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Seventh Carrier #1
The Seventh Carrier
alternate history concept
397 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published October 1, 1983
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
January 29, 2022
This is a fairly straightforward concept executed decently for the time and genre. Poor proofreading and fact checking in many respects but good research in other aspects. Some decent characterizations, simplistic plot, and as long as you're ok with suspending reality more than a little, not a terrible bit of literary junk food. A lot of implausibilities and a generally unreasonable general approach to interpersonal interactions (especially between Americans) which did not age well.
I'd probably read another in the series but I'm not going to rush out to get it or bump it to the top of the stack.
I'd probably read another in the series but I'm not going to rush out to get it or bump it to the top of the stack.
June 25, 2017
Not the greatest of books but still sn enjoyable read. Enough that I will probably read more books in the series.
April 7, 2026
This book is a clever idea, or at least, for what it is. A silly little science fiction thriller based off of Japanese holdouts. Only for what it is, it's not very good.
The title refers to a fictional seventh ship intended for the attack on Pearl Harbor. In reality, there were six Japanese carriers. This one was secretly in a harbor in the middle of nowhere below the arctic circle. It got closed off when an earthquake hit, and only recently could they escape. To my amusement, this wasn't random. Climate change and rising carbon levels are explicitly named as the reason the carrier is released! They attempt to carry out their orders despite how long it's been.
They do establish why these guys have fuel(it's not a good explanation but it's at least addressed), why they're still able to fly the planes despite being old men, and their stores. They also do touch on the paranoia of Imperial Japan. They heard the broadcasts of surrender, but like real life holdouts, didn't believe it. They assume the weird aircraft they've been seeing since 1941 have just been new weapons. Of course, the big question is, with how desperate the Japanese were for trained pilots and carriers during the war, why not make a larger effort to get the damn thing back?
We see the US, and surprisingly, the Soviets a little, struggling to figure out these weird anomalies of missing ships and aircraft, as the carrier makes a beeline to Pearl Harbor. This culminates in an air strike on the US base at Oahu. The ending is kinda anticlimactic to be honest.
I just saved you a LOT of book. 400 pages is ENORMOUSLY overblown for what ultimately happens in the story.
I will start with the good; there are some clever bits of logic. A tramp freighter gets attacked and the captain happens to be an old WWII veteran. He flips out and tells the radio to send out a mayday. But all they manage to get out is "mayday, mayday, mayday; zeroes, zeroes, zeroes". So the military of 1983 is just baffled by the distress call. While it's a little frustrating to see the personalities butting heads, the disbelief makes total sense, as this is supposed to be a ridiculous scenario. The hero American also doesn't believe it's a carrier, he makes some pretty credible logic. First assuming that it's one plane, then maybe a few, then maybe a lost Japanese submarine carrier. Those are a little ridiculous, but not as absurd as a whole carrier. That's nice that they detail that.
To my surprise, the attack on Pearl Harbor wasn't as bad as I suspected. I was concerned that they would go with nonsense. However, the Americans DO inflict a bunch of casualties on the Japanese, who only "win" by ramming a flight of US helicopters. US point defense guns tear the bad guys a new one.
That's where the downsides begin. The big battle you're expecting is at the tail-end of the book, and feels a bit unsatisfying.
Big problem is Oahu feels EMPTY. All the US has in Oahu in the book is one battleship, one amphibious warfare ship, and a few attack helicopters. And all they have to chase the Japanese ship is six B-52s and one ballistic missile sub. In 1983, according to Jane's Warships, there were 37 ballistic missile subs in service, 90 attack submarines, 12 carriers, at least 31 amphibious warfare ships, 80 frigates, 90 destroyers, 27 cruisers, and 2 battleships. The US Navy now is a third the size of what it was in 1983. Today, there are 14 ballistic missile subs, 51 attack subs, 10 carriers, 9 amphibious warfare ships, 27 frigates, 74 destroyers, 7 cruisers, and a floating paperweight occasionally referred to as a battleship but also known as the Zumwalt destroyer. I went on google maps, looked up satellite photos of Oahu, and found no less than a dozen ships in port. There should have been DOZENS of ships to respond to the crisis. And truth be told, that's what you'd expect in this situation. That would have been a fine ending! You could still have them give the US a bloody nose!
