Commander Brady
Description
From the smoke-filled decks of a war-torn destroyer to the deadly jungles of the Pacific, Commander Brady plunges readers into the brutal, nerve-shattering reality of naval warfare.
Lieutenant-Commander James Brady is no polished aristocrat of the sea. Rising from the lower deck through grit, courage, and sheer determination, Brady commands the destroyer Circe with an iron will and a razor-sharp instinct for survival. But when a devastating enemy air attack obliterates a sister ship before his eyes, Brady is thrust into a desperate mission behind enemy lines?one that could cripple a hidden Japanese airbase or doom every man under his command.
As shells thunder, aircraft scream from the clouds, and loyalties are tested in the heat of battle, Brady and his men must confront not only the enemy, but the fear, ambition, and class tensions simmering within their own ranks. Packed with explosive naval action, unforgettable characters, and authentic wartime detail drawn from the author's own naval experience, Commander Brady is a gripping tale of courage under fire and leadership forged in the crucible of war.
Perfect for fans of C.S. Forester, Alistair MacLean, and Patrick O'Brian, this classic naval thriller delivers pulse-pounding suspense from the first page to the last.
More details
Person
JAMES EDMOND MACDONNELL was born in 1917 in Mackay, Queensland and became one of Australia's most prolific writers. As a boy, he became determined to go to sea and read every seafaring book he could find. At age 13, while his family was still asleep, he took his brother's bike and rode eighty miles from his home town to Brisbane in an attempt to see ships and the sea. Fortunately, he was found and returned to his family. He attended the Toowoomba Grammar School from 1931 to 1932. He served in the Royal Australian Navy for fourteen years, joining at age 17, advancing through all lower deck ranks and reaching the rank of commissioned gunnery officer. He began writing books while still in active service.
Macdonnell wrote stories for The Bulletin under the pseudonym "Macnell" and from 1948 to 1956 he was a member of The Bulletin staff. His first book, Fleet Destroyer ? a collection of stories about life on the small ships ? was published by The Book Depot, Melbourne, in 1945. Macdonnell began writing full-time for Horwitz in 1956, writing an average of a dozen books a year.
After leaving the navy, Macdonnell lived in St. Ives, Sydney and pursued his writing career. In 1988, he retired to Buderim on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland. He died peacefully in his sleep at a Buderim hospital in 2002. He is survived by his children Beth, Jane and Peter.
Macdonnell's naval stories feature several recurring characters ? Captain "Dutchy" Holland, D.S.O., Captain Peter Bentley, V.C., Captain Bruce Sainsbury, V.C., Jim Brady, and Lieutenant Commander Robert Randall.
