The Good Shepherd

The Good Shepherd was described as one of the best novels of 1955. In it, C.S. Forester departs from the age-of-sail Hornblower genre that made him famous to focus on an American naval officer during World War II. After a somewhat disappointing career, Cdr. George Krause, USN, is at last given the command he has long sought when the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor creates an increased demand for destroyer captains. Assigned to Atlantic convoy escort duty, Krause commands not only his ship, USS Keeling–a Mahan-class destroyer–but also the other escorts assigned to protect a thirty-seven-ship convoy carrying much-needed supplies to the European Allies. The action–and there is much of it–takes place in the forty-eight hours when the convoy is most vulnerable to German U-boat attacks as it crosses the ocean gap where the ships are beyond air coverage and must rely entirely upon the few escorts to fend off and destroy the relentless enemy submarines. The tension and fatigue are palpable as Krause makes the mental calculations needed to place his escorts in the best positions to carry out their harrowing missions, all while battling the treacherous seas and numbing cold of the North Atlantic battle space. Readers hoping to relax while traveling through these pages will be disappointed because this novel will keep them at the edge of their seats as they listen for the ominous pings of sonar sets and scan the darkness for glimpses of Wolf Packs on the prowl.