The Galloping Ghost: The Extraordinary Life of Submarine Legend Eugene Fluckey [Hardcover]

Carl LaVO (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1591144566 | ISBN-13: 978-1591144564 | Publication Date: May 11, 2007 | Edition: First Printing

Eugene Fluckey was one of the great naval heroes of World War II. His exploits as captain of the submarine USS Barb revolutionized undersea warfare and laid the groundwork for the nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine fleet that today is the primary deterrent and capability of the United States against nuclear attack. Now a retired rear admiral living in Annapolis, Maryland, he is the most decorated living American, having earned numerous presidential, congressional, and military honors, including the Medal of Honor and four Navy Crosses. In the war against Japan, Fluckey fired the first ballistic missiles from a submarine, sank more tonnage than any other U.S. submarine skipper; including an aircraft carrier, a cruiser, a destroyer, and blew up a train after landing submariners-turned-saboteurs on mainland Japan in 1945. The title of this biography is the legendary submariner s nickname, "Galloping Ghost, " a reference to the hit-and-run tactics that left his enemies baffled about the direction of his attacks.

Here is the admiral's story, told with the exclusive access to Admiral Fluckey's personal papers and based on interviews with him, his family, Barb shipmates, official Navy documents, and the recollections of his contemporaries. The author, Carl LaVO, who spent years researching the subject, offers not only a dramatic, action-filled account of Fluckey's wartime experiences, but also a lively description of his life before and after that captures the infectious optimism contributing to his many successes.

LaVO describes meeting the ninety-year-old retired admiral: With a full shock of hair, trim build, natty clothes, and buoyant demeanor, Fluckey looked much younger and still displayed his characteristic dry wit, despite the fact that Alzheimer's disease had robbed him of many memories. When asked about a long-forgotten episode of his life, the admiral replied with a twinkle in his eyes and hearty laugh, I don t know. You tell me. LaVO took up his challenge and with this book presents Admiral Fluckey's full biography.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Carl LaVO, a graduate of the University of Florida at Gainesville, is the author of Slade Cutter: Submarine Warrior and Back from the Deep: The Strange Story of the Sister Subs Squalus and Sculpin, both published by the Naval Institute Press. He has also written many articles for the Institute's two magazines, Proceedings and Naval History, and a variety of general-interest periodicals. His television appearances include the History Channel series Silent Service and Man, Moment and Machine.

An award-winning journalist, LaVO is assistant managing editor of the Courier Times in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, where he lives with his wife Mary Anne. He is an experienced scuba diver and has explored many of the water-filled caverns and subterranean rivers of Florida, exceeding depths of two hundred feet. A childhood interest in the atomic submarine Nautilus and the book Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea by Jules Verne gave him a lifelong curiosity about the Silent Service and undersea exploration.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 206 pages
• Publisher: Naval Institute Press; First Printing edition (May 11, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1591144566
• ISBN-13: 978-1591144564
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,111,967 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Companion to THUNDER BELOW!, September 11, 2007

By 

Mike Miner (Tennessee) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Galloping Ghost: The Extraordinary Life of Submarine Legend Eugene Fluckey (Hardcover)

First, let me say that I am an unabashed admirer of Adm. Fluckey. I truly see him as a hero both professionally and privately. He was always happy to autograph items for me, and even offered some invaluable advise upon occasion. That being said, anyone who has read anything on his wartime exploits will undoubtedly walk away agreeing that he was a true American Hero. Definitely read his autobiography, "Thunder Below". That being said, Carl LaVo has done an impressive job filing in many of the gaps in Fluckey's life, both before and after the war, as well as new insights into his wartime patrols through interviews with Fluckey's crew. The book is well written, researched, and an interesting, easy read. As the author points out, Fluckey's memory was impaired by the time he started research for this book, so it is a shame that his reflections could not have been a greater part of the book. LaVo did the Admiral proud with this one. Anyone with even a remote interest will walk away from this book with a new hero, Adm. Fluckey. This book is a must have. It stands on its own, or will make a must have companion to Adm. Fluckey's own book, "Thunder Below". I liked the author well enough to check out his "Back from the Deep" next.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the greatest..., July 26, 2008

By 

Thomas J. Dougherty (Ayer, Ma. USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: The Galloping Ghost: The Extraordinary Life of Submarine Legend Eugene Fluckey (Hardcover)

Noted submarine author Carl Lavo turns his attention to one of the most colorful characters in the WWII submarine skipper pantheon, Eugene Fluckey. I wasn't sure how well this slim (about 200 pages) volume would stand up in comparison to Fluckey's own book, "Thunder Below". Given LaVo's past track record writing on submarine topics, I needn't have worried. Whereas "Thunder Below" really concentrates on the day to day exploits of the USS Barb, "Galloping Ghost" is really about Fluckey himself, and more importantly the impact he had on others and on the US submarine force.

Fluckey, with blue eyes, red hair and enough freckles to win a contest at age 6, is a strong athlete and student while growing up in Washington, DC. Inspired by a neighbor to consider a naval career, he forgoes a chance to study at Princeton and attempts to get an appointment to the US Naval Academy. Through the graces of Illinois representative William Holaday (his family had roots in Illinois), he manages to gain acceptance at the Naval Academy. We follow Fluckey up to the time of the war, and his efforts to get assigned to a combat submarine. Finally (through some finagling on his part), he ends up commanding The Gato class submarine Barb.

The book details each of Fluckey's war patrols on Barb. The sinking of the Japanese carrier Unyo, and the rescue of British and Australian POWs from sunken Japanese transports, the famous rocket attack and the daring landing on Japanese territory to destroy a train are all related. Fluckey's adventures in running Barb toward the dock at high speed so that FDR can get movie films from his wheelchair add some comic relief. While on furlough at home, Fluckey is told he will receive the Medal of Honor for his exploits, he objects that it is for "dead heroes". He finally accepts it not for himslef, but on behalf of his Barb crew.

Fluckey's service as Nimitz's aide after the war, his command of USS Halfbeak, and his promotion at a very young age to admiral is covered. His role in the time when the US Navy converts its submarine force to nuclear power and missile firing capabilities find Fluckey deeply involved at the forefront of these changes. Even in retirement, he was a sought after inspirational speaker. In later years, he treated the surviving crew members of the USS Barb to several exotic trips, paying for everything with proceeds from the book "Thunder Below". When given a standing ovation at the 1995 50th Anniversary of the war's end in Pearl Harbor, Fluckey thanked the crowd, "on behalf of that standing ovation for my crew."

I heartily recommend this book to all. Eugene Fluckey's irrepressible nature, humor, and character come through, and his self-deprecating ways, always trying to turn the focus on the fact that he led a crew, an extraordinary crew on Barb, and that it was never about him. This book sits next to "Thunder Below" on my shelf, and I am sure I will reread it in years to come.

"Put more into life than you expect to get out of it. Drive yourself and lead others. Make others feel good about themselves; they will outperform your expectations, and you will never lack for friends". Eugene B. Fluckey.

4.0 out of 5 stars extraordinary book, December 29, 2011

By 

none - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Galloping Ghost: The Extraordinary Life of Submarine Legend Eugene Fluckey (Hardcover)

I agree with all the other reviews. However Mr. Lavo did make a few mistakes. First of all The Tang SS-306 was not the
leading scorer in numbers of ships sunk. Tang had 24, but Tautog (SS 199) had 26. Also Barb was not the lead with
tonnage. Barb had 96,628 tons. Rasher (SS 269) had 99,901, and the top scorer in tonnage was Flasher (SS 249) with
100,231 tons. I don't know where MR. Lavo got his info, but he missed the mark