The downside is that the book is extremely long, and felt like a weird elaborate setup for a much larger series. Which, yeah, it definitely is. The trouble is the rest of the series is an absurd plot too. It should be a fun sci-fi romp, but if it's anything like this, it is disturbing and deeply uncomfortable.
It's extremely dated, with lots of racism, and also a bunch of sexism. We've got a female navy intelligence officer who lacks so much knowledge on the service she's part of that she doesn't know that the Enterprise, the most decorated US ship EVER, was nicknamed "The Big E". Maybe it's standard sexism of the time, but christ was it annoying.
Not to mention the book feels poorly written. The final battle is basically only in the last fifty pages, if that. Far too much time is spent on the American from the tramp freighter being captured and talking with the half-senile Japanese admiral. With how it's written, it feels like it's almost trying to make excuses. Sometimes it's obvious that the guy is crazy and the bad guy, of course, yet at other times it isn't. I can guess the rest of the books are like this. because I know those books have these monsters, these guys who are barely a step away from the nazis, as the GOOD GUYS.
The writer is disturbingly fascinated with exoticizing the "Japanese mind" as he calls it. This is where it gets into right-wing nonsense. Our American hero curses a "civilization of mind instead of biceps" holding him back from having a completely unprovoked fistfight with some drunk at a bar. The Japanese men's "fighting spirit" is given too much credence.
It is an extremely right-wing book, and in particular, Japanese right-wing, despite ironically being written by a WWII veteran. It stinks of real life Japanese holdout Hiroo Onada's attitude toward modern life. He said that everyone had gotten "soft" when really that's some guy trying to make sense of everything and being an old man unable to deal with change.
Some right-wingers in the US are disturbingly fascinated by the nazis and imperial japan because both of those nations embodied many negative social aspects that those same right-wingers worship. Anti-intellectualism, sexism, racism, many other bigotries, and in particular, the sort of manly-man toxic masculinity that both of those cultures worshipped. The strong men who are magically immune to bullets by being tough. Which is ironic, considering most cultures that worship those things, like the nazis, Imperial Japan, Sparta, the so-called Confederacy of 1861, etc, all famously lost in humiliating ways.
The title refers to a fictional seventh ship intended for the attack on Pearl Harbor. In reality, there were six Japanese carriers. This one was secretly in a harbor in the middle of nowhere below the arctic circle. It got closed off when an earthquake hit, and only recently could they escape. To my amusement, this wasn't random. Climate change and rising carbon levels are explicitly named as the reason the carrier is released! They attempt to carry out their orders despite how long it's been.
They do establish why these guys have fuel(it's not a good explanation but it's at least addressed), why they're still able to fly the planes despite being old men, and their stores. They also do touch on the paranoia of Imperial Japan. They heard the broadcasts of surrender, but like real life holdouts, didn't believe it. They assume the weird aircraft they've been seeing since 1941 have just been new weapons. Of course, the big question is, with how desperate the Japanese were for trained pilots and carriers during the war, why not make a larger effort to get the damn thing back?
We see the US, and surprisingly, the Soviets a little, struggling to figure out these weird anomalies of missing ships and aircraft, as the carrier makes a beeline to Pearl Harbor. This culminates in an air strike on the US base at Oahu. The ending is kinda anticlimactic to be honest.
I just saved you a LOT of book. 400 pages is ENORMOUSLY overblown for what ultimately happens in the story.
I will start with the good; there are some clever bits of logic. A tramp freighter gets attacked and the captain happens to be an old WWII veteran. He flips out and tells the radio to send out a mayday. But all they manage to get out is "mayday, mayday, mayday; zeroes, zeroes, zeroes". So the military of 1983 is just baffled by the distress call. While it's a little frustrating to see the personalities butting heads, the disbelief makes total sense, as this is supposed to be a ridiculous scenario. The hero American also doesn't believe it's a carrier, he makes some pretty credible logic. First assuming that it's one plane, then maybe a few, then maybe a lost Japanese submarine carrier. Those are a little ridiculous, but not as absurd as a whole carrier. That's nice that they detail that.
