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Midnight in Ironbottom Sound: The Harrowing WWII Story of Heroism in the Shark-Infested Waters of Guadalcanal
- GenresNonfiction
256 pages, Hardcover
Published October 1, 2024
4 people are currently reading
29 people want to read
About the author
Carole Engle Avriett
8 books24 followersCarole Engle Avriett is a former writer/editor for Southern Living Magazine. In addition to leading women's conferences throughout the United States, Canada, and Brazil, where she and her husband serve as missionaries during the summer months, Carole has also authored two Bible Studies. She currently resides in Florida.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
March 30, 2025
I was so ready to like this book. Although admittedly I am not into books on military history - like, at all - the catchline with this one, the whole “survival at sea in shark-infested waters” premise, had me hooked. I persevered through the lacklustre character backgrounds, the hackneyed dialogue, the many lingerings on naval nomenclature … the utter absence of sharks, of harrowing war experiences, of any real tension. I reassured myself it was just building up to the main event, when all these real-life people I was expected to care about would be thrown into jeopardy and would, except for certain unfortunate souls, rise up against the odds.
By the time I was more than three quarters through, I finally abandoned this hope.
But let me affix to this negative review a couple of things I wish to say. Firstly, I feel terrible that I have to be almost entirely critical of a book that was clearly written with a passion and devotion for the subject. Avriett’s intent is to honour the valiant heroes of the US armed forces during WWII, particularly the lesser known. This is a worthy task and an admirable ambition. Also, the writer is a devout Christian who is involved in missionary work. So who am I, of all people, to say the fruits of her labour here were not good enough? She’s done a hell of a lot more good in this world - not to mention, in the world of letters - than I, another aspiring writer, could ever hope to achieve.
Secondly, my lack of enthusiasm for the book is in no way correspondent with my absolute admiration and respect for one of the book’s heroes. Charles Jackson French, a young, black mess cook at the time, is an absolute legend - a brave and selfless man who deserves no less than the esteem of the entire nation. I mean, for God’s sake, he wasn’t even a soldier as such, and when his ship, the USS Gregory, was sunk by Japanese submarines off the coast of Guadalcanal, he literally tied a rope to his naked body, jumped into bloody, sharky waters, and defying these predators, Japanese gunfire, and the treacherous currents, he towed a boatload of his injured fellow countrymen to safety. He pulled the raft through murky, oily waters for hours, literally fending off the curious nuzzles of hungry sharks with his legs, and fell into a traumatised, terrified heap when he finally got his compatriots to safety.
That was one of the things that bothered me about this book though. I feel it was too lacking in rich, historic detail, in compelling narrative, and the sharp words(wo)manship such a story needs to do it justice. Aside from learning the name of French and thus looking myself into his story, I learned particularly little about him, or the book’s other touted hero, Commander Harry F. Bauer. While French has his momentous act of valour later in the story (although it is treated with little dramatic flair), all Bauer really does is stand in the bridge, looking out the window, making cliched comments on events. He’s portrayed as this great, egalitarian man of the people who always has time to shoot the shit with even the lowliest workers. He is entirely unfazed by the proceedings up until the moment he is regretfully blown away. He’s the guy who knows everyone by their first name and probably would have pushed for daily team-building lunches if he were a 21st century grocery store manager. He’s a perfect husband, a perfect father, a perfect friend, a perfect leader.
It is indeed a tragedy that he was lost, and I’m sure he was a man of great character who also deserves to be immortalised along with the many others who gave their lives for our freedom. But damn it, this is little to go on if you want him to be the main protagonist. Surely the real Bauer was complex, had hidden thoughts and feelings about his militaristic life and heritage, made contradictory decisions in the face of adversity. All these things add depth, and not to even try to recognise and highlight them does a disservice to the man. He doesn’t feel real, but more like an idealistic illustration of an American hero saluting the flag in a cheery propaganda poster about how swell the boys are doing in the Pacific.
