The Jersey Brothers

By: Sally Mott Freeman

Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell

Length: 18 hrs and 41 mins

Publisher's Summary

The extraordinary real-life adventure of three brothers at the center of the most dramatic turning points of World War II and their mad race to change history - and save one of their own.

They are three brothers, all navy men, who end up coincidentally and extraordinarily at the epicenter of three of the war's most crucial moments. Bill is picked by Roosevelt to run his first map room in Washington. Benny is the gunnery and antiaircraft officer on the USS Enterprise, one of the only carriers to escape Pearl Harbor and by the end of 1942 the last one left in the Pacific to defend against the Japanese. Barton, the youngest and least distinguished of the three, is shuffled off to the Navy Supply Corps because his mother wants him out of harm's way. But this protection plan backfires when Barton is sent to the Philippines and listed as missing in action after a Japanese attack. Now it is up to Bill and Benny to find and rescue him.

Based on 10 years of research drawn from archives around the world, interviews with fellow shipmates and POWs, and primary sources including diaries, unpublished memoirs, and letters half forgotten in basements, The Jersey Brothers is a remarkable story of agony and triumph - from the home front to Roosevelt's White House and Pearl Harbor to Midway and Bataan. It is the story, written with intimate, novelistic detail, of an ordinary young man who shows extraordinary courage as the Japanese do everything short of killing him. And it is, above all, a story of brotherly love: of three men finding their loyalty to each other tested under the tortures of war - and knowing that their success or failure to save their youngest brother will shape their family forever.

©2017 Sally Mott Freeman (P)2017 S&S Audio

Band of Brothers Meets Unbroken-a Remarkable Book

This is one of the most amazing stories I have ever read, rendered all the more amazing because it is pure fact, not fiction. Anyone who has any interest in the WWII action in the Pacific theater must put this on his/her reading list. As others have noted, it has echoes of "Unbroken", but not only does it cover the territory (and confirm) that book's recounting of the unspeakable horrors suffered by prisoners of war at the hands of the Japanese, it covers so many other aspects of the war in the Pacific, from Pearl Harbor to Bataan and the Philippines to the great land and sea battles including Iwo Jima, Okinawa, Leyte Gulf, the Coral Sea - all told from first hand accounts of the three brothers who were there and who could comment not only on the battles but on the commanders who ran them - MacArthur, Halsey, Nimitz, Turner and others. In addition, one of the brothers - the father of the author by the way - witnessed the early years of the war from the inner circle of the White House. He ran (actually, created) FDR's vaunted strategic "map room" and there interacted daily with the president and his war staff (as well as first lady Eleanor) before he, too, shipped out to join the war at sea. To have these three brothers all as first-hand witnesses to some of the major events of the war is itself astounding, and as you would expect, leads to some equally amazing - and heart-wrenching - tales from their home front, focusing on their indomitable mother, Helen. The author spent ten years researching this material not only from family archives but from sources scattered all over the world. She pulls it together beautifully. I couldn't put this book down. I walked extra miles just so I could keep listening and it left me in tears and emotionally drained at the end. Please read or listen to it; it is unforgettable. Brava Sally Mott Freeman!

10 of 11 people found this review helpful

This is the story of one family's endurance

I finished this book on Memorial Day. It was fitting and relevant. Our family dinner a few hours later included a 92-year-old WWII veteran - a navy man. I had a new awareness of what he might have seen and what he knew. Our conversation that day had far more depth than anything I would have previously imagined. Simply for this spark and understanding, the book is worthy of its 5-star rating.

This isn't a perfect book, but I don't think that would be possible. It's a personal story about one family's experience. By keeping it honest, it lost out on the gloss that fiction might have provided. It is a poignant reminder of all the ways families have been touched by war -- and that's not pretty. There's also an underlying story of family culture and the way harsh experiences get layered.

No, it's not an easy listen. But two days later, I'm still thinking about it and sorting out what remains. It's that kind of book.

12 of 14 people found this review helpful

Wonderful read of a families attempt to bring one on theirs home.

With a book of this nature it is very hard to know where to start. However, it is best to start by strongly recommending that anyone considering reading it, you should and quickly. It is an inspirational read about three
dedicated brothers who did what most young men of the time did, which was to enlist in support of the United States of America. Navy men all, they attended the Naval Academy, became officers in the navy & served the country with excellence. This book chronicles then taking of one of them as s POW and the effort of the others to find and liberate him. This effort went on from December of 1941 to the end of the war in mid to late 1945. The book is written by the grand niece of the POW Barton Cross. She writes with amazing emotion, having done as much research one could do during the time in history and with the limitations during the time in history. I was honored to have been given the chance to glimpse the inside of their family and the pain they had to endure during this ordeal. It made me realize that we that never had to endure the struggle these men did have little to complain about in our lives. Thank you so very much Sally Mott Freeman and thank you so very much for allowing me the honor of reading about Barton, Bill and Bennie, they certainly honored the Cross and Mott names. I loved your book!

