The Restless Wave - (Scott Bradley James) by James Stavridis (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

"The Restless Wave is not only a stirring and gripping story of the sea, but also of love and war and leadership. Admiral Stavridis's sweeping knowledge of history and life in the Navy shines on every page, imbuing this work with authenticity and power."
--David Grann, #1 NYT bestselling author of Killers of the Flower Moon

"In the engaging tradition of Herman Wouk and Patrick O'Brian, Admiral James Stavridis has given us a fascinating novel of one young man's--and one great nation's--war at sea. The book is at once entertaining and illuminating, touching on the most fundamental of human themes with deftness and an appreciation of the immense achievements of the United States Navy in the deadliest of eras." --Jon Meacham

From the New York Times bestselling former NATO commander comes a riveting historical novel that charts the coming-of-age of a gifted but immature young naval officer as he is tested in the crucible of World War II in the Pacific

Scott Bradley James arrives in Annapolis, Maryland, as a plebe in the class of 1941 without a terribly good idea why he wants to be a naval officer, other than that his father was a sailor, and he wants to see the world, whatever that means. Scott and his roommate become fast friends, and, after surviving scrapes of their own making, the two fetch up at Pearl Harbor. War is brewing, and their class has graduated early. They have been sent to battle stations.

Admiral James Stavridis is an acclaimed novelist, a decorated military leader, and a great student of military history. He draws on it all to capture the experience of being storm-tossed by the first bloody years of the Second World War. Scott Bradley James is a talented young officer, but he has a lot to learn. And war will have a lot to teach him.

The Restless Wave offers a gripping account of the U.S. Navy's astonishing progress through the first three years of the war in the Pacific, from Pearl Harbor through to the Coral Sea, Midway, and Guadalcanal. A story of character under pressure in the harshest of proving grounds, it is written with careful fidelity to the truths of war that have made tales of the sea essential to the art of storytelling since Odysseus.

Review Quotes

"Magnificent . . . a sober account of service as a moral practice, shaped by history, constrained by institutions, and tested most severely when certainty disappears." -- U.S. District Judge John W. Holcomb, Western Legal History Journal

"Not since Churchill has there been as prolific a writer with as intimate an understanding of world events as Admiral James Stavridis . . . The Restless Wave brings together Stavridis' deep understanding of history and world events with his gifted storytelling ability in the first volume of a series that will take its place with Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey-Maturin series and C.S Forester's Horatio Hornblower novels . . . A rich tale of friendship, courage, and romance intertwined with complex moral choices and valuable leadership lessons." --Naval Review

"Former NATO Commander and four-star Adm. James Stavridis creates a gripping novel about a young Navy officer tested during the early sea battles of World War II, from Pearl Harbor to Midway and Guadalcanal. The novel is action-packed, and filled with insights into leadership and courage." --The Christian Science Monitor

"Fascinating . . . The descriptions of warfare at Midway and other Pacific theaters are exhilarating . . . Stavridis is a gifted dramatizer of naval warfare." --Booklist

"A satisfying novel . . . The author immerses the reader in the world of the Navy and cannily mixes fictional characters with real ones such as Admiral 'Bull' Halsey and Commander Wade McClusky. This well-told tale is worthy of The Caine Mutiny and In Harm's Way." --Publishers Weekly

"Stavridis' own love of the Navy (where he's a retired admiral) shows well on these pages . . . First-rate naval fiction." --Kirkus (starred review)

"A double pleasure . . . The book itself conveys a rare kind of authenticity about life in the U.S. Navy . . . There are revealing moments of moral ambiguity about the viciousness required in war, even a 'good' one, as well as insight into the pettiness and insecurities that afflict even the heroic . . . We see what nerveless leadership under pressure looks like." --Richard Aldous

"In the engaging tradition of Herman Wouk and Patrick O'Brian, Admiral James Stavridis has given us a fascinating novel of one young man's--and one great nation's--war at sea. The book is at once entertaining and illuminating, touching on the most fundamental of human themes with deftness and an appreciation of the immense achievements of the United States Navy in the deadliest of eras." --Jon Meacham, author of And There Was Light: Abraham Lincoln and the American Struggle

"This splendid book is historical fiction at its best. It captivated me from start to finish with vividly drawn characters and a riveting story." --Doris Kearns Goodwin, Pulitzer Prize-winning historian

"The Restless Wave is not only a stirring and gripping story of the sea but also of love and war and leadership. Admiral Stavridis's sweeping knowledge of history and life in the Navy shines on every page, imbuing this work with authenticity and power." --David Grann, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Wager and Killers of the Flower Moon

"A modern-day version of the Hornblower series, Jim Stavridis' The Restless Wave grabs you from the first line and keeps you spellbound until the end. Captivating, pulse-pounding, and at times heartbreaking. You don't have to enjoy naval history to love this story." --Admiral William H. McRaven, USN (Ret.)

"There can be no wiser or more vivid guide than the great global leader Admiral James Stavridis as he tells his exciting story of the U.S. Navy in World War II. Stavridis shows us old Annapolis and Honolulu, the Pearl Harbor attack, the Battles of Midway and Guadalcanal, espionage and intelligence, love and violent death, even Ernest Hemingway. With a plot that never relents, The Restless Wave has it all. Historical fiction can tell us things that orthodox history cannot, and Stavridis is a master of the art. Read, learn from and enjoy this poignant and quick-paced novel." --Michael Beschloss, author of Presidents of War

"Great naval and military commanders are rare. Those very few with literary gifts and storytelling talent like Churchill and Grant are well remembered. Admiral James Stavridis has joined their rank. With a dozen successful fiction and nonfiction books to his credit, the former Supreme Allied Commander has now written a novel with the adrenaline of true historic adventure, and the passion, joy, and sorrow of a gripping page-turner." --John F. Lehman, Secretary of the Navy (1981-1987) and author of Oceans Ventured: Winning the Cold War at Sea

"Following the career of a wet-nosed ensign at the outbreak of the war against Japan, this fast-paced novel is wrapped around historical fact and such enduring themes as leadership, ambition, and command. Evocative and engrossing, The Restless Wave is also quietly instructive." --Caroline Alexander, author of The Endurance and The Bounty

About the Author

Admiral James Stavridis, USN (Ret.) spent more than thirty years in the U.S. Navy, rising to the rank of four-star admiral. He was Supreme Allied Commander at NATO and previously commanded U.S. Southern Command, overseeing military operations through Latin America. At sea, he commanded a Navy destroyer, a destroyer squadron, and an aircraft carrier battle group in combat. He holds a PhD from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, where he recently served five years as dean. He received fifty medals in the course of his military career, including twenty-eight from foreign nations. He has published thirteen other books and is senior military analyst for CNN and a Bloomberg Opinion weekly columnist. He is currently a partner and the vice chair, global affairs of the Carlyle Group, and the chair of the board of the Rockefeller Foundation.