<< 1 >>
Rating: 
Summary: An Old Friend from the Sea
Review: "Just A Sailor", Steve Waterman's new release, is an excellent autobiography of an ordinary person living an extraordinary life. Fueled by his passion of the ocean, Waterman sets out on his amazing journey, living, learning and sharing his life story, leading him to various outpost in some of the most remote parts of the world. His narration is casual, informative, and easy to understand. The reader can not only learn from Waterman's expertise, but interact with the author by questioning him on many areas such as diving, UDT, photography,the military structure, and oceanography. This assessability is invaluable to many, for most authors are innassesable to thier readers. As a former female Army soldier, I found Waterman's work to be "user-friendly", meaning that he regards his audience as a multi-cultural melting pot and often regards his old colleges as invaluable and instrumental to his success. Expect to laugh, learn and ponder upon the passages from "Just A Sailor." Beleive me, Steve Waterman is far more than meets the eye. Katherine A. Skopik, I/O Psycology Student, Middle Tennessee State University
Rating: 
Summary: Just a Sailor
Review: As a former Navy Photographer (PH2 before Watermans time) I throughly enjoyed his wondering through his Navy life. I remember the A and C schools being much the same as he described and got the "feel" of his underwater training and activities just if I had been there. Steve has grasp the real feeling of his Navy life and demonstrates it quite well to the reader. If you are offended by a few "blue" words this may not be your reading delight but if you want to see the world through a Navy Photographer/Divers eyes, this is one to read!
Rating:
Summary: Just a Sailor ... NOT!!!!!
Review: From the brown water of Vietnam to the blue of the Caribbean and the cold water off New England, Waterman's adventures both entertain and educate us about the "other" Navy, the Navy of Special Warfare, salvage divers and the underwater photographer. This book is definitely a page turner.
Rating:
Summary: The Title Tells It!
Review: I had just finished Bernie Chowdhury's "The Last Dive" when I first learned of this book. The contrast could not be greater. Here is no tale of "personalities" competing on dives to the "Andrea Doria" or sunken U-Boats. "Just A Sailor" is a good, honest tale of the mid-60s to late 70s Navy career of the author.Not all the action is below the surface, much of it is on dry land, with no detrimental effects. Since the author was a Naval photographer and a diver, the combination of the two skills only adds to the story. The inevitable Navy politics and occaisional back stabbing serve well to round the plot out. These are all real people here! A few minor points: The plain vanilla cover does not serve "JS" well. There is more on the inside than may be apparent. If there is a reprint, the publisher should dress it up! A glossary of Navy/dive/photo terms would have helped this reader but this omision is not serious. I liked the bottom-of-the-page footnotes- a nice touch. Finally, why not a Vietnam only sequel? Mr. Waterman can write, he must have some great photos and I don't think the market is flooded with Navy-Vietnam books. "Just A Sailor" is for those of us that like things plain and unfettered. Recommended!
Rating:
Summary: The Title Tells It!
Review: I had just finished Bernie Chowdhury's "The Last Dive" when I first learned of this book. The contrast could not be greater. Here is no tale of "personalities" competing on dives to the "Andrea Doria" or sunken U-Boats. "Just A Sailor" is a good, honest tale of the mid-60s to late 70s Navy career of the author.Not all the action is below the surface, much of it is on dry land, with no detrimental effects. Since the author was a Naval photographer and a diver, the combination of the two skills only adds to the story. The inevitable Navy politics and occaisional back stabbing serve well to round the plot out. These are all real people here! A few minor points: The plain vanilla cover does not serve "JS" well. There is more on the inside than may be apparent. If there is a reprint, the publisher should dress it up! A glossary of Navy/dive/photo terms would have helped this reader but this omision is not serious. I liked the bottom-of-the-page footnotes- a nice touch. Finally, why not a Vietnam only sequel? Mr. Waterman can write, he must have some great photos and I don't think the market is flooded with Navy-Vietnam books. "Just A Sailor" is for those of us that like things plain and unfettered. Recommended!
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Story, Excellent Book
Review: One mark of an excellent book is that the reader does not always agree with it. That is the first evidence that the writer is telling the truth, his truth, and without sugarcoating. On the other hand, there are small mountains of books whose purpose seems to be to inflame passions of the readers, which is powerful evidence that the writers are simply screaming for attention. "Just a Sailor" rang with truth because there were times that the author sincerely... me off, but he never seemed to do it for the sake of such. He was just telling things as he saw/sees them, which takes courage. As with probably every book I have read - and that would be thousands - there were parts that I enjoyed more than others. In "Just a Sailor" I enjoyed the Vietnam narration but, surprisingly, found the "civilian aspects" and the diving and photography just as interesting. I tend to find it annoying in some military books (and in some books on business or on government), when the author gives a blow by blow of the internal politics. Hearing all the tales and reasons why the "commander is incompetent" or why the "REMFs should all be dropped in the ocean" grows old. There were a couple of times when I thought the author was going that route. But, luckily, he sailed away at the last minute, which let me know that he had seen the political icebergs but wisely chose to avoid them, favoring instead to tell what was unique about his story. I found the technical information regarding the bends and other diving information was very interesting, well presented, and held my attention the strongest. This was an excellent book, and I look forward to the author's next.
Rating: 
Summary: Questions, Questions..
Review: Saying just a sailor is like saying just an anything... it is inaccurate... Waterman's book clearly shows that "just" entails a great deal of fortitude, passion and always humor. Nice Job, Steve!
Rating:
Summary: A NEW WORLD
Review: Steven Waterman's JUST A SAILOR has taken me to a world within the Navy that I previously didn't know existed. The trip is adventurous, dangerous, and almost always humorous. Waterman's refreshing style of writing is a splash of cold water in the face of this reader of military history. I highly recommend that you read this book if you enjoy reading: about the military life, about combat, about UDT / SEALs, about the Navy, or you just want to read something that is a diversion from the typical military nonfiction. I hope Waterman continues to write since I always need/enjoy a splash of cold water.
Rating:
Summary: A NEW WORLD
Review: Steven Waterman's JUST A SAILOR has taken me to a world within the Navy that I previously didn't know existed. The trip is adventurous, dangerous, and almost always humorous. Waterman's refreshing style of writing is a splash of cold water in the face of this reader of military history. I highly recommend that you read this book if you enjoy reading: about the military life, about combat, about UDT / SEALs, about the Navy, or you just want to read something that is a diversion from the typical military nonfiction. I hope Waterman continues to write since I always need/enjoy a splash of cold water.
Rating:
Summary: UDT diver
Review: Waterman tells his autobiographical story in such a modest manner, it is easy to forget how brave he is. A member of the Underwater Demolition Teams that were a precursor to NAvy Seals, he did things few in the world can claim. This book is full of personal and factual info on his UDT experiances. But it is also a tale of his experoiances as an underwater cameraman, salvage operator, and commercial diver. Very intersting book, good photos even in the paperback. Highly reccommend for those interested in this subject!!
<< 1 >>
|
