The Good Shepherd

I first read this book many years ago when I was in high school. (At the time I was working my way through Forester's Hornblower saga.) One of the things that I find amazing is how fresh and moving it is on subsequent reading many years later, even after I've developed a considerable degree of middle-aged cynicism. The strength of the book lies in the characterization of the protagonist. He is above all realistic and believable, with very definite foibles and insecurities. Nonetheless, he also represents all that is best in the "warrior" tradition: duty, discipline, loyalty, focus, and application of consientiously developed professional skills and knowledge. No one can write about nautical matters like C.S. Forester, and the story of one eastward-bound trans-Atlantic convoy is spell-binding in its intensity and carefully thought out attention to detail. But the richly fabricated interior world of Commander George Krause is what makes the book really great and not just another war story. Even for those that have no particular interest in naval or military fiction, it is a superlative study of grace under pressure--of an honourable man facing the most difficult moments of his life and succeeding by doing the best he can!