The Jersey Brothers: A Missing Naval Officer in the Pacific and His Family's Quest to Bring Him Home - Hardcover

Freeman, Sally Mott

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1501104144 ISBN 13: 9781501104145

Publisher: Simon & Schuster, 2017

Synopsis

The extraordinary, real-life adventure of three brothers at the center of the most dramatic turning points of World War II and their mad race to change history--and save one of their own.

They are three brothers, all Navy men, who end up coincidentally and extraordinarily at the epicenter of three of the war's most crucial moments. Bill is picked by Roosevelt to run his first Map Room in Washington. Benny is the gunnery and anti-aircraft officer on the USS Enterprise, one of the only carriers to escape Pearl Harbor and by the end of 1942 the last one left in the Pacific to defend against the Japanese. Barton, the youngest and least distinguished of the three, is shuffled off to the Navy Supply Corps because his mother wants him out of harm's way. But this protection plan backfires when Barton is sent to the Philippines and listed as missing-in-action after a Japanese attack. Now it is up to Bill and Benny to find and rescue him.

Based on ten years of research drawn from archives around the world, interviews with fellow shipmates and POWs, and primary sources including diaries, unpublished memoirs, and letters half-forgotten in basements, The Jersey Brothers is a remarkable story of agony and triumph--from the home front to Roosevelt's White House, and Pearl Harbor to Midway and Bataan. It is the story, written with intimate, novelistic detail, of an ordinary young man who shows extraordinary courage as the Japanese do everything short of killing him. And it is, above all, a story of brotherly love: of three men finding their loyalty to each other tested under the tortures of war--and knowing that their success or failure to save their youngest brother will shape their family forever.

About this title

Review:

"A masterpiece of storytelling, infused with heroism and adventure. This moving portrait of three brothers is a brilliantly researched and written history of America's wartime role in the Pacific."
- Lynne Olson, New York Times bestselling author of Those Angry Days

"An evocative real-life tale of agony and triumph about brotherly love and a young American who discovers his personal courage amidst the tortures of war. Freeman had me rooting for these Jersey boys on every page."
- James Bradley, New York Times bestselling author of Flags of Our Fathers

"The Jersey Brothers captures the real-life story of three brothers whose bond to family and love for country take them to extraordinary lengths at one of the most pivotal points in American history. From the decks of the USS Enterprise to the depths of the Japanese prison camps, Sally Mott Freeman takes readers on an epic journey in this remarkable tribute to the Greatest Generation."
- Senator John McCain, New York Times bestselling author of Thirteen Soldiers

"A searing story of courage, love, and family. The Jersey Brothers is impressively broad in scope--from Roosevelt's White House to the great battles of the Pacific to prisoner of war camps deep in the Philippine jungle--and brimming with endlessly fascinating details that only real soldiers could know."
- Jay Winik, New York Times bestselling author of 1944

"A gripping, deeply moving saga of an American family whose experiences cast a new light on one of the most harrowing and heroic periods in American history. In their devotion to each other and to their country, these three brothers inspire us with courage, intelligence, and exceptional resilience."
- Sally Bedell Smith, New York Times bestselling author of Elizabeth the Queen

"Richly informed by Freeman's deep research, The Jersey Brothers is a powerfully evocative story of three brothers and their remarkable love, courage, and adventure during a decisive moment in World War II."
- Don Katz, founder and CEO of Audible and author of Home Fires An Intimate Portrait of One Middle-Class Family in Postwar America

"An obvious labor of love.... A touching, suspenseful and deeply troubling story of one family's patriotic devotion and betrayal.... Meticulously researched and compelling history."
- Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"Do we need another book about WWII? If it is as engaging as The Jersey Brothers, the answer is a resounding yes.... The Jersey Brothers is an important addition to the historical record; it's also a spellbinding cliffhanger."
- New Jersey Monthly

"Freeman proves to be a strongly motivated researcher, who poignantly conveys a sorrowful experience encountered by thousands of American families in WWII."
- Booklist

"A touching story.... Provides insights into Japanese treatment of POWs and the daily life of these prisoners.... Recommended for readers looking for personal accounts of World War II."
- Library Journal

About the Author:

Sally Mott Freeman was a speechwriter and media and public relations executive for twenty-five years. She is currently Board Chair Emerita of The Writer's Center, the premier independent literary center in the mid-Atlantic. The Jersey Brothers is her first book.

About this edition

• Publisher: Simon & Schuster
• Publication date: 2017
• ISBN 10: 1501104144
• ISBN 13: 9781501104145
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 608