By the end of the book, what begins as family lore (Gallagher was Sullivan’s great-uncle) has broadened and deepened, rippled outward to reflect our national story. Accounts of self-sacrifice and devotion to duty, especially those rendered with humility, have lately been in short supply, and we need them.

... stirring.

... the story of the Plunkett is really the story of its crew, and in this respect, Sullivan’s writing stands out.

Sullivan interviewed some of the surviving crew in their later years, and their recollections add immediacy to his description of life aboard the ship and the amazing survival of the Plunkett from direct bomb hits. In great detail, Sullivan recreates the heat and chaos of the crew’s epic struggles to keep the Plunkett afloat, fighting onboard fires and preventing detonation of depth charges and ammunition as the ship burned. Readers, especially those with command of naval terminology, can virtually become part of the crew’s frenzied reeling as they aided their injured, dying, and dead comrades and kept the Plunkett seaworthy..

Sullivan can have a great way with words. His descriptions can be tellingly evocative.

The focus is as much a narrative of the ship’s crew and their recollections as it is the story of the ship and its active wartime career. Included are solid recounts of sailors’ lives on the ship, based on interviews and diary records. An appendix lists those who were killed in action at Anzio and others who were missing in action.

... captivating.

... an expansive, character-driven history.