Customer Reviews

Sweepers Sweepers Man Your Brooms: An Enlisted Man's Story

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This is a fantastic read about the feelings and adventure of Navy life and is a MUST READ for all Old Salts. You will picture yourself in the characters and find humor in their relationships as they are so dramatically portrayed by the authors wit.

Master Chief Zahratka nailed it. I don't know how well non military people will like or even understand this bio of a "lifer" who actually enjoyed his time at sea and ashore and still managed to have a family life along with his career. I'm sure having a wife who was also Navy helped in that respect. I left the active Navy after 7 years as my wife couldn't deal with the deployments. I did manage to finish a part time career in the reserves and retired after 25 total years of service. I too enjoyed my time both ashore and afloat on my two week acdutras with the reserves and was at some of the same bases as EMCM Zahratka. It was a pleasure to read about someone who wasn't belittling the Navy and us career sailors. A lot of the shipmates he talked about could have been guys any of us served with. There were a few typos but these were easily overlooked as the story was so interesting I had trouble putting it away to go to bed. If anyone wants to know how the USN really runs than this is the book to read. All the day to day trials and tribulations of life at sea and the fun of hitting an overseas port, plus life on shore duty. It's all here. No great "hero" adventures, just grand fun adventures, especially for us guys who served during this same time period. Thanks for the memories Master Chief!

This book is written by a retired Master Chief in the US Navy who details what it was like joining the Navy, learning his rate (job) and the adventures he went on. His stories are hilarious and had me literally laughing out loud. He was an IC so naturally Sailors in that rate will appreciate and relate to his tales but I think all Sailors will find his stories entertaining. As an IC wife, I found it amusing that he sounds almost exactly like my husband, especially concerning the gyrocompass and how other rates have no idea what it is ICs actually do.

As a woman, I also appreciated his opinion on having women serve alongside men on ships. Right now, despite the fact that they have served on surface ships for years, there is a big uproar about women finally being allowed to serve on submarines. He says that back then, when women first came onboard, it was a novelty for about six hours and then they were just like the rest of the guys.

Also, just a note, I could not find this book locally, for Kindle or even at the library. I would really love a Kindle version!!

This is an outstanding book highly recommended for anyone who has served on "haze gray and underway", for anyone who wants to learn what navy service is all about, and even for officers :) to gain a better insight into what makes sailors tick. Almost every anecdote brought back familiar and fond memories of my own nearly 22 years in the U.S. Navy. Having been stationed in some of the same commands and ports made "Sweepers, Sweepers Man Your Brooms" a very special read. This is not just a book about going to sea or what sailors do, rather an insight into how they think, their likes and dislikes and why they do what they do. To the author, a Hearty Bravo Zulu for a job well done.