Overview

A captivating and harrowing first-hand account of the Pacific Theater of WWII from the perspective of a young US Navy officer. This highly personal chronicle has the immediacy of a diary - yet is supported by extensive scholarship and illuminated by an understanding of the politics and of decisions made by high command at the time. Robert Russell's unusual creativity coupled with his acquired understanding of human nature shines through in this account of his wartime experiences. Russell witnessed immense wastage of lives and resources as a result of the Navy's resistance to change, but he avoids bitterness and retains objectivity and often humor. He recounts modestly how his innovations led eventually to the adoption of significant technical and tactical changes. In the final pages, he argues for a system of promotion in the Navy that rewards resourceful initiative over mere compliance with the entrenched system. Russell's intent was to demonstrate that the lessons he learned in the Pacific Theater of WWII could and should be applied to today's military, to prevent a similar waste of life and materiel in future conflicts. Although written over thirty years ago about events that took place over forty years earlier, his message has not lost relevance. The problems he identifies will be familiar to anyone struggling within a large organization and the solutions he suggests are exemplary of his boundless creativity.

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9781737008217

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Reviews

Robert Russell offers an insightful and unsparing analysis of the dangers of complacent, conformist, promotion-seeking, don't-make-waves culture. It's relevant to our national security, past and present. As we face new dangers, it's a heartfelt call-to-action to identify and address the human and organizational culture dynamics that make us complacent, weaken our defenses, demoralize those who serve, and lead to senseless waste and loss of life. -Diane Bailey-Boulet, author of Poverty to Possibility: Snapshots from a Yorkshire Boyhood A gripping story of naval life by a young US officer with a clinically insightful understanding of the capabilities and difficulties faced, including details of the customs and of the struggles encountered on his journey from peace to the high seas in the darkest of times. The reader may be forgiven for thinking they are reading a Hollywood movie, only to coldly remember that this is not fiction. -Philip Lush What is The Face of the Sea? An engaging and highly personal chronicle of WWII from a US Navy officer in active service. We read with excitement his retelling of the famous air and sea battles in the Pacific, and his many anecdotes provide enough detail borne of direct experience to convince us of their reality. Enjoy the read! -Richard Maury

""Robert Russell offers an insightful and unsparing analysis of the dangers of complacent, conformist, promotion-seeking, don't-make-waves culture. It's relevant to our national security, past and present. As we face new dangers, it's a heartfelt call-to-action to identify and address the human and organizational culture dynamics that make us complacent, weaken our defenses, demoralize those who serve, and lead to senseless waste and loss of life."" -Diane Bailey-Boulet, author of Poverty to Possibility: Snapshots from a Yorkshire Boyhood ""A gripping story of naval life by a young US officer with a clinically insightful understanding of the capabilities and difficulties faced, including details of the customs and of the struggles encountered on his journey from peace to the high seas in the darkest of times. The reader may be forgiven for thinking they are reading a Hollywood movie, only to coldly remember that this is not fiction."" -Philip Lush ""What is The Face of the Sea? An engaging and highly personal chronicle of WWII from a US Navy officer in active service. We read with excitement his retelling of the famous air and sea battles in the Pacific, and his many anecdotes provide enough detail borne of direct experience to convince us of their reality. Enjoy the read!"" -Richard Maury

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