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(Vol. 2 of 3) When Life Doesn't Turn Out the Way We Hoped It Would?
Volume 2: After boarding the USS Gridley, I introduce you to ship-board life and Navy activities aboard ship; and then, we shove off for Alcapulco and Hawaii for vivacious liberty. Next, we shove off for WestPac (i.e., West Pacific Cruise) to Hawaii, Philippines, Singapore, and our 78-day tour on the Indian Ocean during the Iran Conflict.
Upon arrival at each port I give background to the port, the culture, the people, the topography/geography, the climate, etc. I then (1) proceed to show you brilliant colorful pictures of these beautiful ports, (2) tell you about all the fun activities I partook of in the midst of a bunch of kissee face and hanky-panky.
Enjoy the travel and pictures as you experience the journey with me.
Upon arrival at each port I give background to the port, the culture, the people, the topography/geography, the climate, etc. I then (1) proceed to show you brilliant colorful pictures of these beautiful ports, (2) tell you about all the fun activities I partook of in the midst of a bunch of kissee face and hanky-panky.
Enjoy the travel and pictures as you experience the journey with me.
388 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 14, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
September 13, 2020
Part 2 of the harrowing adventures in the life of the author as a US Navy seaman.
In the second volume if his memoirs, we read about the author's experiences as a seaman in the US Navy. Although this is the second volume in the series, it may be read independently without any issues at all, as he mentions important events from the first book in sufficient detail.
The technical and historical details of the cruiser that he served on, is recounted in impressive detail, with many photographs included. In addition, there are facts about naval ranks and enough naval information to satisfy the most interested readers.
His stories about his life on board the ship are luridly detailed and explicitly described, as are the stories of his excursions ashore, in a variety of different countries. As with his descriptions of naval life, his stories of alcohol and drug abuse are vividly related with no punches pulled. The same may be said about his colorful adventures with many different ladies and their friends that he met.
There are photographs throughout the entire account, and these are accompanied by thrilling details and historical facts about all of the countries that he visited. His erotic encounters are recounted in graphic detail with amusing and other more lurid details not spared.
Readers who are reading simply for the thrill of the high adventure can easily skip the plethora of technical and historical details included. However, more scholarly readers can easily skip the erotic and violent details and enjoy the technical information and the descriptions of all of the eastern countries that he visited. There are beautiful photographs and even maps accompanying all of his accounts.
This is a highly entertaining, but also a harrowing narrative by an intelligent young man who made a success of being a naval serviceman, enjoyed some amazing experiences, and yet battled the traumatic experiences of acute PTSD, which resulted in excessive alcohol and drug abuse. The fact that he was able to function and pass difficult examinations for service aboard a US Naval ship is in itself a story well worth reading and an extraordinary adventure in life.
In the second volume if his memoirs, we read about the author's experiences as a seaman in the US Navy. Although this is the second volume in the series, it may be read independently without any issues at all, as he mentions important events from the first book in sufficient detail.
The technical and historical details of the cruiser that he served on, is recounted in impressive detail, with many photographs included. In addition, there are facts about naval ranks and enough naval information to satisfy the most interested readers.
His stories about his life on board the ship are luridly detailed and explicitly described, as are the stories of his excursions ashore, in a variety of different countries. As with his descriptions of naval life, his stories of alcohol and drug abuse are vividly related with no punches pulled. The same may be said about his colorful adventures with many different ladies and their friends that he met.
There are photographs throughout the entire account, and these are accompanied by thrilling details and historical facts about all of the countries that he visited. His erotic encounters are recounted in graphic detail with amusing and other more lurid details not spared.
Readers who are reading simply for the thrill of the high adventure can easily skip the plethora of technical and historical details included. However, more scholarly readers can easily skip the erotic and violent details and enjoy the technical information and the descriptions of all of the eastern countries that he visited. There are beautiful photographs and even maps accompanying all of his accounts.