Both French and Bauer essentially just feel like caricatures - French a particularly irritating one as he spends most of the time just popping in to ask Bauer if he wants a sandwich and then making pointless remarks on events in his racially stereotypical, black man’s poor English. I think the lowest point the book reached - the moment when I was forced to be honest with myself and say, “Nah, this is kind of shit” - was after the initial raid on Guadalcanal, when a US Raider or whatever is brought in raving mad because he accidentally got a group of fellow Americans killed. He’s there in some room aboard the Gregory, being consoled by sailors and whatnot, when out of nowhere French pokes his head in and says something like, “Hey, just askin’ if y’all want dem bacon sandwiches I’s got cookin’ in da kitchen, brother. Say, I’s heard about that poor fella there. It’s too bad. Damn Japs” - in other words, Hello, good fellows. I haven't got anything interesting to do until much later, so I'm just reminding everyone that I exist on this fucking ship.
Another head-scratchingly cheesy part is when two sailors inadvertently tag along with the Raiders to the beach. When they finally get back onto the ship, they act like children, hopping up and down to tell their commander what happened on their little adventure. And Commander Bauer humours them and chuckles along, like a bubbly kindergarten teacher, instead of reprimanding the stupid pricks and saying, "Soldiers, there's a goddam fuckin' war on. Get your soft cocks outta my space or you'll both be sweeping up your own teeth after I pummel the shit out of you so bad you won't be able to swallow for a week". It just did not ring true to me and was another example of tepid storytelling taking the place of raw, impactful insights into the experience.
Finally, the writing could have been a lot more polished. On top of a few too many typos, there were too many repeated phrases which just annoyed me. Stuff like machine-gun fire “peppering” the surface, or the “relative safety of Tulagi Harbour”.
For the true, amazing, inspiring story struggling to shine through this book’s languid depiction, I could have been a little more charitable and given the whole thing a three. But the truth is, I found this one a bit of a drag to get through. So, I’m sorry, but I just cannot bring myself to say much that isn’t negative. I sincerely hope that others are able to enjoy it more, and that I will end up looking like the miserable asshole on the fringe.
By the time I was more than three quarters through, I finally abandoned this hope.
But let me affix to this negative review a couple of things I wish to say. Firstly, I feel terrible that I have to be almost entirely critical of a book that was clearly written with a passion and devotion for the subject. Avriett’s intent is to honour the valiant heroes of the US armed forces during WWII, particularly the lesser known. This is a worthy task and an admirable ambition. Also, the writer is a devout Christian who is involved in missionary work. So who am I, of all people, to say the fruits of her labour here were not good enough? She’s done a hell of a lot more good in this world - not to mention, in the world of letters - than I, another aspiring writer, could ever hope to achieve.
Secondly, my lack of enthusiasm for the book is in no way correspondent with my absolute admiration and respect for one of the book’s heroes. Charles Jackson French, a young, black mess cook at the time, is an absolute legend - a brave and selfless man who deserves no less than the esteem of the entire nation. I mean, for God’s sake, he wasn’t even a soldier as such, and when his ship, the USS Gregory, was sunk by Japanese submarines off the coast of Guadalcanal, he literally tied a rope to his naked body, jumped into bloody, sharky waters, and defying these predators, Japanese gunfire, and the treacherous currents, he towed a boatload of his injured fellow countrymen to safety. He pulled the raft through murky, oily waters for hours, literally fending off the curious nuzzles of hungry sharks with his legs, and fell into a traumatised, terrified heap when he finally got his compatriots to safety.
