Shepherds of the Sea: Destroyer Escorts in World War II
Just when it seems that nothing new can be said about World War II, along comesShepherds of the Sea, Bob Cross' well told tale of a dimunitive but decisive weapon in the naval battle...a great read and an important chapter in our naval history.Joseph E. Persico, author of Roosevelt's Secret WarShepherds of the Seais well researched...this book is recommended to naval historians and to general readers interested in the maritime aspects of World War II.Journal of Military HistoryThe first full-scale history of American destroyer escorts...the book itself can and should drop anchor in any World War II naval collection.BooklistThis is the definitive story of the ships and their crew.Soundings magazineAuthor Robert F. Cross tells their whole story for the first time...this is a well-written and extensively researched book.Steamship Historical Society of AmericaJust when it seems that nothing new can be said about World War II, along comes Shepherds of the Sea, Bob Cross's well-told tale of a diminutive but decisive weapon in the naval battle, the Destroyer Escort. Cross's gift is to create a sense of "being there," with the President who first envisioned this vessel and among the young men, often just teenagers, whose first glimpse of the sea was often from the deck of their DEs. A great read and an important chapter in our naval history. --Joseph E. Persico, author of Roosevelt's Secret WarRobert Cross has brought about nothing less than a moving and thrilling story consistently focused on the people involved and almost miraculously evoking the special character of the destroyer escorts...He has told their stories with eloquence and, sometimes, in graphic detail, portraying the pain, the injury, and yes, the blood and gore that are a necessary part of war. It is a story of the heart and soul of our country and we as its people...and comes at a critical time in U.S. history. --From the Foreword by Christopher duP Roosevelt, Grandson of President Franklin D. RooseveltShepherds of the Sea is a wonderful and well-written study of the noble role U.S. Destroyer Escorts played in winning the Second World War. The amount of original research Robert Cross performed is stunning. Highly recommended! --Douglas Brinkley, Professor of History at Rice University and author of The Wilderness Warrior: Theodore Roosevelt and the Crusade for America