The Restless Wave: A Novel of the United States Navy

400 pages

Hon Gp Captain Kevin Billings OBE

Not since Churchill has there been as prolific a writer with as intimate an understanding of world events as Admiral James Stavridis. The former Commander of US Southern Command and NATO Supreme Allied Commander, as well as the Dean of the Tufts University Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, is an accomplished author having written thousands of articles for military and academic journals. His publications include many books such as the US Navy’s definitive handbook, Command at Sea, several volumes on leadership and diplomacy and recently, 2034 – A Novel of the Next World War and its aftermath in the novel 2054. The Restless Wave brings together Stavridis’ deep understanding of history and world events with his gifted storytelling ability in the first volume of a series that will take its place with Patrick O’Brian’s Aubrey–Maturin series and C.S Forester’s Horatio Hornblower novels.

Captivating historical fiction can enrich our understanding of history, challenge our biases, and give us new perspectives, all the while entertaining us with a vivid mix of actual historical figures, and cleverly imagined characters. The voyage of young Scott Bradley James from Key West into the historic US Naval Academy Class of 1941 then on to America’s entry into WWII at Pearl Harbor and the war in the Pacific is the canvas upon which Stavridis tells a rich tale of friendship, courage, and romance intertwined with complex moral choices and valuable leadership lessons.

Stavridis calls upon the best of both O’Brian and Forester in bringing his characters and history together. Like Aubrey and Hornblower— Scott Bradly James undergoes significant personal growth and faces moral dilemmas throughout his journey. Similarly, Stavridis exhibits O’Brian and Forester’s strong commitment to historical accuracy, especially in his vivid, action packed and detailed descriptions of the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Doolittle Raid on Tokyo, the Battle of Midway and the Battle of Guadalcanal.

Like O’Brian, Stavridis’s intricate focus on character interactions, both real and imagined, bring colour and context to the story. Scott’s associations with Ernest Hemingway and Duke Kahanamoku play to themes of loyalty, celebrity and family, while the dealings of Ensign James with Admirals Halsey, Spruance, and Nimitz, open windows to the author’s view of leadership.

All these concepts brilliantly come together in the story of Mess Attendant 2nd Class Doris (Dorie) Miller, aboard USS West Virginia. As Ensign James reports to West Virginia in March of 1941, we are first introduced to Miller — a black sailor in the only job available to him in the US Navy of the 1940s — as he gets James sorted and brings him coffee as James waits to meet with the XO.  Later, on December 7 as Pearl Harbor is attacked, Miller abandons the wardroom and mans an anti-aircraft gun and shoots down several Japanese aircraft despite never having been formally trained.  Miller was gravely wounded during the attack and awarded the Navy Cross by Admiral Nimitz.  For those unfamiliar with Miller’s story, one might think it is a clever bit of writing that ends there. But, it is not.  The story of Dorie Miller is very true, and for his valour, the US Navy has named the newest Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier the USS Doris Miller(CVN 81).

Throughout the novel, Stavridis also pays homage to Dante Alighieri and his 14th century narrative poem The Divine Comedy. From the Naval Academy — “Abandon all hope, ye who enter here” — where life-long and complex friendships are made beside the Severn, to Scott’s relationship with Kailani Wallace, a Virgil-like spirit guide with a thing for pomegranate daiquiris whose middle name coincidentally is Beatrice, The Restless Wave is a poignant Inferno.

The conclusion to this story of self-discovery and hope portends subsequent novels of equal quality exploring life’s complexities as enduring as the sea. I cannot wait.