Red Sky in Morning: A Novel of World War II (Hardcover)

by Patrick Culhane (Author)
Key Phrases: lube oil strainer, shaft alley, ammo ship, Big Brown, Liberty Hill, Fantail Four (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist
Genre renaissance man Max Allan Collins is wearing a new hat these days as Patrick Culhane, author of adventure-crime thrillers. His latest is an old-fashioned World War II navy drama (think Caine Mutiny). Drawing on the war experiences of his father, Culhane tells the story of a midwestern musician called up after Pearl Harbor. Ensign Peter Maxwell likes directing the navy choir, but he wants to see action and lands a posting as a junior officer on board an ammunitions ship, which turns out to have an African American crew led by a hard-assed, racist captain. After the ship’s home port in San Francisco is blown up (a real-life tragedy), and its second in command is killed, Maxwell finds himself caught in the middle of a potential mutiny and forced to investigate a murder, just as he sets sail across the Pacific. Culhane melds shipboard melodrama, WWII action, and solid amateur sleuthing into an infectiously readable adventure. Yes, some of the plot is predictable, and a few of the characters are familiar types, but it all runs smoothly, much in the manner of Herman Wouk. Old-school storytelling delivers great entertainment. --Bill Ott

Review
"Collins is a consumate storyteller." (Booklist )

"The ride on this road just gets better and better...and wilder!" (Mickey Spillane )

"A novel of the Lindbergh kidnapping by the master of 'true-crime' fiction. Don't miss it!" (Publishers Weekly, praise for STOLEN AWAY )

"Fast, breezy fun. [C]leverly concocted!" (New York Times, praise for CARNAL HOURS )

"A worthy followup to Road to Perdition--tangy, authentic, and exciting." (Leonard Maltin )

"Simply open the book. The pages turn themselves. A fine novel by a fine writer." (John Lutz, author of The Night Watcher )

"No one can twist through a maze with the intensity and suspense of Max Allan Collins. A classic." (Clive Cussler, praise for CARNAL HOURS )

"No one can twist through a maze with the intensity and suspense of Max Allan Collins." (Clive Cussler, praise for Black Hats )

"This remarkable piece of sustained storytelling is the best of the trilogy." (Ellery Queen )

"An explosive, action-packed blockbuster.destined to rank right up there with "The Godfather" series when all is said and done." (Detroit Free Press )

"Smooth and imaginative." (Publishers Weekly (starred review) )

"A unique private eye series with a believable, enduring hard-boiled hero." (Los Angeles Times, praise for ANGEL IN BLACK )

"Collins is in a class by himself...a page-turner of a story...a fitting sequel to Road to Perdition." (S.J. Rozan, author of Absent Friends )

"[C]ompelling mix of history, bloodshed and retribution...Readers will eat it up and beg for more." (Publishers Weekly )

"Collins masterfully blends fact and fiction into a compelling tale that transcends the historical thriller." (Jeffrey Deaver )

"Collins fills his story with period detail, juicy mob stories and characters, but the best part...is its heart (Chicago Sun-Times )

"A compelling and shameful piece of American history...gripping...(a) glimpse into a largely unknown period and a segment of the Greatest Generation that deserved more respect then and still does." (Associated Press )

"Nobody writes about war era crime in Chicago as well as Collins... A delight for fans...and newcomers." (Chicago Sun-Times )

"A serious social chronicle. . . . It's also serious fun." (New York Times Book Review, praise for MILLION DOLLAR WOUND )

"[F]ast-moving." (Washington Post )

"[P]lenty of blazing .45 action." (Kirkus Reviews )

"Collins effortlessly weaves his historical material into a fast-moving narrative." (Booklist )

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow (July 22, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060892552
• ISBN-13: 978-0060892555
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #442,500 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Good murder mystery with remarkable characters and atmosphere, December 26, 2008

By	Craig Clarke (New England) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

Max Allan Collins's second mainstream novel under the Patrick Culhane byline, Red Sky in Morning, is a marked improvement over the first, Black Hats. Once again the action takes place in the past, but this time all the characters are fictitious, with only mentions of famous personalities -- and a much closer connection to the author's own past.

Ensign Peter Maxwell has had it easy during his stint in the U.S. Navy, spending his days heading the chorus and spending his nights with his pretty wife, but there's a war going on around him, and damned if he doesn't want to be part of it. So, the newly promoted Lieutenant Maxwell and his best friends -- known collectively as the Fantail Four, a vocal quartet best known for their Ink Spots impression -- sign up for duty aboard the U.S.S. Liberty Hill Victory, an ammunition ship with an all-"colored" crew and an openly racist captain. (Liberty Hill is Maxwell's hometown, and he sees this as an omen.)

Slowly, the Four realize they've put themselves into a potentially life-threatening situation -- a point the nearby Port Chicago disaster drives home -- but they decide to do what they can to make it work, including teaching the mostly illiterate crew how to read (especially the "no smoking" signs posted next to the explosives).

But when the white X.O. (executive officer) and then a black crewmember are murdered, Maxwell is promoted to the post, then relieved of his duties to investigate the crime. He makes his first executive decision by choosing another black crewmember (and fellow jazz enthusiast), Seaman Ulysses Grant Washington -- known as "Sarge" from his years as a Chicago homicide detective -- to accompany him on interrogations, and to essentially run the investigation.