This is a highly entertaining, but also a harrowing narrative by an intelligent young man who made a success of being a naval serviceman, enjoyed some amazing experiences, and yet battled the traumatic experiences of acute PTSD, which resulted in excessive alcohol and drug abuse. The fact that he was able to function and pass difficult examinations for service aboard a US Naval ship is in itself a story well worth reading and an extraordinary adventure in life.
October 5, 2020
“When Life Doesn't Turn Out the Way We Hoped It Would?” is the Autobiography of Tom Wick, who holds an MBA, served a tour in the US Navy, and worked in accounting departments in corporate America. But this is mostly a story of resilience and courage, a tale of life to inspire all of us, a book to encourage and influence us to improve.
While in Volume I, Wick tells us about his genealogy, childhood and adolescence; in Volume II he introduces us to his experiences after boarding the USS Gridley. After a brief summary of the life of the USS Gridley’s namesake, we can find detailed information about ship-board life and Navy activities, while sailing for Acapulco, West Pacific, Hawaii, Philippines, Singapore, and their 78-day tour on the Indian Ocean during the Iran Conflict. The author also provides background to each port, its characteristics, its people and its weather.
So, in this book you will find a navy life story but also you will learn about the culture, topography, geography and climate of each place. What makes it even more engaging are the brilliant colorful pictures of these beautiful ports and the fun anecdotes that Wick tells.
The book is wide-ranging and a fantastic memoir. The author has done a great job creating an exceptional read. It´s very nicely done.
While in Volume I, Wick tells us about his genealogy, childhood and adolescence; in Volume II he introduces us to his experiences after boarding the USS Gridley. After a brief summary of the life of the USS Gridley’s namesake, we can find detailed information about ship-board life and Navy activities, while sailing for Acapulco, West Pacific, Hawaii, Philippines, Singapore, and their 78-day tour on the Indian Ocean during the Iran Conflict. The author also provides background to each port, its characteristics, its people and its weather.
So, in this book you will find a navy life story but also you will learn about the culture, topography, geography and climate of each place. What makes it even more engaging are the brilliant colorful pictures of these beautiful ports and the fun anecdotes that Wick tells.
The book is wide-ranging and a fantastic memoir. The author has done a great job creating an exceptional read. It´s very nicely done.
August 11, 2020
This is the second book (Volume 2) that narrates the autobiography of Tom Wick, author who tells us in first person, detail by detail, how he advances in the course of his life. Therefore, it is highly recommended to read the first book to be able to put this second in context. In this one, the author shows us an idea about how is the day by day in the Navy, and shows us the experiences and challenges that he lived. Thanks to this, we will know in detail, as well as through illustrations, the activities they develop in their daily lives, how is to live on a ship, the lifestyle of the sailors and how they are, the different cultures they knew and how people are, the emotions and views of the different ports, etc. Without a doubt, it explain us its story in an excellent way and, moreover, as it is written in first person, it makes you feel totally involved in the scenes.
So, I highly recommend reading this book, written by a great author. Likewise, it is totally advisable to read the first volume in order to be able to contextualize it.
So, I highly recommend reading this book, written by a great author. Likewise, it is totally advisable to read the first volume in order to be able to contextualize it.
September 15, 2020
When Life Doesn't Turn Out the Way We Hoped It Would? written by Tom Wick is the second instalment in the series he has created telling his own story. In this book the author relates, in the first person, the years he spent in the Navy performing his duties and travelling to some very interesting places, like Hawaii and Mexico. But this is also a journey of self-discovery and growth, form a rough beginning in life to self-improvement.
The book provides a fascinating insight of what is like to live on a ship. The readers will get to read a well-written, simple explanation of the daily activities of the sailors and what they do in their free time. They will also learn about military and seafaring terminology, ranking, duties, personal and professional relationships, all well accompanied by examples and illustrative images of ships and beautiful landscapes.
Although this volume can be read independently, I recommend reading the first one also too, to have the full picture of the author’s gripping story.
