Away all boats

the long version

Dodson's 'Away All Boats' is a novel that is both a study of human nature and the art of command. The central theme is the ship and it's missions. The charecters of the crew bring this mass of steel to life and give it personality. There are strong charecters amongst the officers as well as the Sailors. Likewise there are officers and Sailors that one would cross the street to avoid. they are all thrust into the confines of theat attack transport Belinda and give the story so much of it's richness. The captain is a driven man and his goal is to make his ship the best attack transport in the Pacific Fleet. HIs drive whittles down the rough edges and shows up the weak leaders and followers. He makes few friends but ultimately gains the respect of many. --Catharine T. Clark Sayles at Amazon.com.