That was one of the things that bothered me about this book though. I feel it was too lacking in rich, historic detail, in compelling narrative, and the sharp words(wo)manship such a story needs to do it justice. Aside from learning the name of French and thus looking myself into his story, I learned particularly little about him, or the book’s other touted hero, Commander Harry F. Bauer. While French has his momentous act of valour later in the story (although it is treated with little dramatic flair), all Bauer really does is stand in the bridge, looking out the window, making cliched comments on events. He’s portrayed as this great, egalitarian man of the people who always has time to shoot the shit with even the lowliest workers. He is entirely unfazed by the proceedings up until the moment he is regretfully blown away. He’s the guy who knows everyone by their first name and probably would have pushed for daily team-building lunches if he were a 21st century grocery store manager. He’s a perfect husband, a perfect father, a perfect friend, a perfect leader.
It is indeed a tragedy that he was lost, and I’m sure he was a man of great character who also deserves to be immortalised along with the many others who gave their lives for our freedom. But damn it, this is little to go on if you want him to be the main protagonist. Surely the real Bauer was complex, had hidden thoughts and feelings about his militaristic life and heritage, made contradictory decisions in the face of adversity. All these things add depth, and not to even try to recognise and highlight them does a disservice to the man. He doesn’t feel real, but more like an idealistic illustration of an American hero saluting the flag in a cheery propaganda poster about how swell the boys are doing in the Pacific.
Both French and Bauer essentially just feel like caricatures - French a particularly irritating one as he spends most of the time just popping in to ask Bauer if he wants a sandwich and then making pointless remarks on events in his racially stereotypical, black man’s poor English. I think the lowest point the book reached - the moment when I was forced to be honest with myself and say, “Nah, this is kind of shit” - was after the initial raid on Guadalcanal, when a US Raider or whatever is brought in raving mad because he accidentally got a group of fellow Americans killed. He’s there in some room aboard the Gregory, being consoled by sailors and whatnot, when out of nowhere French pokes his head in and says something like, “Hey, just askin’ if y’all want dem bacon sandwiches I’s got cookin’ in da kitchen, brother. Say, I’s heard about that poor fella there. It’s too bad. Damn Japs” - in other words, Hello, good fellows. I haven't got anything interesting to do until much later, so I'm just reminding everyone that I exist on this fucking ship.
Another head-scratchingly cheesy part is when two sailors inadvertently tag along with the Raiders to the beach. When they finally get back onto the ship, they act like children, hopping up and down to tell their commander what happened on their little adventure. And Commander Bauer humours them and chuckles along, like a bubbly kindergarten teacher, instead of reprimanding the stupid pricks and saying, "Soldiers, there's a goddam fuckin' war on. Get your soft cocks outta my space or you'll both be sweeping up your own teeth after I pummel the shit out of you so bad you won't be able to swallow for a week". It just did not ring true to me and was another example of tepid storytelling taking the place of raw, impactful insights into the experience.
Finally, the writing could have been a lot more polished. On top of a few too many typos, there were too many repeated phrases which just annoyed me. Stuff like machine-gun fire “peppering” the surface, or the “relative safety of Tulagi Harbour”.
For the true, amazing, inspiring story struggling to shine through this book’s languid depiction, I could have been a little more charitable and given the whole thing a three. But the truth is, I found this one a bit of a drag to get through. So, I’m sorry, but I just cannot bring myself to say much that isn’t negative. I sincerely hope that others are able to enjoy it more, and that I will end up looking like the miserable asshole on the fringe.
October 18, 2024
I throughly appreciate a war hero story, in which the unique events of life arouse the passions of living strong, an unrelenting struggle to hang on while being carried along in the dark and seemingly overwhelming wake that the demonic moment brought. War creates challenges that are mostly unfamiliar to us. Having known a few brief experiences with war personally and through family and friends, these tragic unexpected consequences grip the heart with terror and loss, creating a struggle with duty, service and survival that reveals the discipline and character of a man. When the treaties are signed, the battles are over for most; but it is not the end of the war for the warrior. They relive their response to the trying event over and over, pressing to understand the horror and their actions with festering emotions. How can they explain the experience to others, when they are still struggling to explain conclusively that dire moment for themselves? For a nation, war quickly becomes a reference in time, the official record of events, cold, impartial reports forgotten by tomorrow. But that is never the case for the warrior.