The book provides a fascinating insight of what is like to live on a ship. The readers will get to read a well-written, simple explanation of the daily activities of the sailors and what they do in their free time. They will also learn about military and seafaring terminology, ranking, duties, personal and professional relationships, all well accompanied by examples and illustrative images of ships and beautiful landscapes.
Although this volume can be read independently, I recommend reading the first one also too, to have the full picture of the author’s gripping story.
October 17, 2020
Book 2 out of three (so far), this book brings us along for the ride as tom serves his time in the US Navy. Aboard the ships, we see his interactions with his fellow service members, and we are also given a up front and personal view of what happens every time they pull into port and Tom has some time off. From smoking pot, drinking and raunchy “bedtimes” with the ladies, Tom seems to be living the life. However, something is missing and his emotional scars he carries from his troubled and abusive childhood begin to show through the party boy veneer.
A very interesting biography that started as a task for his AA journey, author Tom Wick lays his history bare for us once more. Although this chapter of his life may not have been physically brutal (beyond the toll he exacted on his own), there was still emotional scarring that continues due to the adverse treatment he received from others around him. While the story was a interesting one to read, some areas, the writing could have bene cleaned up to be more concise and clearer. 3 * for the writing, 4* for the story.
A very interesting biography that started as a task for his AA journey, author Tom Wick lays his history bare for us once more. Although this chapter of his life may not have been physically brutal (beyond the toll he exacted on his own), there was still emotional scarring that continues due to the adverse treatment he received from others around him. While the story was a interesting one to read, some areas, the writing could have bene cleaned up to be more concise and clearer. 3 * for the writing, 4* for the story.
August 1, 2020
This is the second volume of “When life doesn’t turn out the way we hoped it would?” written by Tom Wick. I read the first volume in this series and was glad to continue reading this second one. Moreover, I am heading to the third part because I found this reading to be quite interesting.
Apart from being very well written, as the first one, this book has pictures that illustrate the reading. They make the narrative much more interesting and complete it in a great way.
Although the book has almost got four hundred pages, as there are many pages with pictures, I read it quite quickly, because I also found it to be very interesting. As it is written in the first person, readers get quickly involved in the telling of events.
I would certainly recommend reading this second volume and the whole series for a better understanding. In fact, I am going to read the third and last part.
Apart from being very well written, as the first one, this book has pictures that illustrate the reading. They make the narrative much more interesting and complete it in a great way.
Although the book has almost got four hundred pages, as there are many pages with pictures, I read it quite quickly, because I also found it to be very interesting. As it is written in the first person, readers get quickly involved in the telling of events.
I would certainly recommend reading this second volume and the whole series for a better understanding. In fact, I am going to read the third and last part.
September 16, 2020
Have you ever asked the yourself “what shall I do now?”, I am pretty sure you have. In fact, in this book, Tom Wick takes us to an incredible journey he has undergone after asking this very same question himself.
When Life Doesn't Turn Out the Way We Hoped It Would is the second installment of the author’s memoirs as a seaman in the US Navy, however, it can be read as a standalone. The sequences of events that occured when Wick was on board a ship and when he set foot on different countries are so well-crafted that you would feel you are actually the one experiencing them. Besides, the illustrations present in every chapter are suitably descriptive.
With a lot of historical details and written in the third person, this volume would make readers fantasise and let their imagination flow, even though it is a non-fictional piece of literature .
I totally recommend this book to any type of adult reader!
When Life Doesn't Turn Out the Way We Hoped It Would is the second installment of the author’s memoirs as a seaman in the US Navy, however, it can be read as a standalone. The sequences of events that occured when Wick was on board a ship and when he set foot on different countries are so well-crafted that you would feel you are actually the one experiencing them. Besides, the illustrations present in every chapter are suitably descriptive.
With a lot of historical details and written in the third person, this volume would make readers fantasise and let their imagination flow, even though it is a non-fictional piece of literature .
I totally recommend this book to any type of adult reader!
