Warriors

by William B. McCloskey

William McCloskey is back and better than ever in Warriors, the potent new prequel to Highliners, Breakers, and Raiders. Long before Hank Crawford arrived in the waters of Ketchikan, his partners and compatriots were already in love with its shores. Following the final, crushing moments of World War II, Japanese officer Kiyoshi Tsurifune, Sergeant Jones Henry, and Resistance fighter Swede Scorden struggle to regain normalcy and any contact with the shimmering, fish-filled sea. Lost honor, fallen friends, their cultural identities gone in the wake of a nuclear blastthese fishermen-turned-soldiers have a long way to go till they regain the waters in which they feel most at home. But as each finds his way to the bays of AlaskaJones as fisherman, Swede eager for work in the cannery, Kiyoshi an ambassador for the Japanese tradethings aren't as smooth as they had dreamed. A new union calls for a strike during the height of the salmon season, and expensive new engine boats are replacing the sails and oars fishermen like Jones Henry have relied on for years. Plus, unhealed wounds make the looming deal between Alaskan fishermen and Japanese buyers painful for many. Behind every conversation, the question looms: Will these war-torn men ever find their peace again? Sweeping and powerful, like the pull of the ocean, Warriors is a novel that can't be put down and that can never be forgotten.

386 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 1, 2013

Reviews

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very different kind of read for me, as it mostly concerned fishing boats in Alaska. However the story was of interest since the setting was immediately after WW2 and it involved a Japanese man, an American Marine, and a Norwegian who fought the Germans. They are all in the fishing industry and it is interesting how their paths crossed.
This is apparently a prequel. Not sure if I will do anymore reading of this author but it was fun to read something on a subject I knew nothing about.

[Lori Vaccaro French · Rating 5 out of 5]

FANTASTIC!! William McCloskey JR is one of my favorite fishing authors. In this prequel he did not disappoint. A must read if you have any interest in commercial fishing at all. Even if you don't have any fishing interest the historical background is great.

[Joan Huehnerhoff]

Great perspective on the end of WWII and the start of the Alaska Fisheries. I am now reading the next book in the series.