To my surprise, the attack on Pearl Harbor wasn't as bad as I suspected. I was concerned that they would go with nonsense. However, the Americans DO inflict a bunch of casualties on the Japanese, who only "win" by ramming a flight of US helicopters. US point defense guns tear the bad guys a new one.
That's where the downsides begin. The big battle you're expecting is at the tail-end of the book, and feels a bit unsatisfying.
Big problem is Oahu feels EMPTY. All the US has in Oahu in the book is one battleship, one amphibious warfare ship, and a few attack helicopters. And all they have to chase the Japanese ship is six B-52s and one ballistic missile sub. In 1983, according to Jane's Warships, there were 37 ballistic missile subs in service, 90 attack submarines, 12 carriers, at least 31 amphibious warfare ships, 80 frigates, 90 destroyers, 27 cruisers, and 2 battleships. The US Navy now is a third the size of what it was in 1983. Today, there are 14 ballistic missile subs, 51 attack subs, 10 carriers, 9 amphibious warfare ships, 27 frigates, 74 destroyers, 7 cruisers, and a floating paperweight occasionally referred to as a battleship but also known as the Zumwalt destroyer. I went on google maps, looked up satellite photos of Oahu, and found no less than a dozen ships in port. There should have been DOZENS of ships to respond to the crisis. And truth be told, that's what you'd expect in this situation. That would have been a fine ending! You could still have them give the US a bloody nose!
The downside is that the book is extremely long, and felt like a weird elaborate setup for a much larger series. Which, yeah, it definitely is. The trouble is the rest of the series is an absurd plot too. It should be a fun sci-fi romp, but if it's anything like this, it is disturbing and deeply uncomfortable.
It's extremely dated, with lots of racism, and also a bunch of sexism. We've got a female navy intelligence officer who lacks so much knowledge on the service she's part of that she doesn't know that the Enterprise, the most decorated US ship EVER, was nicknamed "The Big E". Maybe it's standard sexism of the time, but christ was it annoying.
Not to mention the book feels poorly written. The final battle is basically only in the last fifty pages, if that. Far too much time is spent on the American from the tramp freighter being captured and talking with the half-senile Japanese admiral. With how it's written, it feels like it's almost trying to make excuses. Sometimes it's obvious that the guy is crazy and the bad guy, of course, yet at other times it isn't. I can guess the rest of the books are like this. because I know those books have these monsters, these guys who are barely a step away from the nazis, as the GOOD GUYS.
The writer is disturbingly fascinated with exoticizing the "Japanese mind" as he calls it. This is where it gets into right-wing nonsense. Our American hero curses a "civilization of mind instead of biceps" holding him back from having a completely unprovoked fistfight with some drunk at a bar. The Japanese men's "fighting spirit" is given too much credence.
It is an extremely right-wing book, and in particular, Japanese right-wing, despite ironically being written by a WWII veteran. It stinks of real life Japanese holdout Hiroo Onada's attitude toward modern life. He said that everyone had gotten "soft" when really that's some guy trying to make sense of everything and being an old man unable to deal with change.
Some right-wingers in the US are disturbingly fascinated by the nazis and imperial japan because both of those nations embodied many negative social aspects that those same right-wingers worship. Anti-intellectualism, sexism, racism, many other bigotries, and in particular, the sort of manly-man toxic masculinity that both of those cultures worshipped. The strong men who are magically immune to bullets by being tough. Which is ironic, considering most cultures that worship those things, like the nazis, Imperial Japan, Sparta, the so-called Confederacy of 1861, etc, all famously lost in humiliating ways.
July 7, 2016
I hate giving a bad review. I really, really hate to do it. The author has passed away so at least I won't feel guilty about him reading this.
I think I know too much military history. It wouldn't be the first time that my willing suspension of disbelief was ruined by simply knowing too much about a subject. As some people already know, I'm pretty well up on my World War II history and I only read this because I was snowed into a Lake Tahoe cabin with no TV and nothing else to read.
