“The Jumpin’ Joey” (Courier Publishing, 450 pages, $29.95) has something for every reader: an analysis of mid-20th-century geopolitical and military history, a rigorous technical exposition on how to keep a “Tin Can” Navy destroyer up to speed and mission-ready, and reflections by a freshly minted naval officer learning about life and leadership on his first seagoing assignment.
“I reported aboard the USS Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. as a very young man,” writes the author, Capt. Randolph M. Brooks, USN (Ret.), “but took giant steps, along with many others, to reach manhood.”
Brooks put his nuclear engineering and ocean engineering training to work aboard several U.S. Navy ships, including the USS Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. (DD-850), on which he served from 1970 to 1973 as Chief Engineer. Now retired, he lives in South Carolina with his wife, Debora.
Brooks’ book is recommended for “the Navy enthusiast, the history buff, or any reader who enjoys a well-written story of adventure and success,” said reviewer Capt. Richard T. Holmes, USN (Ret.).
“The Jumpin’ Joey” is available online wherever books are sold.