September 17, 2020
What an interesting read! It is my first time reading an autobiography and I am thrilled with this debut. “When Life Doesn't Turn Out the Way We Hoped It Would?” is a book written by Tom Wick who went into the US Navy and writes about his experience. It is the second book in a trilogy. I believe that it can be read as a stand alone although it is better to read the complete trilogy, as I will do.
This book contains four hundred and fifty-seven pages with a simple narrative structure, where the author gives details of the culture he was in touch with and the places he has been to. One of the best things in this book are the illustrations of the landscapes which are particularly amusing and charming.
Reading this book, you cannot fail to feel entertained. It is my first book from this author but it won’t be the last one. I am planning to keep reading the first and the third book. I would highly recommend it to anyone. Don’t miss it!
This book contains four hundred and fifty-seven pages with a simple narrative structure, where the author gives details of the culture he was in touch with and the places he has been to. One of the best things in this book are the illustrations of the landscapes which are particularly amusing and charming.
Reading this book, you cannot fail to feel entertained. It is my first book from this author but it won’t be the last one. I am planning to keep reading the first and the third book. I would highly recommend it to anyone. Don’t miss it!
September 19, 2020
When life doesn't turn out the way we hoped it would? is a very interesting autobiography written by Tom Wick. This book is the second installment in this series. On this occasion, the author gives us an idea of what it is like to be in the Navy and to live on a boat. He familiarizes the reader with the tasks of the United States Navy.
This book is very well written; it has a lot of technical details and chronological dates that place us very well in the story.
The photos and illustrations incorporated into the book were very helpful to better understand the sequence of the events.
It is a very intense book, and it makes us reflect on the adaptation of the human being to adversity and how sometimes it is necessary to resist instead of fight. Although it is not necessary to read the first book to understand this story, I recommend reading all the volumes since we will know more about Tom's life, a strong, believing and courageous man.
This book is very well written; it has a lot of technical details and chronological dates that place us very well in the story.
The photos and illustrations incorporated into the book were very helpful to better understand the sequence of the events.
It is a very intense book, and it makes us reflect on the adaptation of the human being to adversity and how sometimes it is necessary to resist instead of fight. Although it is not necessary to read the first book to understand this story, I recommend reading all the volumes since we will know more about Tom's life, a strong, believing and courageous man.
September 16, 2020
A moving autobiography
“When Life Doesn’t Turn Out the Way We Hoped It Would” is the second book of the series and an autobiography written by Tom Wick.
As you read this book you will find plenty of information about life in the US Navy, which, as Wick describes it, it’s nothing but easy. But if you read between the lines, you will realize that this is actually an enriching and inspiring story about courage, personal growth and faith.
I have read volume 1 from this series and, so far, I find both books touching and moving. The writer tells his story in a way that makes us feel we were there, and we learn with him.
Due to the delicate content in this tale, I would not recommend this story for youngsters, though some brave young adults that might be going through a rough path can take advantage of this addictive reader.
“When Life Doesn’t Turn Out the Way We Hoped It Would” is the second book of the series and an autobiography written by Tom Wick.
As you read this book you will find plenty of information about life in the US Navy, which, as Wick describes it, it’s nothing but easy. But if you read between the lines, you will realize that this is actually an enriching and inspiring story about courage, personal growth and faith.
I have read volume 1 from this series and, so far, I find both books touching and moving. The writer tells his story in a way that makes us feel we were there, and we learn with him.
Due to the delicate content in this tale, I would not recommend this story for youngsters, though some brave young adults that might be going through a rough path can take advantage of this addictive reader.
September 16, 2020
A captivating way of living.
This autobiography was written by Tom Wick and it is definitely an absorbing story. “When Life Doesn´t Turn Out the Way We Hoped It Would?” is the second book about the writer´s own life.
It is a book full of life experiences, adventures and a bundle of stories that have modified and affected in different ways the author´s life. In this book we can learn about ship-board life and the Navy. His life turned out to be, in my opinion, captivating.