I think I know too much military history. It wouldn't be the first time that my willing suspension of disbelief was ruined by simply knowing too much about a subject. As some people already know, I'm pretty well up on my World War II history and I only read this because I was snowed into a Lake Tahoe cabin with no TV and nothing else to read.
March 17, 2020
Fun story and author makes a good stab at explaining how a Japanese Aircraft Carrier remained hidden for 40 years. At times it does feel that it is a bit of a 'justification' for the extreme form of Busido that caused so many atrocities during WW2 but still a good yarn.
October 12, 2016
Interesting premise. Too much descriptive detail in some areas. Lousy ending. I'll try the next one.
April 19, 2017
Men's adventure. Very good, historically very accurate. Recommended.
Due to this book being thirty years old, the descriptions of computers are unintentionally amusing.
Due to this book being thirty years old, the descriptions of computers are unintentionally amusing.
August 11, 2020
Reading this brought back memories of the early Clive Cussler books - there are many similarities in plot and hero.
Like Cussler characterisation is minimal - the men are strong/rugged/forceful, the women are beautiful/intelligent and in almost instant (shared) lust - the plot zooms along and, once you accept the completely implausible central concept ... settle down for the ride.
In brief, the Japanese super aircraft carrier Yonaga has emerged from enforced hiding, complete with an elderly crew, 38 years after the end of WWII. And, as the ship moves inevitably, destroying anything in its way, to recreate "a day that will live infamy" there is confusion in American Naval Command - is it a submarine, a land-based attack, or could it be an aircraft carrier?
Meanwhile, the crew of the Yonaga follow the Samurai code and decades of hard training means that, despite their age, they are capable of performing close to peak.
Author Peter Albano served in the U.S. Navy during WWII and it shows - there's a lot of description of weaponry, turbines and airplanes (most of it padding).
There's a lot of references to race that would be considered very non-PC these days. It is important to remember that this was first published in 1983 ... I edited a history magazine for a number of years and one of my main concerns with several writers was the transference of their perceptions onto the people of the past - what happened was wrong but that doesn't mean that it was considered wrong at the time, or even that that majority of people agreed it was wrong - or cared one way or the other. Sorry, just a personal hobbyhorse!
I won't be reading the rest of the nine-book series in the near future, but I did take a quick peek at book two and I was mightily impressed at how Peter Albano overcomes the problem of how a WWII aircraft carrier manages to remain not only relevant but vital in the 1980s.
If you like a fast read with lots of action - give this a shot!
Like Cussler characterisation is minimal - the men are strong/rugged/forceful, the women are beautiful/intelligent and in almost instant (shared) lust - the plot zooms along and, once you accept the completely implausible central concept ... settle down for the ride.
In brief, the Japanese super aircraft carrier Yonaga has emerged from enforced hiding, complete with an elderly crew, 38 years after the end of WWII. And, as the ship moves inevitably, destroying anything in its way, to recreate "a day that will live infamy" there is confusion in American Naval Command - is it a submarine, a land-based attack, or could it be an aircraft carrier?
Meanwhile, the crew of the Yonaga follow the Samurai code and decades of hard training means that, despite their age, they are capable of performing close to peak.
Author Peter Albano served in the U.S. Navy during WWII and it shows - there's a lot of description of weaponry, turbines and airplanes (most of it padding).
There's a lot of references to race that would be considered very non-PC these days. It is important to remember that this was first published in 1983 ... I edited a history magazine for a number of years and one of my main concerns with several writers was the transference of their perceptions onto the people of the past - what happened was wrong but that doesn't mean that it was considered wrong at the time, or even that that majority of people agreed it was wrong - or cared one way or the other. Sorry, just a personal hobbyhorse!
I won't be reading the rest of the nine-book series in the near future, but I did take a quick peek at book two and I was mightily impressed at how Peter Albano overcomes the problem of how a WWII aircraft carrier manages to remain not only relevant but vital in the 1980s.
If you like a fast read with lots of action - give this a shot!
