PDF Ebook PT 109, by Robert J. Donovan
The presence of the on the internet publication or soft file of the PT 109, By Robert J. Donovan will certainly alleviate people to get guide. It will certainly additionally save more time to only browse the title or author or publisher to obtain until your publication PT 109, By Robert J. Donovan is exposed. Then, you could visit the link download to check out that is provided by this site. So, this will be a great time to begin enjoying this book PT 109, By Robert J. Donovan to check out. Constantly good time with book PT 109, By Robert J. Donovan, always great time with money to spend!
PT 109, by Robert J. Donovan
PDF Ebook PT 109, by Robert J. Donovan
This is it the book PT 109, By Robert J. Donovan to be best seller lately. We give you the very best deal by obtaining the magnificent book PT 109, By Robert J. Donovan in this website. This PT 109, By Robert J. Donovan will not only be the kind of book that is challenging to discover. In this website, all kinds of books are provided. You can look title by title, writer by writer, and author by publisher to discover the very best book PT 109, By Robert J. Donovan that you can check out now.
There is no doubt that book PT 109, By Robert J. Donovan will always make you inspirations. Also this is just a book PT 109, By Robert J. Donovan; you could find several genres and also kinds of books. From captivating to adventure to politic, as well as sciences are all given. As exactly what we mention, below we offer those all, from popular writers and author on the planet. This PT 109, By Robert J. Donovan is among the compilations. Are you interested? Take it now. How is the means? Learn more this short article!
When somebody must go to the book stores, search shop by establishment, shelf by rack, it is quite problematic. This is why we supply guide compilations in this internet site. It will certainly reduce you to search the book PT 109, By Robert J. Donovan as you such as. By searching the title, author, or writers of the book you want, you could locate them rapidly. At home, office, or perhaps in your method can be all ideal area within internet links. If you intend to download and install the PT 109, By Robert J. Donovan, it is very easy after that, since now we proffer the connect to buy as well as make bargains to download PT 109, By Robert J. Donovan So very easy!
Curious? Of course, this is why, we expect you to click the link web page to check out, and then you could take pleasure in the book PT 109, By Robert J. Donovan downloaded and install until completed. You can save the soft documents of this PT 109, By Robert J. Donovan in your gizmo. Of course, you will bring the device anywhere, won't you? This is why, each time you have spare time, whenever you can delight in reading by soft duplicate book PT 109, By Robert J. Donovan
- Sales Rank: #15804794 in Books
- Published on: 1961
- Binding: Hardcover
Most helpful customer reviews
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful.
Short, easy to read and inspirational
By Thomas A. Fenton
I had seen the movie, but had never read the book, so when I found "PT 109..." for sale at a flea market, (© 1961, first printing, 220 pages, hardback) I decided the time had come to do so. I was 15 and too young to vote in 1960 when John Fitzgerald Kennedy ran for President of The United States, but I was aware of some of the campaign rhetoric for and against his election. In the years that followed, I was neither pro- or con- on the issue of his presidency, until November 22, 1963 when Lee Harvey Oswald assassinated him. All I was aware of was he had a fitness program that annoyed me greatly because it impinged on my teenage laziness. That is until November 22 when I, like the rest of America and the world cried at the thought that someone could do this evil thing. Since then I had considered him heroic as a martyr is considered heroic. Reading Robert J. Donovan's "PT 109..." has opened my eyes to the true measure of JFK's heroism in the 46 years he had in this life.
"PT109" is not so much about a boat, or a crew, or WW II, but about what happens when you put them together, and call forth the best they can produce. NOW I am impressed with the man. He was not the kind of hero that produced awesome stories of great events in great numbers. He was an ordinary man who was capable of heroic acts who called forth the best he had in him, who did what he had to do, and who did it impressively well. NOW I understand why he was so loved, respected and appreciated by those who knew him personally.
Donovan has produced what I consider an excellent description of courage, leadership, determination, and loyalty. Kennedy embodied all these traits in abundance, and, as a result, earned his way to the White House. "PT 109..." is also about survival, war time naval life, and the trials of military life in general. Along with these elements, the author skillfully weaves in humorous vignettes and descriptions of the flora and fauna of some of the islands and word pictures of the islands themselves. His descriptions of Kennedy shortly after his rescue is a good example of his linguistic talent:
"Here he was, bearded, gaunt, unwashed, half-starved, half-naked, blotched with festering coral wounds, castaway on a miserable patch of jungle surrounded by sharks, being greeted as if he were in his father's embassy in London." (pg. 187)
His description of one of the islands was also helpful in "seeing" the place:
"If Lumberi was a wilderness, Lambu Lambu was little more than a mangrove swamp, where green lizards a foot long glided over damp roots and scorpions dropped out of trees into PT boats moored below. Lambu Lambu Cove leads back into a small river, which is known to the natives as the Katapaqu but which could as suitably be called Styx. It is a dark, fetid stream that flows through blackened mangrove roots into heavy jungle and looks as though it may disappear eventually into a dismal cavern. The screech of strange birds pierces the foliage..."
Contrary to what was written by one Amazon dot Com reviewer, this book is not boring. It is anything but boring. While it would not rise to the level of a fast paced action thriller, it is a page turner. There is great suspense and good story telling to be found in the descriptions of PT 109's collision with the Amagiri, the Japanese destroyer that rammed her (109) and the hours just before and just after. There is likewise good storytelling and great suspense in the crew's efforts to survive and find their way to an island not covered by Japanese, avoid shark attacks, and then to get from island to island where they could be found and rescued. Admittedly this is only a part of the story, yet it is still the central part of the adventure, and this reader was well pleased with Donovan's work. Further, the author rounds out and finishes the story bringing us briefly to the White House in 1961. I am really sorry that the other reviewer found this boring. He obviously missed the point of the book, which was not to thrill and excite, but to tell an authentic story of strength and the ordinary heroism, possibly waiting to be brought out in all of us.
Therefore, I give Robert J. Donovan five very satisfied and enthusiastic stars for PT 109.
Note: This review is from the 1961 first edition, hard cover, 220 pages.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful.
Classic True War Story
By Nick Howes
He was an ambassador's son anxious to get into the war and a yachting fan which made him attractive to recuirters for the Patrol Torpedo service of the US Navy. After a couple desk jobs, Jack Kennedy finally got his assignment, skipper at the fairly low rank of lieutenant, junior grade, of his own craft....PT 109.
PT boats were as good a way as any to commit suicide. A mere 80-foot long, made of plywood, with ten crewmembers, a couple guns, four torpedoes. In the early days of the war during the Solomon Islands campaign (best known island: Guadalcanal), the PT boats were thrown in to provide muscle for the fleet against the Japanese. It was not coincidental that PT boats were made of plywood, which did not put them in conflict with the needs for steel for the larger ships shipyards were turning out. Only later in the war as the fleet was built up did the mission of the PT boat broaden out to include a wider variety of missions.
Early in the war, though, their job was to station themselves along sea approaches to likely resupply and landing sites, and attack the ships trying to run their guantlet, often using torpedoes that didn't want to fire.
One of the most noteworthy failures was when PT boats attacked a four destroyer convoy taking troops to Kolombangara. Word was not passed to PT 109 about the action although they were on the alert in the dark overcast. Suddenly, the destroyer Amagiri ran right through the ship, killing two men, leaving the others to founder. After sunrise, Kennedy, despite a back injury, towed one badly burned crewman while the rest clung to a wooden slat and kicked, heading toward an island where they could hole up.
Kennedy held the group together and went out the night they arrived to swim near where the PT boats were expected to pass. After a couple days of this, a couple natives dispatched by an Australian coastwatcher encountered the group and got word back to start the rescue.
This is a carefully researched story by Robert J. Donovan who talked to the survivors, other ex-Navy veterans, Kennedy himself, and flew to the South Pacific where he was able to find and interview the natives Solomon Islanders who helped in the rescue. He describes not just the fear, but the boredom, the sweltering heat, the bugs, the disease, and the other obstacles faced by these dedicated warriors.
In his 40th anniversary forward, Donovan talks about the experience of writing the book and Kennedy's hand-picking of his portrayer for the movie based on it (Jackie's choice, Warren Beatty, was unavailable). In his own foreword, journalist Daniel Schorr provides some interesting insights on service in World War II and in later wars.
Excellent book.
9 of 10 people found the following review helpful.
A Profile in Courage of JFK and Others...
By C. B. Miller
The book is very detailed and descriptive. Some today might say the book's pace could be a little faster. However, it is still a good read. The book shows how the men of that generation volunteered to go into the service and then into harm's way; regardless of their background, education, or families money. Truly, as fellow author Stephen Ambrose stated they were "Citizen Soldiers". This book is not a combat, action-packed wartime epic but instead about Jack Kennedy and other Navy men and how they got into the PT Boat service and their experiences in the Pacific war.
It is ironic that JFK could have been killed on several occasions, such as when Japanese dive-bombers and fighters hit Rendova Harbor right before the fateful intercept patrol with Japanese destroyers. Further, Jack Kennedy just missed being killed when the incident with the Amagiri occurred. Further, the author does a very good job laying out the facts of that incident.
It is telling of Jack's leadership and character when later he asks the surviving crew members if they want to "fight or surrender". When it was about to be put to a vote, Kennedy stated, "There's nothing in the book about a situation like this. A lot of you men have families and some of you have children. What do you want to do? I have nothing to lose" (page 119). Here is a man who went to Harvard, his father was Ambassador to England with a family both well known & wealthy, and JFK states he has "nothing to lose". Whether a reader likes the Kennedy family or not, this book tells the true story of a young JFK who rose to the challeges put in front of him.
The only criticism I would have is that JFK's time as commander of the PT-59 is only very briefly mentioned in the main book. However, one could argue that this is a book focusing on Jack's time with the PT-109, only. The new Foreword and new Preface to the 40th Anniversary Edition help put things in perspective. The new Afterward gives some detailed information on the history of American PT Boats and JFK's time as skipper of the PT-59 (after the PT-109).
See all 20 customer reviews...
PT 109, by Robert J. Donovan PDF
PT 109, by Robert J. Donovan EPub
PT 109, by Robert J. Donovan Doc
PT 109, by Robert J. Donovan iBooks
PT 109, by Robert J. Donovan rtf
PT 109, by Robert J. Donovan Mobipocket
PT 109, by Robert J. Donovan Kindle
[R565.Ebook] PDF Ebook PT 109, by Robert J. Donovan Doc
[R565.Ebook] PDF Ebook PT 109, by Robert J. Donovan Doc
[R565.Ebook] PDF Ebook PT 109, by Robert J. Donovan Doc
[R565.Ebook] PDF Ebook PT 109, by Robert J. Donovan Doc
