Admiral Dan Gallery: The Life and Wit of a Navy Original (Hardcover)

~ (Author), Robert Shenk (Author), Daniel V. Gallery (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Almost as entertaining as its subject, this is the story of a true twentieth-century navy original, Rear Admiral Daniel V. Gallery. Mixing conventional biographical narrative with excerpts from Gallery's abundant writings, fictional and nonfictional, the book makes it abundantly clear that, although capturing the German U-505 in 1944 and lobbying to have it preserved in Chicago in 1954 were the admiral's finest achievements, they weren't the only ones. Gallery was an Olympic wrestler; an early naval aviator; a charismatic and effective commander of units of many sizes, including a carrier task group; a gifted writer, especially of humor; and a stormy petrel on behalf of his beloved navy and, particularly, its carriers--and the foreword by novelist Herman Wouk, Gallery's friend, cites a few additional dimensions. A welcome portrait of a man who added much to the effectiveness of the U.S. Navy and to the amount of fun in the cosmos. Roland Green

Product Description

In his foreword to this biography about a great friend, Herman Wouk describes the book as "the unadorned truth about . . . a decidedly human gentleman with human failings, more than balanced by rare willpower, brainpower, and humor." A maverick with less than reverential views of the navy that was his life for more than forty years, Gallery was a man of strong character and sharp wit who never shied from controversies and who became known as a formidable opponent. Through the years he repeatedly took courageous public stands on matters of naval policy, including the "Revolt of the Admirals," that nearly cost him his career.

Gallery is best known for his dramatic capture of a German submarine (U-505) on the high seas, the first such taking of an enemy vessel since the War of 1812, and for his forceful support of aircraft carriers after the war. He also is known for his success as a writer, and the best of his work makes up a significant part of this book--excerpts from magazine articles, short stories, and letters that are incorporated into this biography by two English professors who vividly portray the highly original man behind the deeds and the writings.

Readers will learn about each stage of Gallery's life, from his days at the Naval Academy when he called the Secretary of the Navy's son a draft dodger--and then knocked him out--to his humorous stories about navy life and his final essays and books on such controversial subjects as the Pueblo incident. They will also come to appreciate his public relations successes in getting U-505 moved to Chicago, in sponsoring baseball competitions, and in establishing the navy's steel band.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 332 pages
• Publisher: Naval Institute Press; illustrated edition edition (October 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1557503370
• ISBN-13: 978-1557503374
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,389,040 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Admiral Dan Remembered, August 15, 2000

By	Dale F. Williams (The Woodlands, TX United States) - See all my reviews

This bio covered much of his early life, career and family that wasn't covered in Adm. Gallery's autobiography, Eight Bells. In writing about Adm. Dan's early life, Mr. Gilliand shows how he became the leader that he became. It delves into his defense of the post WWII navy against the politics of those who would have depleted our country of a means to secure the seas with anything less than nuclear deterance and how his continued defense of our Navy may have cost him further promotions. It touches on his struggle against alcoholism. Best of all, it shows how this hero handled the problems of his various commands in war and in peace. This was an excellent book.

8 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars THE STORY OF AN UNSUNG HERO, December 25, 1999

By	DOMENIC BAVETTA (San Lorenzo, CALIFORNIA) - See all my reviews

THIS BOOK HAS BEEN LONG AWAITED FOR THOSE OF US WHO ARE FANS OF ADMIRAL DANIEL V. GALLERY. IT FILLS IN THE MISSING PIECES FROM THE ADMIRAL'S AUTOBIOGRAPHY FROM SO MANY YEARS AGO, AND GIVES US A BETTER LOOK AT THE MAN I AND MANY OTHERS HAVE COME TO ADMIRE OVER THE YEARS. EXCELLENT READING FOR ANYONE WHO HAS ENJOYED ANY OF ADMIRAL GALLERY'S BOOKS, BECAUSE IT SHOWS YOU WHERE HIS INSPIRATION CAME FROM.