Customer Reviews

A Call to Colors

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(1)

 

 

(Historical fiction)

The Battle of Leyte Gulf took place on October 24 and 25 in 1944. Without a doubt it was the final battle in the history of the world where naval surface combatants were in actual physical sight of each other.

In John J. Gobbell's A Call To Colors he takes us back to that tenuous time late in the war when most of the strategic minds within the U.S. and Japanese militaries were certain of one thing. The Japanese had lost the war. The questions that remained were, how would the remaining resources of the Japanese armed services be used.

Gobbell has constructed a fictional account of an American destroyer and her crew and placed them in the unenviable location of the famous squadron of ships known to most World War II historians as Taffy 3. The under armed, outnumbered men of Taffy 3 faced the most powerful force of Japanese warships ever assembled, all centered on the super battleship Yamato. Gobbell's account of the battle concentrates on Commander Mike Donovan, Captain of the destroyer USS Matthew, taking us through the events that lead Donavon from his terrifying experiences during his first engagement with the enemy to his taking command of the Matthew.

Interspersed are two side stories. The first involves the U.S. military railway and how it underwent some determined foreign sabotage. This story does deviate from the Donovan story--just when you want to know more. From a historical standpoint, the military railway story is very interesting, and Gobbell does use it to tie a lean parallel story concerning an estranged friend of Donovan's now back into his life, however the book could have stood alone without it. The second perspective is a Japanese point of view and is helpful because the Japanese simply don't write about their failures in WWII. I have no doubt this is a fictional account, but without the real thing, this is a great addition to the book.

The writing is good; and the character development is paced well. From a historical standpoint, everything appears to be in the right place.

Armchair Interviews says: Anyone who likes a good historical WWII fiction can't go wrong with A Call to Colors.

This is a really nice yarn about WW II in the Pacific with enough subplots to keep you interested. I thought Gobbell did a really good job of tying all the pieces together and keeping the story compelling. A good read for all history buffs.

This is such a great book! I will admit I was surprised ... because it is so much better than so many books I have picked up that are novels at the top of the best seller list. This is an exciting story and because it was filled with such a wide variety of interesting facts ... historical as well as not .... it made it such a book of substance for me, so that I did not want the story to end.

At first I was daunted that I might not get into it, but immediately I realized I should not have been thrown off by the attention to detail that this author pays in his organization of this story. By that I mean he has done exactly what it is that I have so wanted to be done in a book that I might be reading that has many interesting characters and takes place over many areas, as well as from different perspectives. He has laid out a brief character cast description in the beginning of the book. The few maps are perfect for referring to and I used them constantly to understand the logistics of the events that were happening. I was so surpised by how enthralled I got. It is a story set somewhat from a Naval perspective during World War II but boy, the narrative goes all over the place in personalizing each and every character - as if you were right there with them. And this is with characters extending from General MacArthur to Japanese Naval Admirals! Not my every day cup of tea in the past that I would have thought I would have been interested in. But he does not write in a boring way at all so that it was wonderful to read about men in the Japanese navy from such a REAL perspective. There are characters on both sides of varied enlisted status but also civilians living in California towns surrounding the railway transportation routes. There is a wonderful female doctor who plays a good role in the story because she lives right near this important rail line. I was enthralled learning a little about the history of the Northern California railroad development because of the way that he made historical facts so accessible to me. I avoided history in school but this book wove facts into such a great story that I became eager to read on about the escalation of naval battles that were taking place and I kept on being able to sense where everything was taking place because of the 2 maps. It just was great that the story encompassed a wide geographical area and a wide variety of facts.