The murder mystery is well plotted and satisfyingly solved, but the real appeal of Red Sky in Morning lies in the characters' relationships and in how Culhane/Collins shows them realistically, not shying away from popular conceptions (and epithets) of the era. This way, we are offered a complete portrait of a time and place that is likely not very familiar even to World War II aficionados.

Red Sky in Morning was inspired by stories Collins's father (the book is dedicated to him) told him of his own time in the Navy, making this his most personal book yet. The author states that the book is mostly fictional, but that several details are lifted from those reminiscences.

The rest came from Collins's imagination and his usual exhaustive research of the setting and period. He and co-author/research associate Matthew V. Clemens (see My Lolita Complex) plotted the story together, much like they did for Collins's CSI novels, and Culhane/Collins once again showcases his inimitable skill at making a time period come alive. I for one am glad that Max Allan Collins, Sr., shared his experiences with his son, so that he could in turn share them with us.

5.0 out of 5 stars Superior War Mystery, October 19, 2008

By	Ron Fortier "Air Chief" (Somersworth, New Hampshire United States) - See all my reviews

Life aboard a Navy ship in the South Pacific during World War II was never a picnic but for the men of the Liberty Hill Victory, it is ten times more dangerous. Their newly launched ship carries tons of live ammunition intended for the fighting U.S. forces going toe to toe with Japanese troops along a string of tiny islands none of the crew had ever heard of before Pearl Harbor. And if their cargo of bombs and bullets wasn't enough of a threat to their survival, the Liberty Hill Victory also has the dubious distinction of being one of the first integrated ships to sail into harm's way.

Set in 1943, RED SKY IN MORNING, follows young ensign Peter Maxwell, a choir director form Iowa, who signs on to the newly christened ship along with four buddies unaware that ninety percent of the crew are black. No sooner is this discovered than Maxwell and his pals meet the skipper, Captain Egan, a bigoted seadog who despises snot-nosed college boys as much as blacks. Save for the five officers and four petty officers, the entire crew is made up of mostly illiterate young negroes eager to defend a country that considers them second-class citizens. While abhorring the senseless ignorance of racism, Maxwell is afraid that with the added nature of their cargo, those tensions will create a recipe for disaster.

Fortunately one of the black seamen is a former Chicago Police Detective named Ulysses Grant Washington, Sarge to his friends. Both he and Maxwell are musicians and share a passion for jazz. It is this bond that brings them together and becomes the foundation upon which Maxwell and his friends hope to create an atmosphere of cooperation and teamwork that will keep the Liberty Hill Victory on an even and steady course.

Things are going well until they encounter a fierce ocean storm and are separated from their convoy escort and left vulnerable in hostile waters. Then the body of one of the white officers is discovered in the ship's bowels, his throat slashed. Captain Egan orders Maxwell to investigate and find the killer, convinced it is one of the crew. Realizing he is in way over his head, the young Lieutenant (jg), persuades Sarge to take over the investigation as he is the only man on board with any real experience in such grisly matters.

Inadvertently two begin stirring up racial tensions anew as old feelings of mistrust rise to the surface amongst passionate accusations and denials. And while they methodically set about unraveling their murder mystery, the Liberty Hill Victory is spotted by enemy fighter planes and is soon under attack. As Jap zeroes descend on them with claws of hot lead, any single hit capable of igniting their floating powder keg, a killer roams the decks ready to strike again to protect his identity.
Max Allan Collins, writing as Patrick Culhane, expertly weaves history, social mores and a gripping mystery into a suspenseful story that never lets up. His characters truly evoke a different time and place when patriotism and self-sacrifice for God and country were the norm. They are also human, with faults and fears, each caught up in a war they never asked for, but are too stubborn and brave to flee from. RED SKY IN MORNING is a classic war drama that is rich in its authenticity and emotional honesty.

As a post-war baby-boomer myself, I often listened to my late father's stories of his years in the South Pacific as an anti-aircraft artilleryman. I know he would have loved this book as much as I did.

5.0 out of 5 stars This is an engaging historical tale , September 3, 2008

By	Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews (#1 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

When the Japanese attack Pearl Harbor, Miller's Grove, Iowa resident Peter Maxwell tells his beloved wife Kay he enlisting. She encourages him to join and he signs up with the US Navy. He is sent on to the USS Liberty Hill, along with his friends Rosetti, Driscoll, and Connor; the vessel carries armaments throughout the Pacific, and is crewed mostly by blacks with the few whites being officers for the most part.

The ship has all sorts of issues with horrific weather and kamikaze attacks, but the worst is the tension between the two races; and is made worst by the captain. Maxwell becomes a close friend with black former Chicago cop Ulysses "Sarge" Grant Washington. When someone kills a white Ivy League grad and a gay black seaman, Maxwell and Washington agree to investigate hoping to uncover the murderer before someone else dies.

This is an engaging historical tale which cannot decide between being a WWII thriller or mystery. The story line uses hyperbolic stereotypes (at times overkill as we got the point) to lay out the 1940s military structure and relationships, but turns into a investigation led by the experienced police detective and supported by the former high school Iowan quarterback. The story line is at its best when the focus is on the on board interactions in limited space between individuals and groups at sea; many of which are dysfunctional fueled by bias and misunderstanding. The murder mystery feels unnecessary and too standardized subtracting from the overall theme of racism due to skin color or religion on board a US Navy WW II vessel.

Harriet Klausner