August 8, 2023
Even though I did enjoy The Seventh Carrier, it was hard for me to rate it. I debated between giving it a 3 star or a 4 star review. Overall the book is 4 stars, because the plot is interesting. A WWII Japanese carrier is freed from being trapped to complete the attack on Pearl Harbor. You could compare this as the reverse of The Final Countdown.
Even though it is a far fetched concept, Peter Albano does a good job of describing how this could happen. In addition the actions scenes are well written and help give you a good idea of what is going. This book came out in the early days of the techno thriller. Albano does a good job of giving technology and history information to build up the story.
The reason for going towards the 3 stars is due to some issues with the writing. Albano decides to present the technology and history information as conversations between characters. Even though this helps the reader, it seems odd to have people who should now some of the information, being told about it. There could have been a different way to present this.
This book is also relic of its time as well. When reading it, I did feel I was back in the 1980s style of action books. The men either are right, or are jerks and wrong. There is one female character who starts off strong, but falls into the 80s style of getting gooey eye over the guy. One other female who briefly shows up is practically raped and quickly killed off.
The last part is the ending. Without spoiling much, after the big showdown, the last chapter feels quickly written without quick sentences wrapping some things up. I wished a bit more was done with the last chapter.
With looking over this what I felt, the book was a good read overall. I just had some faults with parts of the storytelling. Though having the main character drive a 1983 Datsun 280ZX almost made it worth adding a start. If you read this, keep in mind it is also a product of this time, but is a nice break.
Even though it is a far fetched concept, Peter Albano does a good job of describing how this could happen. In addition the actions scenes are well written and help give you a good idea of what is going. This book came out in the early days of the techno thriller. Albano does a good job of giving technology and history information to build up the story.
The reason for going towards the 3 stars is due to some issues with the writing. Albano decides to present the technology and history information as conversations between characters. Even though this helps the reader, it seems odd to have people who should now some of the information, being told about it. There could have been a different way to present this.
This book is also relic of its time as well. When reading it, I did feel I was back in the 1980s style of action books. The men either are right, or are jerks and wrong. There is one female character who starts off strong, but falls into the 80s style of getting gooey eye over the guy. One other female who briefly shows up is practically raped and quickly killed off.
The last part is the ending. Without spoiling much, after the big showdown, the last chapter feels quickly written without quick sentences wrapping some things up. I wished a bit more was done with the last chapter.
With looking over this what I felt, the book was a good read overall. I just had some faults with parts of the storytelling. Though having the main character drive a 1983 Datsun 280ZX almost made it worth adding a start. If you read this, keep in mind it is also a product of this time, but is a nice break.
November 9, 2023
This is fun and breezy book. My main gripe, the idea that the Japanese just wrote off an entire carrier during World War II. The carrier Yonaga was trapped in a glacier, that no one checked hat happened to the ship and crew. This just seems so bad, I heard of this series I had assumed that the crew and ship was in suspended animation situation.
Once past this, the story keeps moving forward and the action i clear and fun.
Once past this, the story keeps moving forward and the action i clear and fun.
September 19, 2021
First of series. So far so good. A Japanese carrier has broken out of a glacier in 1983 and heads to pearl harber to finish their orders from 1941. Even tho they are aware the war is over. Interesting knowledge of Japanese custom, carriers, and planes. Can’t wait to see what happens next.
April 18, 2018
Surprisingly good.
December 7, 2016
A great read for today. Remember Pearl Harbor!
A reminder of yesteryear! I just finished this book and first read it when it was first published. Just finished it on this day the 75th anniversary of Pearl Harbor.
A reminder of yesteryear! I just finished this book and first read it when it was first published. Just finished it on this day the 75th anniversary of Pearl Harbor.
May 6, 2023
2nd Reading - I read it when it first came out, and it definitely doesn't age well if you can't regress yourself to back in the early 1980's when news of Japanese Holdouts still occurred every once in a while.
If you can regress it is still a very well written story.
If you can regress it is still a very well written story.
October 10, 2007
This was a fascinating what if, brought back the whole WW2 back again, totally unrealistic, but still a nice read about WW2 tactics and military equipment in the 20th century
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews