Darkest Before Dawn The Tides Of War Book 2

World War II: the Pacific-four young friends recently commissioned from the U.S. Navy Academy are given their assignments.

In the novel Darkest Before Dawn The Tides Of War Book 2 written by George Wallace and Don Keith and published by Severn River Publishing, Alistair becomes a reluctant leader when his boat is sunk and he and his crew are stranded on a remote tropical island and thrust into a guerrilla warfare conflict.

Stan, one of the four, is injured and soon finds himself knee-deep in espionage and desperately trying to decipher a Japanese naval code.

Fred and Brad are assigned to submarines and attempt to thwart the enemy’s advance.

Four young men from divergent backgrounds face the enemy head-on and learn to adapt, survive and face death.

Besides focusing on Allied troops the book also includes some eye-opening insights into the mind of their Japanese enemy.

I came away with a better understanding of the motivation, social pressures and norms of Japanese military mind. While I don’t agree with the Japanese’s declaration of war on the U.S I now recognize what drove them to do so.

It’s too easy to make an enemy evil. It quite another thing to recognize their humanity and to put a face to them.

I found it very enlightening when it came to military terms and jargon. While military terms are used they are explained in a manner any non-military person reading this book can understand. It made the story much more ‘people’ focused instead of tripping over military babble few understand.

Philippians 4:13I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.