The captivating story of a World War II destroyer that saw plenty of action.

While conducting research on the Plunkett, which was “all over the place, intersecting with the greatest events and personages of the war,” Sullivan discovered that several crew members were still alive, so he interviewed nonagenarian veterans, as well as their children and grandchildren, in addition to his diligent combing of archives, journals, and ship’s logs. The result is a vivid portrait of the sailors, wives, girlfriends, and families and their world, in which the Plunkett’s battles often seem like interludes. As is typical in war, tedium was the norm, excitement came at rare intervals, and one horrendous incident ensured the ship’s place in history. Launched in 1940, the Plunkett was one of 514 destroyers that fought WWII; 71 were lost, the most of any ship. Even before war broke out, the Plunkett escorted convoys to Britain across the North Atlantic. In November 1942, it accompanied a massive fleet and army that crossed to North Africa during Operation Torch. In July 1943, the Allies invaded Sicily, and the Luftwaffe sank many Allied ships—but not the Plunkett, which also narrowly escaped damage during the invasion of the Italian mainland at Salerno. Matters changed on Jan. 24, 1944 in the sea off Anzio, where a swarm of attackers seemed to target the Plunkett. Countless bombs missed, but one struck, causing terrible damage and killing 53 men. Sullivan delivers a gripping account of what followed as the men fought the fires, rescued survivors, retrieved bodies and body parts, and limped into harbor. After three months of repairs in the U.S., the ship returned to Europe to serve again. Sullivan has done his homework, and readers will enjoy his generous digressions into biography, courtship, shore-leave horseplay, shipboard politics, and a postwar summary.

An outstanding addition to the still-active genre of WWII histories focusing on a single unit, ship, or bomber.