This volume not only shows the writer´s life but also his acquaintances´. There are lots of pictures of the navy, the uniforms, people and places where Tom has been. As the title of the book indicates, sometimes life is not what we think it is, but it is important to keep on living it. I truly liked it! I think it is a rollercoaster of experiences worth reading about.
This autobiography was written by Tom Wick and it is definitely an absorbing story. “When Life Doesn´t Turn Out the Way We Hoped It Would?” is the second book about the writer´s own life.
It is a book full of life experiences, adventures and a bundle of stories that have modified and affected in different ways the author´s life. In this book we can learn about ship-board life and the Navy. His life turned out to be, in my opinion, captivating.
This volume not only shows the writer´s life but also his acquaintances´. There are lots of pictures of the navy, the uniforms, people and places where Tom has been. As the title of the book indicates, sometimes life is not what we think it is, but it is important to keep on living it. I truly liked it! I think it is a rollercoaster of experiences worth reading about.
September 17, 2020
When Life Doesn't Turn Out the Way We Hoped It Would? by Tom Wick is the second book in his autobiography. This section of his story covers more time in the Navy and the time he spent during his West Pacific Cruise. He tells of his exploits on land and his wild ways of living. He still struggles with PSTD and effects of his abuse from those in higher rank.
This book is the autobiography of Tom Wick. It is gritty, wild, and covers many forms of corrupt living. The author adds a lot of history about the ship he was on and its namesake, Captain Charles Vernon "Steve" Gridley. Personally, I enjoyed the history of the ship and the beautiful photos of the places he had been. I know this book is to build up what a change took place in the next book, but I found his promiscuous lifestyle distasteful, but it is his life to tell.
This book is the autobiography of Tom Wick. It is gritty, wild, and covers many forms of corrupt living. The author adds a lot of history about the ship he was on and its namesake, Captain Charles Vernon "Steve" Gridley. Personally, I enjoyed the history of the ship and the beautiful photos of the places he had been. I know this book is to build up what a change took place in the next book, but I found his promiscuous lifestyle distasteful, but it is his life to tell.
July 28, 2020
Life of a navy seaman
This is the second book in the series about the life of Tom Wick, a very open and sharing guy who started the series sharing his early years. This book is about his life in the Navy and the experiences and challenges he navigated. Each port is another experience which Tom takes us on by telling us of the excitement, the sights, and the sounds of these distant and not so distant ports of call along his Naval career. Along with experiences in these individual cultures, we are also along for the experience of life in the Navy on a ship at sea. I found the combination of stories and photos to be the perfect blend when sharing these memories with us. This book is well written and has a good message. Check this one out folks it is worth the read.
This is the second book in the series about the life of Tom Wick, a very open and sharing guy who started the series sharing his early years. This book is about his life in the Navy and the experiences and challenges he navigated. Each port is another experience which Tom takes us on by telling us of the excitement, the sights, and the sounds of these distant and not so distant ports of call along his Naval career. Along with experiences in these individual cultures, we are also along for the experience of life in the Navy on a ship at sea. I found the combination of stories and photos to be the perfect blend when sharing these memories with us. This book is well written and has a good message. Check this one out folks it is worth the read.
October 11, 2020
This book takes you on holiday with the pictures it has and with all the adventures the writer lived. “When life doesn’t turn out the way we hoped it would?” is a book written by Tom Wick. It is his autobiography. He tells that he didn't have a good life when he was younger and then travelling with the navy gave him a different perspective and a lot of knowledge.
While reading, I could feel as part of the story because it is very descriptive and pictures help you to feel inside the narration. I believe that it is harder to write your own autobiography than writing fiction, so I congratulate the author for the good job he did.
It is a read that I would recommend because I found it super real and interesting. I’m giving it four out of five stars.
While reading, I could feel as part of the story because it is very descriptive and pictures help you to feel inside the narration. I believe that it is harder to write your own autobiography than writing fiction, so I congratulate the author for the good job he did.
It is a read that I would recommend because I found it super real and interesting. I’m giving it four out of five stars.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews