Slow Dance to Pearl Harbor: A Tin Can Ensign in Prewar America [Hardcover]

William J. Ruhe (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1995

Evoking Mister Roberts, The Winds of War, and The Caine Muntiny--except for the fact that it is a true story--Slow Dance to Pearl Harbor offers a fascinating, colorful description of life as it really was in an innocent and naive America before the first bombs fell. Ruhe is the author of War in the Boats.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 210 pages
• Publisher: Brassey's Inc; First Edition edition (September 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1574880209
• ISBN-13: 978-1574880205
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,036,807 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 The Author's Granddaughter, November 4, 2003

By 

I Love Bargains "Heather" (United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Slow Dance to Pearl Harbor: A Tin Can Ensign in Prewar America (Hardcover)

I am the author's granddaughter, writing in response to the review I just read by Robert B. Shirley. I had to laugh to myself when reading about Mr. Shirley's reaction to the bragging about my grandfather's many talents. I can assert here that he was a very talented artist, very athletic, and sang in many a barbershop quartet. And I can also state that to understand his reason for writing these facts is to understand the man who wrote them. He was very proud of all of his accomplishments, and he worked very hard to achieve every talent, every award he received. He was born on a small farm in Pennsylvania and worked his way to the Naval Academy in Annapolis, along the way acquiring many talents and perfecting them. Quite simply put, I appreciate Mr. Shirley's explanation of why he placed such facts about himself in there, but I am not even sure if there is a deeper reason other than the fact that the book truly reflected him as a person. He was a bit cocky, even at 83 years old when he released this book. He passed away just today, the fact that led me to post this review. I hope all who get a chance will read his books he was a very good writer, an interest he passed down to me.

3.0 out of 5 stars Sounds Like Willie Keith, June 19, 2008

By 

M. A HERBST (Mt. Vernon, Wa USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Slow Dance to Pearl Harbor: A Tin Can Ensign in Prewar America (Hardcover)

There are many interesting insights into Navy life during the two years prior to Pearl Harbor offered by Captain Ruhe. The Neutrality Patrol was something I had just heard of before and found very interesting.

It is too bad that Ruhe couldn't get over his grudge toward his CO's "mis-treatment" of him. He sounds like Ensign Willie Keith in the "Caine Mutiny" and his relationship with LCDR DeVries. You would think that 50 years would take the edge off some hard feelings. It is interesting that Ruhe waited so long to write and p;ublish his books; did he want to make sure everybody he slammed had died?

5.0 out of 5 stars "Caine Mutiny" without the mutiny, November 23, 2001

By 

R. Shirley (Texas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Slow Dance to Pearl Harbor: A Tin Can Ensign in Prewar America (Hardcover)

I REALLY like this rather short but engaging book about the author's actual service aboard a destroyer prior to World War II.

Probably one reason is that it closely reflects the recollections I have of my experiences as a fresh caught Ensign on a WWII vintage destroyer during the Vietnam era (ie misery loves company !). Another is that, as a bottom line, author Ruhe grudgingly acknowledges that his nemisis, the destroyer captain, probably made him a much better naval officer through what, at the time, seemed like senseless harassment by the captain of his subordinates .... particularly of Ruhe himself.

The author quite vividly captures, in a very entertaining way, what life aboard a destroyer during peacetime is all about. In addition, he reflects the special feelings that prevailed in that twilight period of 1940-41, when the U.S. military was waiting for the shoe to drop before entering into the fray then raging in Europe and which would shortly expand accross the Pacifc.

Many of the incidences that are described in this book concerning senior officer foibles, both humorus and serious, will be clearly recognized as similar to those experienced by most people that have served on U.S. Navy ships. Because he does such a masterful job of making these incidences so very interesting and entertaining, these "sea stories" should find a receptive audience both with people having served in the navy and those who are just interested in what it is REALLY like to be aboard a warship.

The one area that I initially found fault with the author's writing is his "wise acre" attitude toward his own accomplishments. According to his narrative, he has exceptional talents as an artistic painter, musican, aquatic and tennis athelete, superior night vision, is a technical expert on just about everything, a manager extra-ordinaire, and is even a master of destroyer seamanship.

On reflection, though, the author most likely injected this attitude purposedly to make the point that, as a junior officer in his early twenties, his perception of what seemed like harassment was probably just a to-be-expected reaction by others to his immature braggadocio. The "grown-ups" were just "facilitating" his maturity into a full fledged naval officer.

Over-riding all this whining about ill treatment and abhorent behavior by his superiors is the more serious impact of world events that the author's destroyer gets swept up into: delivery of part of the fifty lend-lease destroyers to the British, early involvement by US forces in convoy operations in the Atlantic, survellience of French belligerent naval forces in the Caribbean, and serious accidents during fleet work-up exercises off of Hawaii. Heady stuff that is presented by the author in an interesting and enlightening manner.

And it is these latter events and considerations that emerge as the catalyst for the bottom line message of this book: Despite the hardships and perceived stupidity endured by the men in the pre-war ships, they accepted their station in life and did the best job that they could under the circumstances, without rebelling against authority. As a result, they became better prepared for the even more difficult hardships that followed when the war became a reality.

This is reflected in the postscript to the book: All of the officers described in the book went on to exceptional service during World War II. Most became commanders of their own ships, and a few were even promoted to admiral.

If only Herman Wouk's fictional junior officers had the fortitude and foresight to follow the same path !!

Get this book ... you will enjoy it. A true overlooked naval gem.