The Hooligans

A Novel (World War II Navy, Book 7)

De: P. T. Deutermann

Narrado por: Peter Berkrot

A gripping and authentic World War II naval adventure by a master storyteller

The Hooligans fictionalizes the little-known but remarkable exploits of “The Hooligan Navy” that fought in the Pacific theatre of World War II. Loosely-organized in fast moving squadrons, PT (patrol torpedo) boats were the pesky nemesis of the formidable Japanese navy, dubbed “the mosquito fleet” and “devil boats” for their daring raids against warships, tankers, and transport ships.

After the Pearl Harbor raid plunges America into war, young surgical resident Lincoln Anderson enlists in the Navy medical corps. His first deployment comes in August 1942 at Guadalcanal, when after a brutal sea battle and the landing of Marines on the island, Anderson finds himself triaging hundreds of casualties under relentless Japanese air and land attacks.

But with the navy short of doctors, soon Anderson is transferred to serve aboard a PT boat. From Guadalcanal to the Solomon Islands to the climactic, tide-turning battle of Leyte Gulf, Anderson and the crew members of his boat confront submarines and surface ships, are attacked from air by the dreaded Kawanishi flying boats, and hunted by destroyers. In the end, Anderson must lead a division of boats in a seemingly-impossible mission against a Japanese battleship formation - and learn the true nature of his character.

Informed by P. T. Deutermann’s own experience as a commander of a patrol gunboat in Vietnam, The Hooligans is first-rate military adventure fiction.

©2020 P. T. Deutermann. (P)2020 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Great read

Quick, amazing. Loved it. Reader will not be disappointed. I highly recommend this book and narration. The narration adds the soul, drama and heartfelt moments.

Strong WWII fiction

4.5 stars

Lincoln Anderson, a surgeon at the end of his third year of residency, volunteers for the US Navy after Pearl Harbor and ends up at Guadalcanal. Though he hasn't finished his residency, the exigencies of war result in him working as a trauma surgeon. The book follows Anderson's journey through the Solomons Campaign, starting in the Marine perimeter at Guadalcanal and then becoming the unit doctor for a motor torpedo boat squadron.

The story doesn't discuss details of combat medicine much, though it does talk about the logistics of setting up medical facilities and surviving during combat. Since Anderson isn't a board-certified surgeon, the Navy has predictable reactions to his experiences, and Deutermann describes the bureaucratic issues of navy life well.

There is some detail about the employment of MTBs in the Solomons, and good discussion of life in the squadron in that high-pressure environment, though it's seen through Anderson's eyes, which reduces the impact of the discussions.

The combat scenes are compelling and believable, reflecting the author's military experience. And the climax and denouement of the story are both very strong.

While this book doesn't have the visceral connection that the best books in this series have, it's still very good. Recommended.

a WWII surgeon in the Solomon Islands

I have thoroughly enjoyed this entire series of World War II in the Pacific. I know it's fiction but it seems to communicate how it must have really been, which was terrible.

I had always known that Guadalcanal bad been a brutal battle in World War II but I didn't really know any of the details. What I learned was that Guadalcanal was a southern island in the Solomon Islands. They were SE of Japan and were considered a stepping stone in the plan to defeat the Japanese. I google mapped these islands to understand where they are and the part they played.

The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor had dealt the US a serious blow. It took most of 1942 for the US to get on a war footing and start taking the war to the Japanese. Guadalcanal was where the US started going on the offensive. The Navy, Marines, and Army fought their way up through the islands an island at a time and the fighting was 24/7 for months, night and day. It was fierce fighting every step of the way with a fierce, brutal Japanese military doing its utmost to stop the US. But this was when the US might started to show itself logistically with replacement military personnel, ships, planes ammunition, medical supplies, food just everything kept arriving. The Japanese could not keep up.

It seemed the title of this book was a misnomer, the hooligans being the small PT boats. Yes, they were a key part of the book but the real story here was the surgeon that was assigned to these boats but the story was really the story of him being a surgeon and the whole effort he and other medical personnel had to do to survive and to do their part. Yes, everyone else played a role but this surgeon and his story was the story.

Good historical fiction

The author weaves a good story within the PT boats battle honors . It was a good listen

Great fictionalization of actual history

This author, P. T. Deutermann, does a terrifically good job of fictionalizing actual WW2 Pacific war events. The Hooligans is about the PT boat Navy during WW2 in the Solomon Islands. A terrific book!

One of Deuterman’s best

I’ve read nearly all of his books. This one kept me glued for nearly the entire reading. Action, heartbreak and reality. The author represents what I wish the military was today.

Narrator knocked it out of the Park

great book and even better narrator can't wait for the next book in the line up

Don’t miss this one

I have read most of Mr. Deutermanns Books over the years. I would think at least eight maybe more. I think this may be the best. It really should have been titled battlefield surgeon but it might not a sold as well. The story was excellent. I listen when I am in the car or doing walk exercise. I was anticipating the next time I would do that because I wanted to continue the story. I highly recommend this book.

Loved it

Listen to it in one setting that good .
Must put more but not much else to say thought it very good listen

Praise for a wonderful story

I have read are listened to hundreds of books on war from the Civil War, Korean War and World War II. This book is hard to describe. It was probably one of the best I’ve ever read in historical fiction if that’s what it’s classified as it had just the right amount of action, the right amount of personal tragedy and trials, and even love, I am going to read are be listing to the rest of your work Mr.Deutermann
that is the best compliment i can
give Author.