Crash Dive

A Novel of the Pacific War

De: Craig DiLouie

Narrado por: R.C. Bray

A WWII naval thriller in the tradition of the Hornblower series....

October 1942 - The United States and the Empire of Japan are at war. Charlie Harrison, a young and ambitious lieutenant, reports for duty aboard the S-55, a worn-out WWI-era submarine. While the Battle of Guadalcanal rages on land, air, and sea, the captain plans a daring attack against Rabaul, the heart of Japanese power in the South Pacific. There, the hunter will become the hunted, and Charlie will discover how good he is at war.

©2015 Craig DiLouie (P)2015 Craig DiLouie

Unexpectedly Good.

Any additional comments?

A certain kind of listener loves WW2 submarine stories, perhaps for the characters, the teamwork, or the cat-and-mouse interactions with the surface vessels. This novel has a tightness to it. The story parts fit together nicely, unlike the quirky old boat. Because it is an S-boat the crew is small, so you get to know them. The plot is as engaging as the best sub stories. Get this one.

Gritty realism

Craig DiLouie is a new author for me. I understand this book is a new genre for him. He is an award winning horror genre author who has also written some sci-fi books. This is a book of fiction. Our protagonist is Lt. Charlie Harrison fresh out of sub school. Harrison had served several years on a destroyer in the Atlantic Ocean hunting U-boats prior to volunteering for submarines. Harrison reports to the Pacific command for duty on “pig boat” S-55; the crew call her Frankie.

The book is well written. The pace is fast; the plot is standard for the genre. The characters are most interesting and really make the story. DiLouie places the reader into the old pig boat; you can smell the stale, fuel fumed air and feel the depth charges rattle the boat. The suspense builds constantly throughout the story. As the depth charges rain down, the reader keeps focusing on the boat being old and no longer can go very deep; leaks keep popping up with each shaking of the boat. The story is action packed. I enjoyed the WWII history that is woven into the story. The book is short just under 5 hours. It is a great get away from it all book.

R. C. Bray does a great job narrating the book. Bray is a stage actor and voiceover artist and is an Earphone Award-winner and Audie-nominated narrator of audiobooks.

Good story, great narration

This is mainly a character-driven story with just enough action and strategy to keep the reader reading. The battle scenes are not overly graphic and there
aren't many. Much of the time is spent describing life on an antiquated submarine.

As one would expect, R.C. Bray delivers an outstanding performance with this audiobook. It's a good story with great narration.

Short Romp under the sea

by no means is this an epic tale. adequate story destined for the screen perhaps. RC Bray is superb as usual. just as you begin to learn about the characters the story is sadly over. the author get submariner lingo down pat however and is researched well.

Riveting

narrator was Outstanding. made the story come alive!!! As a submarine sailor myself his attention to detail was excellent. I will be sure to get any more of his books that come out.

Great book

Interesting characters, exciting combat, and historical scenes, along with great narration makes this a book worth reading.

Great story

Love the WWII era story’s. Great suspense, made my heart race with the depth charges.

A++ read.

Short and very sweet. Powerful, dramatic delivery.

Would you consider the audio edition of Crash Dive to be better than the print version?

I cannot comment. I have not read the printed version.

What other book might you compare Crash Dive to and why?

R.C. Bray's narration of Crash Dive ensures that the story reaches its maximum potential for drama and pure entertainment. If you enjoy R.C. on Crash Dive, do yourself a huge favor and give The Martian by Andy Weir a listen.

Have you listened to any of R.C. Bray’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I first listened to R.C. Bray performing The Martian. R.C.'s narrations are the gold-standard and I am disappointed by other performers whose works don't measure up.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Sometimes a phoenix rises from the depths, not the ashes.

Thrilling WWII Submarine Story

Would you consider the audio edition of Crash Dive to be better than the print version?

Definitely. RC does an AMAZING job of narrating the book, adding a level of drama and depth that might otherwise be missed.

What did you like best about this story?

The action of the story and the pace of the book.

What does R.C. Bray bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

RC elevates the story to a new level, enhancing the drama and depth of the story through the voices of each distinct character of this fast paced story.

Who was the most memorable character of Crash Dive and why?

The depth charges. Hearing the "whoosh, Whoosh, WHOOSH", and "click, click, click", then "BANG"! I was on the edge of my seat listening when the depth charges showed up.

Any additional comments?

Great audio book. Really enjoyed it.

Quality Classic

for all the old war buffs, you'll enjoy this one.... exciting storyline with good character development.