Customer Reviews

Sea of Glory: A Novel Based on the True WWII Story of the Four Chaplains and the U.S.A.T. Dorchester

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
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The story of the Four Chaplains has been told before. Indeed, a book of the same name was published in the early 1950s. That book was essentially the individual stories of the Four Chaplains from childhood until they met their collective fate off Southern Greenland on February 3, 1943. Now, in treating the historical event as fiction, based on fact, the authors have made history easier to understand, particuarly for younger readers and those without prior knowledge of the story. Who were these men? How did they become friends. What in their backgrounds allowed them to come together so heroically during the 20 minute between the torpedo exploding and the Dorchester sinking? Where was the ship going and why? What happened to the U-Boat. How did the story of the Four Chaplains survive the sinking? History is more than a collection of facts. Wales and Poling's interpretation have added additional life to a wonderful story that deserves to live on to be read by new generations. This inspirational story of four men of different faiths coming together in a time of crisis is particularly pertinent in the new post-September 1, 2001 America.

I recently read this book in a summer reading program, and I loved it! It made me think of all the other men and women who gave their lives in World War II. This story follows four naval chaplins on the USAT Dorchester-a rabbi, a Dutch Reformed minister, a Catholic priest, and a Protestant minister. This story tells about their backgrounds, how they came to meet each other on the Dorchester, and the greatest sacrifice they gave (their lives) when the ship sank. This is an outstanding book!

There are inaccuracies in some of the above criticisms...
like for instance the customer who stated that the words on the cover, "...story of the four chaplains" was a typo and should have been, "...story of four chaplains." This is completely inaccurate as the gentlemen in mention are icons known as "THE Four Chaplains." The customer's complete misinformation stated as 'fact' in [their] review makes me wonder about the validity of [their] other comments.

My suggestion, read the book for the "true story" within -- whether it feels like narrative non-fiction, or novel-style non-fiction is up to you to like or dislike; but the story is well and passionately presented by an author to whom the story obviously has precious meaning.

The book is lovely because the story is lovely. There's just no losing that. Well done.

The four chaplains who gave their lives selflessly to prevent others from dying certainly deserve for their story to be known, however, I would like to have seen equal voice given to their four different faiths. The story seems to be told more from the viewpoint of fundamental Christianity, and the character and beliefs of the chaplains of other faiths, Judaism, for example, seem neglected.

What I found important in the chaplains' story was the comraderie and unity among them, in spite of their different faiths. This mutual respect is a great lesson for teaching the importance of loving one another, and I imagine made a positive impact on the men they served, although this was not emphasized in the book. When the greatest test of all came, and the soldiers found themselves in the water, all of the chaplains, no matter what their religion, showed their commitment to God and man by making the lives of their fellow soldiers more important than their own. This is the emotional high point of the story, as we envision the fear of men facing death, and see the faith of the chaplains stand firm. We wonder what we would have done in the same situation, and we are left with a lesson that life is fleeting and to consider our lives in the context of the eternal.

My uncle died on this ship. He was in the Coast Guard. I heard my mom all my life talk of the Dorchester and the Four Chaplains. Now I was finally able to read a story about it. Thank you for writing this book. I did cry at some parts for the uncle I never knew. I wish my mom was still alive to read it. I have my uncle's purple heart and I will lay this book next to it.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read some family history. This book was excellent.

The release of "Sea of Glory" could not have come at a better time in our country's history. This Novel by Ken Wales and David Poling, shows the best mankind has ever produced, both as servants of God and Country! This slightly fictionalized account, details one of Americas most heroic actions in WWII. The story of the Four Chaplains and the USAT Dorchester is an emotionally strong one by itself, but these authors were able to amplify the emotions producing a book you will never forget.

If you like a mystery and history this is a book you will not want to miss. The four chaplains, from different religious backgrounds, aboard the Dorchester weave a mixture of how God supplies the right people at the right time - even war time. Recently I saw "Pearl Harbor" at the movies and felt great pride of being an American when I walked out of that movie. That same feeling went through me as I read this book. This is a "MUST READ" for baby-boomers like myself. We must never forget what was was really like. This book will give us a peek at the sacrafices many made for each of us to enjoy freedom today.

Generally I am opposed to the fictionalization of true stories; my reason is that it trivializes real events and real people. For example, the tragic scope of the Titanic sinking is never depicted richly enough in fiction or movies, where we follow the stories of a few when there are as many stories as there are people involved.

I will make an exception for this World War II story. "Sea of Glory" is well-crafted and easy to read, and will probably find a wide audience as books about WWII are popular these days. My only criticism is that the authors get a little syrupy in depicting the relationship among the four chaplains, which rings a little too good to be true. Surely they had some differences now and then, as we all do.....Nevertheless, all four men were heroes, without a doubt, and their inspirational story deserves to be heard.

This book is a fascinating story of the dark days of WWII
and I recommend this to anyone that has any problems relating to people and religions.
I am a police chaplain in a very diverse community with occasional interreligious and ratial misunderstandings.I purchased this book for some of my colleagues for Xmas and I am sure that they will find it a moving story, well written,easy to read with a message for all of us in today's world.

No doubt the eyes of many have glazed over on the subject of World War II. Yet, it would be a shame if in their saturation they skip over Ken Wales and David Poling's new novel, "Sea of Glory." In it, Wales and Poling tell the heroic account of four army chaplains who died during World War II when the troop transport carrying them across the Atlantic Ocean sank. The chaplains died because they gave their own life jackets to men who had lost theirs.

But more than merely relaying the events on the day the U.S.A.T. Dorchester sank, "Sea of Glory" tells of the lives of the four chaplains before providence brought them together. It recognizes the contributions of the chaplains to the men around them in the weeks before the fateful sinking.

The United States can be grateful for the sacrifice of its men in uniform. While doing so, Americans must also remember the men who provided our fighting forces with spiritual guidance along the way -- sometimes at the cost of their lives.