Torpedo Run by Robb White

Torpedo Run Reviews

• 
  Dorcas

  I found this book among a pile of readers digests in my grandparents bathroom back when I was about 14. I remember making frequent bathroom visits so I could keep reading, I just thought it was so exciting (I wasn't your average girl, apparently) and I read it at least twice.
  
  I don't know how it would stand up to my more "developed" reading palate now but I have to give it four stars because it stood out in my mind all these years and from what I remember it really was a good story.
  
  CONTENT: Clean
• 
  Gregory Eakins

  She was nameless, with only a number given to her by the Navy, but her crew called her Slewfoot.
  
  Torpedo Run is the tale of the PT boat Slewfoot and her gutsy crew of sailors as they struggle to deal with the death of their captain and the hard nosed replacement captain that's green around the edges and more square than a pizza box. When the realities of war hit this new crew, a lot of learning happens between the old crew and the new captain.
  
  I don't know how this obscure book isn't more famous. Sure, it might not have the literary depth of Steinbeck, or the teenage angst of Salinger, or the historical accuracy of Bernard Cornwell, but Robb White holds his own.
  
  The plot is rather predictable, but it captures your attention, moving fast and not dwelling on anything. White's descriptions betray an impressive knowledge of naval technology, terminology, and experience, which helps to create the adventure's atmosphere while maintaining an economy of words.
  
  This book is like a good bowl of mashed potatoes - simple, but deeply enjoyable.
• 
  Rose

  When the beloved Captain of a tight knit PT boat crew is killed, the crew expects their capable Lieutenant to be promoted. Instead, the Navy sends them a hard nosed, by the book, fresh from Officer's School Captain. Oh, and his role model is William Bligh. He doesn't seem to realize that it is the 1940s, and men can't be treated like they were in those crazy old days. Peter Brent hates the new Captain as much as any man, but when he sees the crew begin to fall apart, he needs to find a way to salvage the situation. And that may be supporting the man responsible for the problem in the first case. Lt. Peter Brent is about to know what being the captain is all about, regardless of what the Navy says.
• 
  Bill Conrad

  decided to read it again. This was a quick read and the story still holds up well. The characters had great development and there was some good banter between them. I also apricated the limits of the technology of the day and the great struggle that the men went through. The result gave me a great sense of what it was like to be on a torpedo board in WWII. Overall this is a great read and I am glad that I read it again.
• 
  Rodney Haydon

  Robb White had the knack for making you feel the emotion of the characters in the story; of putting you into that tense situation he created and making it seem like you are right there with them. This time we are in a PT boat during WWII and we just got a green skipper straight out of Melville, Rhode Island.
  A great read!
• 
  J.C. Hammer

  Really fun couple hour read. I found it in a library giveaway bin, brought it to a football game (it wasn't a good game), and finished it before the end. A nice little story about a WWII patrol boat that somehow gets your heart pumping as if you're there.
• 
  Paige Ashley

  Wonderful read. WW2 stories always are powerful and inspiring and Torpedo Run is no exception.
  
  Great dialog, descriptions and characters -- all of which really pulls you into the story and keeps you anxious until the last page.
  
  Really looking forward to reading more from this talented Author.
• 
  Clark

  I read this first in 5th grade and was amazed. It's still a fun, easy read. This was the first novel I ever read that really made me think about fiction and how it operates. It's probably not really a five-star book--but it is to me.
• 
  Andy

  One of the first novels I have ever read as a child. The story has always stuck in my head even after a 26 year naval career. Slewfoot!!
• 
  George Kasnic

  I was in an accelerated reading program in the fifth grade and this was the first book I read in that program. Already an avid reader, this continued that trajectory.
• 
  Robin Halvorson

  Oldie but a goodie. Sorta like the Caine Mutiny without Captain Queeg.
• 
  Melinda

  Set during WWII on a PT boat in the Pacific. Scary at times and sad too to think that in reality out of 531 boats 99 were lost. The average age to join a PT boat (according to wikipedia) was 21.