Forester, C.S. The Good Shepherd

Forester is of course today perhaps best-known for his Napoleonic-era Captain Horatio Hornblower series. In The Good Shepherd he proves that he was capable of writing an authentic, exciting World War 2 nautical tale, too. His setting is an eastbound merchant convoy on the North Atlantic shortly after America's entry into the War. Three consecutive days of this grueling trek, watch by watch, are detailed from the perspective of convoy commander George Krause, who is also Captain of the U.S. destroyer KEELING. Enemy submarines challenge the KEELING and the convoy's three other destroyer escorts as the convoy approaches Britain. Keeling's immense responsibilities are depicted in a straight-forward narrative that impresses upon the reader the great resolve, courage and fortitude of all those mariners who took part in the convoys of World War 2.