"Just when you thought every possible aspect of World War II in the Pacific had been covered to exhaustion, this fresh new memoir of crash boat service in Guadalcanal, New Guinea, and the Philippines turns up. Told in a no-nonsense but vivid style by the skipper of P-399, this is a true tale of service in an air-sea rescue boat, with storms at sea, daring rescues of crashed planes both ashore and at sea, and the welding together of a crew under wartime stress. A terrific read." - David Poyer, author of Overthrow and Violent Peace"Crash Boat is a best seller waiting to happen. It''s an amazing blend of the Greatest Generation learning about the South Pacific overplayed with international politics and a brutal war. The writing is seamless, with the reader drawn in on page one . not to be put down until the end. Stand by to be a couch potato with this one.

You won''t regret it. One learns the customs and traditions of the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) crash boat service as they stand by to rescue aviators from the Solomon Islands to the Philippines in 1944 and 1945. Along the way, the story marvelously lingers with the Melanesian natives who often worked for the U.S. forces. But what got me was the way McCandlish and his crew reached out to those natives who not very long before, were head-hunters.

Over the years they had been known for this and there were initial fears when meeting them. But all went well and it was interesting to see how the crew of P-399 spread their good will. Of particular interest is when, nearing the war''s end they were stationed in Zamboanga, in the far western end of the Philippine Island of Mindanao. These people were Moros and generations before had fought General "Black Jack" Pershing. Very tough, they were still active headhunters and on occasion, dined on their enemies. And yet this American crew went beyond themselves, to befriend them, all against a backdrop of a hideous war. All true to life, this work is very enjoyable, you won''t be disappointed." -- John J.

Gobbell, author of the Todd Ingram Series"This would make a bloody good novel!" -- Douglas Reeman, author of A Prayer for the Ship"Wartime memoirs are often action-packed and full of "derring do." This one is different -- in a good way. While it does detail the operations which the crew of SEAHORSE conducted, it is more the story of a group of brothers and their everyday life. Life in a war zone aboard a small wooden vessel can be challenging. Quarters are cramped, duties are shared, supplies are often sparse. Still, you have to function as a team to get through it all. The "skipper" reminisces about this in a very descriptive, but comfortable manner. But life occurs outside the confines of the boat and the telling of those experiences is what makes this memoir different.

The better part of the text deals with the crew''s interactions with the indigenous population and provides wonderful insight into the nuances that need to be addressed properly when very different cultures must deal with each other under difficult circumstances. A good read." -- Al Ross II, co-author of Allied Coastal Forces.