Letters to Lou: the Sequel [Paperback]

Donald Ben Hogan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 23, 2002

You won't believe this stuff! You'd never get away with it today. Excerpted from a three year letter collection, written logbook style, the original journal described three years of life (1954-57) at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy. This second edition of the original journal has been update to cover the time period from 1948 to after the September 11th attack.

A class history that is factual, tragic, and sometimes very funny... all true. Many classmates, shipmates and others have contributed "sea stories" etc. to this journal. Occasionally names have been omitted to protect the guilty and to prevent embarrassment to those involved. You won't find this stuff in the yearbook, it would never be allowed.

"That story is funny...really funny!" "I'm glad somebody put it in print."

Those were the days when authority ruled supreme. There was no appeal procedure after "Captain's Mast". "Ten demerits, step back! Next!"

You paid hard-to-come-by money to be voluntarily confined and abused. The gangway was always open. "Want to leave?" "Need help to pack?" "Go ahead leave, nobody's holding you!" "Just can't take it, huh!" Hazing was prohibited but was part of the daily routine.

You learned to be "cozy" and how to get off the ship to get home weekends. "You Bet Your Weekend" was the name of the game and it never ended.

Could a "Pink Bubble" terrify a group of healthy and physically fit young men? You betcha! The "Bubble" was to be avoided at all cost.

Those with a sense of humor, a love of the sea or with a military background will enjoy this journal. For Massachusetts Maritime Academy graduates it's a collector's item.

NOTE: ALL BOOK ROYALTIES TO MASSACHUSETTS MARITIME ACADEMY SCHOLARSHIP FUNDS

Product Details

• Paperback: 220 pages
• Publisher: Infinity Publishing.com (October 23, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0741412489
• ISBN-13: 978-0741412485
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,527,630 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Letters to Lou - The Sequel, January 26, 2003

By 

Lawrence A. Marsden - See all my reviews

This review is from: Letters to Lou: the Sequel (Paperback)

This is a highly unconventional, boisterous account of an engineering student during his days aboard the MTS Charleston-- the dormitory, class room, mess hall, play pen, sick bay and catchall of the Massachusetts Maritime Academy at Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts. The original book, which is among my prized possessions, covered his entire collegiate period aboard the ship
culminating with his graduation in 1957. It consists of daily letters written to his fiance, with whom he shared his most personal thoughts and experiences. The Sequel updates the book through comments and yarns from his former classmates plus input from the several subsequent generations.

He and his classmates were an irreverent group, disliking authority yet avoiding most penalties more severe than deprivation of liberty. Demerits were a game, and the reader comes away with the distinct impression that "he with the highest number without expulsion" wins first prize!

The book makes great reading, whether you are a seafarer or a land lubber, and the antics, heroics and the occasional heart break of the participants keep you glued to the pages. It makes us graduates of conventional schools envious that we didn't have the opportunities and the comraderie that turned these graduates into Naval Officers, Captains of commercial ships and heads of many major companies. The author himself gained a background that made him one of the Country's most highly regarded experts in the field of astronomy. I give the book five stars!

1.0 out of 5 stars MMA 1954-57 Diary Lacks Cohesion, January 17, 2009

By 

A Customer - See all my reviews

This review is from: Letters to Lou: the Sequel (Paperback)

I felt the accounts of the author were insightful into Massachusetts Maritime Academy of the 50s era - definately a time in educational history that has totally vanished. Although chronological, I found the book's structure inconsistent, not much in the way of transitions, background or lead-ins for the reader to really get a total flavor of the MMA. Overall, as a cold reader, I think this is not such a good read and generally a very fragmented book and not a good writing effort. It has some updated entries in 1998, so its reprinted from the original 50s version. What is confusing is the inclusion of another student's extensive diary entries in italics interjected with the author's and this doesn't add much to the effort. Photo quality is poor. There are emails in the back of the book that just don't appear to be meaningful, its just thrown out there. Perhaps I was expecting a bit more professionally pulled together or polished story, even from diary entries.

5.0 out of 5 stars Don't miss this one, February 27, 2003

By 

James M. Ennes - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Letters to Lou: the Sequel (Paperback)

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Ben Hogan's "Letters to Lou" is a fascinating and often amusing collection of letters that describe life at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy. Well done. A good read for anyone who has spent some time in any of the sea services or its training facilities.