Carole Engle Avriett, as with all her many great books, again gracefully opens up the cold, impartial reports of past battles to reveal more than the history of war; she tells of the lives of men and women responding to the challenges of their day. I was particularly intrigued by what life experiences influence a person to selflessly forsake their own survival in service to others. Where does the character of selfless sacrifice come from and what was the cost? In this unique story, Midnight in Ironbottom Sound, we are told the answer to this most unnatural human response of selflessness in the life of Charles Jackson French. As a black man in the early 20th century, French was not privileged in life; in fact, expectations were low, he was limited by the culture of his time. His life, however, did not remain defined by these cultural circumstances, but was redefined by his amazing response to the dark, shark-infested waters that challenged him to be the example of exceptional service through selfless sacrifice. The residual cost was high, very high. Lieutenant Commander Harry F. Bauer had a very different life of exampled discipline and opportunity. He demonstrated cultural indifference that endeared him to all his men and the ultimate self sacrifice for the men under his command. I will pass this story down to my grandchildren, so they can more clearly understand what living strong entails when a defining moment comes.
I highly recommend this amazing book, Midnight in Ironbottom Sound, which is just one story rescued from an ocean of tragedy, suffering and unrelenting struggle of men hanging on to duty and service to others. Thank you, Charles Jackson French. Your character is an excellent example, the absolute definition of a hero. Thank you, Harry F. Bauer. Your professionalism and sacrifice as a Navy officer is an example to follow. Thank you, Carole Engle Avriett, for telling it true.
Carole Engle Avriett, as with all her many great books, again gracefully opens up the cold, impartial reports of past battles to reveal more than the history of war; she tells of the lives of men and women responding to the challenges of their day. I was particularly intrigued by what life experiences influence a person to selflessly forsake their own survival in service to others. Where does the character of selfless sacrifice come from and what was the cost? In this unique story, Midnight in Ironbottom Sound, we are told the answer to this most unnatural human response of selflessness in the life of Charles Jackson French. As a black man in the early 20th century, French was not privileged in life; in fact, expectations were low, he was limited by the culture of his time. His life, however, did not remain defined by these cultural circumstances, but was redefined by his amazing response to the dark, shark-infested waters that challenged him to be the example of exceptional service through selfless sacrifice. The residual cost was high, very high. Lieutenant Commander Harry F. Bauer had a very different life of exampled discipline and opportunity. He demonstrated cultural indifference that endeared him to all his men and the ultimate self sacrifice for the men under his command. I will pass this story down to my grandchildren, so they can more clearly understand what living strong entails when a defining moment comes.
I highly recommend this amazing book, Midnight in Ironbottom Sound, which is just one story rescued from an ocean of tragedy, suffering and unrelenting struggle of men hanging on to duty and service to others. Thank you, Charles Jackson French. Your character is an excellent example, the absolute definition of a hero. Thank you, Harry F. Bauer. Your professionalism and sacrifice as a Navy officer is an example to follow. Thank you, Carole Engle Avriett, for telling it true.
