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0 of 3 found the following review helpful:
 Death of a torpedo squadron Aug 23, 2007
There was more than enough info for the author to have expanded on the story line. Instead, he wrote a term paper. Both books were complete rip off's, overpriced to boot. I threw both of them away.
5 of 6 found the following review helpful:
 Midway: A historical novel Dec 20, 2005
I very much enjoyed the book. It was one of intensity at times and one that was able to take you back 60+ years into the ready room. You could smell the smells and feel the tension.
I didn't particularly like the use of profanity, graphic at times, when referring to his times with Claire. Sure, they may have thought or spoke that way back then but save the 4-letter words for the smut novels. Thought that detracted from the class of the story, I was still able to enjoy the rest of the book, just skipping past any of the love life.
I would have preferred the use of real names as they dealt with the real characters. Other historical novels have successfully done this; Gods and Generals, Killer Angels.
It's an easy read that keeps you drawn in and educates you at the same time. If not for the unnecessary profanity, I would share the novel with my 13 year old.
13 of 13 found the following review helpful:
The Battle of Midway told in novel form Jan 09, 2005
Alvin Kernan was an aviation ordnanceman (AOM3/c) aboard the USS Enterprise during the Battle of Midway in June, 1942. After the war he commenced a long career as a college professor at both Yale and Princeton, and thus is uniquely qualified to write about the epic battle. "Love and Glory" is his latest work. It tells the whole story of the first day of the battle, focusing mainly on the USS Hornet air group and the tragic saga of Torpedo Squadron 8 (VT-8).
"Love and Glory," as you might deduce from the title, is not another history book about the Battle of Midway. Instead it's a novel with the historic battle as its setting. It's a work of fiction, but it's authentic historical fiction. The protagonist is one Ensign Clay Hunt, a brand new naval aviator assgined to VT-8 aboard the Hornet. We follow the experiences of ENS Hunt as he qualifies in the painfully obsolete TBD torpedo bomber, and as he assimulates into the squadron, under the leadership of its colorful commander. We then ride with him as the air group launches on the first day of the battle, on its way to a bitter destiny.
Kernan pulls no punches in his dialogue--he is unmerciful toward the Hornet's air group commander before, during, and especially after the battle. He also gives no slack to the ship's captain, having him deliberately conspire to falsify Hornet's after-action report in order to save his own hide as well as that of his buddy, the CHAG (Commander, Hornet Air Group). If you're familiar with the details of the Battle of Midway, you know that this is the heart of a burning controversy that has never been fully settled. The author's treatment of it is hightly interesting and provocative.
The book is not without flaws, but they're not too signficant. Professor Kernan didn't use an independent editor in preparing his manuscript, so you'll find a few glitches that should have been fixed before publication. There's a couple instances where proper naval terminology is not used, although it won't stand out if you've never walked a gray steel deck or been summoned to chow by a bos'n's whistle. And I think many readers will be taken aback by Kernan's choices for the fictional names of some of the well-known principals from the battle. I thought "Lancing Colt" for the TF-16 chief of staff (Miles Browning) was a little clever, but some of the other ficticious names struck me as odd. If I were writing this same novel, I'd have used the actual historical names, as was done in the 1976 "Midway" movie (which had a lot more fiction in it than this book).
But don't get lost in such minor quibbles--the value of "Love and Glory" is its realistic dialogue, written by one who was there at the time and is thus intimately familiar with such dialogue. It's a very entertaining read, despite the flaws.
(Reviewed by R. Russsell, editor, The Battle of Midway Roundtable, www.midway42.org.)
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