4 of 5 people found this review helpful

Brothers Unbroken

While "The Jersey Brothers" isn't a perfect book, I couldn't stand the thought of a 4-star rating bringing it down when it's a story that deserves to be heard. It's kind of what I'd hoped "The Matthews Men" would be: a bit like "Unbroken" but with brothers to root for, to care mightily about.
Benny, on The Enterprise, is in the thick of some of the most amazing action, but he has heartache and a broken family life to bear. Bill, the forgotten brother who now is the right-hand man of many individuals noted for their fame and courage, does all he can, to the point of having his flawed eye-sight waived, and his ulcers ignored, just so he can be in true action rather than just in the map room. And Barton, the youngest and favored son, finds that he is actually a man of true strength and courage: not the one who takes but the one who gives.
And then there's Helen--the mom of all moms, helpless but determined and with a pen that spews poison at times. She'll do all she can to save her son(s).
Chronicled are battles, strategic actions, the cruelty of Japanese captors and everything in between. The action is close and immediate, the details stunning in their ability to capture essences--of true humanity, of horrific war, of gruesome crimes and punishment.
I was totally carried away by the story, and Cassandra Campbell is a truly talented narrator carrying off action, the many voices of the many characters, the heartbreaking and heartfelt emotion of the situations.
Really: just an awesome, awesome story by Mott Freeman. I would be just as proud as she to have such human frailty, such heroism, in my family tree.

15 of 21 people found this review helpful

Mesmerizing

What made the experience of listening to The Jersey Brothers the most enjoyable?

This story is multi-faceted, and the author carries the reader/listener seamlessly through transitions from one brother's story to the others. The anticipation builds throughout in an exciting but careful way.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Jersey Brothers?

The author opens with a scene from her childhood, long after the events of the book. It is wrapped up beautifully at the end when she returns to that time, when this story of her father's generation impacted her own life.

What about Cassandra Campbell’s performance did you like?

The narrator's ability to create the various voices, without breaking the rhythm of the story or sounding too "put on" was remarkable.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The whole BOOK moved me.

Any additional comments?

I'm not ordinarily a fan of war stories, and I didn't choose this book because of a love of that genre, but it captivated me entirely.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Great WW2 history with a personal touch

I have always been a fan of World War 2 history, and I loved this unique look at the war in the Pacific. This true story chronicles the war against the Japanese, from Pearl Harbor through the end of the war. Much of the book is told through the experiences of the three Mott brothers, all of whom were a significant part of the naval war. One of the brothers began the war working in FDR's White House map room; one served on the USS Enterprise in many of the biggest battles of the war; the third became a POW in a Japanese camp near the start of the war. This book is a biography of each brother and the whole family. It was informative and a deeply person and moving story.

3 of 4 people found this review helpful

Lots of details, average book, not bad, not great

Any additional comments?

I felt the author had a story to tell, had a lot of details, and wanted to share those details. I think because she is a family member, it reads like a diary at times. Just facts listed without a specific direction. The story didn't always blend well together and at times I felt like I was listening to a history text book being read, not a story about three brothers. There were plenty of facts. I don't mind that. But I prefer that they tie in together better. I think it is an average to good book. It's not bad by any means. Just long and drawn out and repetitive at times. It did give me insight on a few pieces of history, but it skims over others. I barely realized the war had come to an end, for instance, as that wasn't played up as well as other things like invasions or POW camps. The transitions were just odd. Narrator was fine, not great. It was monotonous at times. But overall, the story is heartbreaking and deserves to be told. I applaud the author the research and information she uncovered.

4 of 7 people found this review helpful

Jersey brothers

this was an amazing book about the fight in the Pacific against Japanese and the Quest for a mother to find her son that was on the Philippines when it was taken over that's an amazing book and MacArthur is viewed as he was: pompous and arrogant

Inspiring

This well researched family history tells the story of the pacific campaign in WWII. I can think of no other way to better understand the complexity and human toll experienced by the courageous American efforts to defeat Japan. The efforts and horror of prisoners of war enhance our understanding of the heroes who endured the cruelty of the Japanese. What can we do the learn and prevent this from this ever happening again? This book is a must read!
Richard J. Shemin, MD

Great WWII story that tells the Pacific side.

Great narrator, excellent story. The Pacific war was just as gruesome as the European war.

A truly gripping true story of brothers in wartime

I heard the author being interviewed on the history of world war two podcast by Ray Harris Jr. Her story sounded very interesting. The author brings you on a fascinating journey through the Pacific theatre, explaining how 3 brothers experienced the war, at almost every level. It's beautifully written, and the research is magnificent.