Customer Reviews

Riding on Luck: Saga of the U.S.S. Lang (DD-399)

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I was a gunner on the U,. S. S. Lang, DD-399, from October 1942 to June 1945. I have read Knight's book and lived the experiences he describes so vividly about the actions of the ship in the war zone. Even thoough he was not a member of the Lang he gives a crucial account of what it was like to be an 18 or 19 year old involved in life aboard a destroyer in WWII and of its actions in the war zone in the Pacific theatre. Knight's research and detail notes make the book excellent reading and reminded me of those years in the Pacific . As an enlisted man I wasn't aware of many things the author wrote about so from that perspective it recaptured those feelings and memories of events. The book reinforces the crucial part destroyers played in winning the war and captures the feelings at the time of action. From time to time I know I will be rereading parts of the chapters over again and realize how lucky I was to be a part of the Lang crew. I will always treasure the book as a special part of my collection of WWII books. It represents an excellent account of the Lang's Participation in crucial battles and is an historical memory for future generations. My son and daughter each have a copy.

This book captures the reality of life on a destroyer during wartime--long days of monotony and routine patrol which may be suddenly interrupted by moments of intense action. In combat zones, the ship was required to remain at a high state of readiness for several days with little sleep and only minimum food for the crew. Despite several years of exposure in major campaigns, the ship suffered no combat casualities. This may strike some readers as "dull" but to me it is almost miraculous! As a WWII veteran who served on two destroyers (one of which was the Lang), I must give the highest praise to the author for his accurate portrayal of shipboard existence and the varying morale of the crew during the ups and downs of their campaigns. The book brought back many memories!

I personally cannot attest to the grueling and nerve racking time period of being on a destroyer in war time; however, my father served on the USS Lang from February 1942 to October 1943. He told some stories, when his sons and daughters would inquire, of his exploits during this difficult time. I was amazed to read Mr. Knight's section on the battle of Vella Gulf only to remember my father telling us stories of this battle. My father's account of the battle accurately matched the information provided in the book. I could only imagine being a nervous 22 year old enlisted man in battle stations knowing this upcoming battle could have adverse affects if a shell were to hit the Lang. My father would tell us about the suicide missions, facing the Tokyo express, enjoying camaraderie with shipmates sipping torpedo juice, etc. This information was depicted in Mr. Knight's book as accurate as my father explained to me over 20 years ago.
Recently I was extremely fortunate to meet former members of the USS Lang at a reunion held in Houston, TX. I personally enjoyed meeting former members of the USS Lang and talking about their exploits during WWII. I only wish my father was still alive to relive the memories with former shipmates.
I personally found the book extremely rewarding to read and feel a sense of being on board with these heroic men. Reading Mr Knight's book and meeting some of the real life heros who served on the USS Lang only enhances my appreciation for the people who are truly representative of the Greatest Generation. I am extremely proud of my father and the book only enhances this feeling.
Thank you for the wonderful reading.

I fully enjoyed this book as it told a very detailed story of a ship and its exploits with only a little of the crewmen that were on it. It brought back many memories of the duties that were required of the crew to keep it in top shape so that it could remain at its designated stations and accomplish the work that was given it to perform. I am not mentioned in this book directly but could reflect on the duties that were required of my rate all throughout the book. It is an outstanding description not only of the Lang and its accomplishments but is also a reflection on all of the 'TIN CANS" that participated in the engagements of the fight for our freedoms.

Having served on the USS LANG DD399 for 5 years minus 16 days before and during WWII I can honestly say that Mr.Knight has captured the feelings, character and essence of the life of a "destroyer sailor" during WWII. It is truly an interesting "real life" story of a fine ship and the sailors who sailed and fought her, the many trials, tribulaltions and successes have been recorded for history by Mr.Knight.

My father was a crewmember on this ship, and attending some of the yearly reunions, I heard a lot about the crews personal experiences,(some of which change a little through the years) from the crew. Mr. Knight's book put these 'sea stories' in perspective for me. His book is easy to read and understand. I really enjoyed this book and would recomend it to anyone interested in the 'Tin Can Navy' and how they coped with life during World War II.

I'm not a navy veteran or military history scholar, but I've read quite a few books on U.S. and British ships in World War II. Good ones include "Tin Can Sailor" and "The Cruel Sea" -- NOT "Riding on Luck". Its flowery writing is a bit too "rah-rah, here we go!" and doesn't back it up with compelling prose. The author tells you it was exciting, but doesn't show you -- not surprising since he wasn't there. Knight, the son of a Lang sailor, manages to make even cruises with FDR aboard boring and dull, and he fails to describe the destroyer in any real detail. The author provides a backdrop of the war while the Lang is at sea, and I found these explanations a nice try, but overly simplistic. The last straw was bad grammar, dropped words and other printing errors.