The Nugget: A Novel (P. T. Deutermann WWII Novels)
Ensign Bobby Steele, US Navy aviator, wakes up with a throbbing hangover on board the battleship Oklahoma on the morning of December 7, 1941. Attacking Japanese dive bombers rouse him from his misery, and almost immediately he is scrambling off the ship and into the waters of Pearl Harbor. He survives to pilot a Dauntless dive bomber on the carrier Enterprise and takes part in the battle of Midway. Shortly after, he is forced to ditch at sea, where he and his gunner are adrift for two days. After rescue they land in Guadalcanal, where the two act as infantry in close combat on the island. Later, they escape from the carrier Hornet after she is mortally wounded in battle. They are rescued this time by an American submarine.
The sub survives depth charge attacks but experiences bad luck, and now Steele is cast upon a Japanese-occupied Philippine island. There he meets a very interesting and admirable Catholic priest, who enlists him and his gunner in guerrilla warfare against the Japanese. The two “squids” take a leading role in working with the villagers and other natives in an attempt to free British prisoners held on the island and get revenge against the sadistic and murderous Japanese commander.
This outstanding book is the latest in a series of the author’s award-winning WWII novels. Based on a true-life hero, the fast-paced adventure explains tactics and naval operations in layman’s terms in a riveting manner. Technical detail from primitive bows and blowguns to bombs and torpedoes is provided in an illuminating style. The Nugget reads quickly and is hard to put down. Exceptionally well done!