October 12, 2024
Departing Nouméa on 31 July 1942, the USS Gregory steamed for Guadalcanal.After sending her Marines ashore in the first assault waves on 7 August, Gregory and her sister APDs remained in the area. The ships patrolled the waters around the hotly contested islands, waters which were to gain notoriety as "Iron Bottom Sound", and brought up ammunition & supplies from Espiritu Santo.On 4 September, Gregory and Little were returning to their anchorage at Tulagi after transferring a Marine Raider Battalion to Savo Island. The night was inky-black with a low haze obscuring all landmarks, and the captains decided to remain on patrol rather than risk threading their way through the dangerous channel. As they steamed between Guadalcanal and Savo Island, Yūdachi, Hatsuyuki,and Murakumo entered the Slot undetected to deliver a "Tokyo Express" package of troops and supplies to Guadalcanal. After completing the delivery, the crews prepared to bombard Henderson Field at Lunga Point.At 00:56 on 5 September, Gregory and Little saw flashes of gunfire which they assumed came from a Japanese submarine until radar showed four targets; apparently a cruiser had joined the 3 destroyers.A Navy pilot had also seen the gunfire and, assuming it came from a Japanese submarine, dropped flares almost on top of the two APDs. Gregory and Little, silhouetted against the blackness, were spotted immediately by the Japanese destroyers, which opened fire at 01:00. Gregory fought back but was overmatched,and less than 3 minutes after the flares had been dropped, she was sinking and in flames. Her skipper, Lieutenant Commander Harry F. Bauer, himself seriously wounded, ordered all to abandon ship, and Gregory's crew took to the water. Bauer ordered two companions to aid another crewman yelling for help and disappeared; for his conduct, he posthumously received the Silver Star and had a ship named after him. At 01:23, the Japanese ships began shelling again-aiming at the helpless crews in the water.Petty Officer First Class Charles French swam for hours in shark-infested waters while towing a life raft with 15 of the Gregory's survivors to avoid capture and possible execution by Japanese forces on land.
September 28, 2024
I had the opportunity to read an advanced copy of Carole Avriett's latest, Midnight in Ironbottom Sound. This book is set in the midst of the Pacific Ocean during WWII. It is a tale of valor on the high seas surrounding the heroism of the men of the USS Gregory (APD-3).
It is primarily the story of the ship's captain, Lieutenant Commander Harry F. Bauer, and Charles J. French, a mess attendant on board the vessel.
Their stories intertwine during the unrelenting warfare of the first few weeks following the initial invasion of the Solomon Islands by U.S. Marine Raiders.
In less than a month, the USS Gregory would be lost forever to the bottom of Ironbottom Sound. Still, the ship's crew's absolute bravery, especially that of Charles J. French, is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the unwavering commitment to duty.
Avriett tells their stories with clarity and compassion. This is a book for anyone interested in the history of WWII in the Pacific, the bravery of our servicemembers, and those who are fascinated, as I am, by learning the untold stories of men in combat.
It is primarily the story of the ship's captain, Lieutenant Commander Harry F. Bauer, and Charles J. French, a mess attendant on board the vessel.
Their stories intertwine during the unrelenting warfare of the first few weeks following the initial invasion of the Solomon Islands by U.S. Marine Raiders.
In less than a month, the USS Gregory would be lost forever to the bottom of Ironbottom Sound. Still, the ship's crew's absolute bravery, especially that of Charles J. French, is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the unwavering commitment to duty.
Avriett tells their stories with clarity and compassion. This is a book for anyone interested in the history of WWII in the Pacific, the bravery of our servicemembers, and those who are fascinated, as I am, by learning the untold stories of men in combat.
January 1, 2025
Carole Engle Avriett is a fantastic writer that weaves exceptional story telling with military history. As a Navy veteran myself and a resident of Omaha Nebraska I was anxious to read this book based on the heroism of Charles J. French. The Navy has finally taken steps in the last few years to recognize this hero but I feel he deserves more. His actions are worthy of a Medal of Honor and I hope one day him family receives this award for the heroism this man displayed. This is an excellent book that tells the story of Petty Officer French and a few of his shipmates including Lt Commander Harry F. Bauer, Charles's C.O. on the USS GREGORY (APD-3) and their dangerous missions in support of "Marine Raiders" in the Solomon Islands.
October 5, 2024
A well-done novel of the heroism and fight for survival of a crew during WW2 at Guadalcanal. The horrors they survived were heartbreaking and should serve as a reminder of what our servicemen and women endure. It is sad to think that some were never recognized or awarded as they should have been for their efforts. An inspiring read for all!
Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
December 15, 2024
Fascinating story and engaging read
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews