free sample chapters.
https://www.baen.com/chapters/indeath1.htm
https://www.baen.com/chapters/indeath2.htm
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Oooh nice! On it!
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So, I gave it a honest try…
I kinda like it but it’s the equivalent of reading a Space-DCS After Action Report.
Very technical, masterfully written but I feel it’s a tad too much for me. It also looks like there’s a lot implied that I should know and I don’t.
Probably not the first book of this franchise.
Its by David Webber of Honor Harrington fame, and its actually part of a series based on the Starfire boardgames.
Think there are about 8 books now, and I’ve found that they can pretty much mostly stand on their own, but then again, maybe not…
As for In Death Ground… (Concluded by The Shiva Option)
A lot of it is setting up all the board pieces, before finally beginning to really develop the characters/plot, but yes, the battles/strategies are definitely the centerpiece, based on the tech and rules of a deeply thought-out universe.
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Aah! That explains my feelings towards it. Now I have the context I needed. 
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