It is a very knowledgeable novel that remains exciting through out. And unlike so many best sellers that are knee deep in murders and swarmy facts that make me always feel a bit down, this story is uplifting and the facts are so interesting. There are numbered notes in the back to explain terms that come up. You remain hooked into the story even though it is a far reaching array of characters. It's a cliche I know but he truly has a gift with bringing his characters to life - their dialog .. their descriptions. I was captivated and I really regretted it ending this week. I definitely now want to read another of his earlier novels. The Neptune Strategy

The first good fictional account of a guns & planes naval battle I've read in a long time. The author shows both sides -- from the messdecks and wardroom to the Admiral's chambers. The action scenes put me there. The description of the Philippines reminded me of my time there. There really is an island at the mouth of Subic Bay called Grande Island -- I was there in the 60's. Although the book did seem a bit mired in parts, once the action started, I could hardly wait to pick it up and read more. Weaving the "other life" of the civilian world, romance, espionage, sabotage -- all done skillfully and well. My real disappointment was that the book ended at the epilogue -- what a way to introduce a sequel! If there isn't one, it would be good to author other books using a similar format. I sure would have liked to learn more of the reunion of the two old sailors that occurred at the end of the book! I really enjoyed the book and will read more of Gobbell.

I AM A RECENT CONVERT TO THIS AUTHOR AND ALTHOUGH I AM ARMY RETIRED I HAVE ALWAYS ENJOYED STORIES FROM THE US NAVY, HISTORICAL IN NATURE. THIS SERIES OF WWII STORIES BY JOHN GOBBELS ARE GREAT AND THE CHARACTERS SEEM SO REAL THAT I WAS TAKEN BACK OVER 50 YEARS AND REALLY ENJOYED THE TRIP. BETWEEN GOBBELS AND POYER I HAVE REALLY ENJOYED THIS LAST YEAR JUST CATCHING UP WITH OUR PAST AND THE RELATED HISTORY. MY HAT IS OFF TO THESE AUTHORS. IF YOU READ, READ THESE STORIES AND ENJOY THE WINTER.

This is a very good WWII thriller based on a real battle -- Leyte Gulf --largest naval battle in history. While the battle constitutes the main thrust of the book, there are also a love story, a spy story and a period piece about the home front during the war. They all combine to present a compelling naval war tale that reeks with authenticity and suspense. Another nice touch is seeing the war from the perspective of Japanese admirals who squared off against the U.S. navy. Good plot, good characterization, good story-telling. Gobbell is a very fine author, and this is one of the best war stories I've read in a while.

John Gobbell wrote four enjoyable novels about naval officer Todd Ingram. Set in WWII, each was better than its predecessor as Ingram and the war matured, and Gobbell became a better and better author.

Now there is A Call to Colors: A Novel of the Leyte Gulf. It has a new set of characters and is about half again as long as Goebbell's earlier books. This is the second of his books to have a Kindle edition. The other one is When Duty Whispers Low.

Most of the first half takes place in the San Francisco Bay-Sacramento area: along the railroad line bringing war munitions across the Sierras, with some bits and pieces at Port Chicago, and later, briefly, aboard the presciently named ammunition ship, USS Mount Saint Helens. (The details about the huge steam locomotives used to haul loads across the mountains are a bonus and a treat.)

The strategy that led to the battles of Leyte Gulf is laid out by Japanese naval officers, who are treated in the narrative with respect. The naval Battle of Leyte Gulf is a terrific story in itself. But this is a novel and not a history lesson. The action at sea is outstanding (and on track in California) and the end of the story is very satisfying.

The romance is fine and does not get in the way. She is beautiful. And he, the hero of the story, is not so tortured by nightmares from an earlier surface engagement that she can't calm him down. The finale of part one, as the USS Matthew leaves Mare Island, is an imaginative delight.

This is a good book (I read the print version, hence the "early" review here for the Kindle edition) and it is highly recommended. I particularly enjoyed it as a fictional story played out against a massive sea battle that really happened, involving tens of thousands of brave sailors and dozens of ships.

just started the book, and its good. what i truly find amazing is buying books online with amazon. its almost too easy.

I got to page 129 and gave up so this book might get very good after that but I just couldn't force myself to go on. I had actually tossed it the trash around page 85 but since I knew I wanted to express my feelings about this book I forged on. I have read the other reviews of this book before I baught it and they were great but after reading some of it I feel that the authors mother and a few other relatives must have written them. By page 129 there was no combat but plenty of dental patholog (you would have to read the book to understand this statement but I don't encourage that you do so). The book is dull and poorly written but my biggest objection was that the book glorifies smoking. A paragraph doesn't go by that someone doesn't light up of have a conference in a smoked filled room. In no way does it add to the story. The topic and cover would appeal to young males and they are a group very susceptible to what is being portrayed.