The Bode Testament [Paperback]

Sandy Shanks (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 10, 2001

In the early hours of August 9, 1942, a Japanese force of five heavy cruisers, two light cruisers, and one destroyer under the command of the wily, audacious, and courageous Japanese admiral, Gunichi Mikawa, slammed into a surprised allied cruiser screen under the command of a British admiral, Victor Crutchley. This intimidating force achieved surprise despite the fact that it had been spotted eleven times on the seventh and eighth. It first struck the Southern Force, consisting of two destroyers and two heavy cruisers, under the command of Captain Howard D. Bode, who doubled as the commander of the heavy cruiser, Chicago. Dispatching Bode's force in a matter of minutes, Mikawa then circled Savo Island and turned his Long Lance torpedoes and eight-inch guns on the Northern Force under the command of Captain Frederick Riefkohl. In about thirty minutes, one Australian heavy cruiser, the Canberra, and three American heavy cruisers, the Quincy, Astoria, and the Vincennes began their watery trek to the bottom of Ironbottom Sound, a uniquely prophetic name. The Chicago would be the only heavy cruiser to survive that morning. There were errors aplenty on the part of admirals in the vicinity. In addition to command, reconnaissance, and communication errors in the planning, Admiral Fletcher withdrew the Air Support Force on the eve of the eighth. Admiral Turner, responsible for the planning of the operation, failed to heed the warnings and called a conference as a result of Fletcher's actions. Admiral Crutchley, who also failed to heed the warnings, attended the conference with one-third of the strength of the Southern Force, the Australian heavy cruiser, Australia. Despite the errors of admirals, a single captain was censured in the Hepburn Report, the Navy's investigation. That captain was Howard D. Bode. This book is a story concerning that captain.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Sandy Shanks lives with his lovely wife, Florence, in the San Gabriel Valley which lies to the east of Los Angeles. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in education, and served as an officer in America's finest, the United States Marine Corps. This work is a result of four and a half years of effort, and the collaboration of three author/historians; Bruce Loxton, Chris-Coulthard Clark, and John Lundstrom. It is also the result of a dream born forty years ago.

Product Details

• Paperback: 548 pages
• Publisher: iUniverse (May 10, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0595180132
• ISBN-13: 978-0595180134
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 6.1 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,330,855 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book kept me involved for several days straight., October 16, 2003

By 

DON LISLE (ALTADENA, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Bode Testament (Paperback)

The amount of resarch that went into this book was absolutely amazing. I was not old enough to be in WWII but I do remember reading about it and hearing about it on the radio and in "Movietone News". This book taught me so much more than I expected. Sandy Shanks is a great author, weaving his facts and "guesses" together to keep one engrossed, almost not wanting to put it down until the end. I can't wait until Sandy Shanks' third book, whatever that may be, is published.

Speaking of the publishing, I think that the publisher of this book did not serve Mr. Shanks too well. Way too many misspellings, bad sentence structure, etc. With such extensive research and apparent writing capabilities, Mr. Shanks would not have made those errors, I'm sure. Nevertheless, I strongly recommend this book to everyone, not just war buffs!

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What a great book to sit down with, August 15, 2001

By 

Butch Colby (Columbia, Maryland) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Bode Testament (Paperback)

The first couple of chapters were OK. Mr. Shanks' description of the battle was great, however his description of the subsequent trial was outstanding. I did not have a clue as to the outcome of the trial until the very last couple of pages. Mr. Shanks' final disclosure was extremely surprising, therefore, I am interested in researching more about this event in our history. I served 3 years on the USS Long Beach CGN-9, which was a Nuclear Cruiser. I can relate to many of the terms Mr. Shanks uses in the book as being very accurate. The research by Mr. Shanks for this book had to have been extensive. His insight was great. Although my last name is Colby, I am not related to the Colby in the book. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in a good story based on a World War II naval battle that happened over 50 years ago.

It is a story that needed to be told.

13 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Captain Bode, USS Chicago and the Battle Of Savo Island., July 19, 2001

By 

Mackenzie J Gregory (Melbourne, Victoria Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Bode Testament (Paperback)

I was the Officer of the Watch on the bridge of HMAS Canberra, at the commencement of the Battle of Savo Island on August 9th. 1942. This absorbing book by Sandy Shanks is Historical Fiction featuring Captain Bode of USS Chicago, you will particularly enjoy the trial section. As a published author of Naval History and a Retired Naval Officer after 20 years service, I found this book most authentic, and totally holding my interest. "The Bode Testament" is a recommended read. Do yourself a favor, buy it, read it, and enjoy. Now, that is an order!!

Mackenzie J Gregory. Lieutenant Commander RAN. (Ret'd)