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

Take the through research of a Stephen Ambrose, the writing talent of a Herman Wouk, and the mystery skills of a John Le Carre and you can see why The Jersey Brothers rates a 5 star review! This book is an engrossing story of 3 brothers, all serving in World War II--one on the USS Enterprise, one a prisoner of war in the Philippines and the last brother a key member of FDR's Map Room from which the President plotted the course of the war. Ms. Freeman, the author, had heard stories about these three brothers (one of whom was her father) from an early age, but there were elements of the story that were not known or discussed. Thus began a 10 year journey to uncover the truth of her uncle's life as a prisoner of war. Amidst this personal story, Ms. Freeman has done a magnificent job in fleshing out the war in the Pacific and how the three brothers sought to look out for one another. The writing is fast paced, while not scanting on the factual elements of battle. The book is a real page turner as the reader wants to learn what happened to the brothers. The net result is a well documented story of the human side of war. This book is a must read for all generations.

Excellent book. The other reviewers have pretty much covered what the book is about. I will just say that the book was of personal interest to me as my father served in the South West Pacific Theater of WW II - not in the Navy, but in the Army, so a lot of the higher ranked officers Ms. Freeman mentions were household names to me growing up - also the theme that the War in the Pacific took second place to the war in Europe. That was definitely a theme my father harped on when I was growing up. Good coverage of the battles involving the Navy in WW II in the Pacific. Only one of the three battles my Dad was in was mentioned and that was the invasion of Luzon in January of 1945, which just missed her Uncle Barton's Japanese ship by about 10 days. If only the Luzon invasion had started earlier . . . Also, since my father in his position was involved in the planning of Operation Olympic, it was interesting to read more about why it didn't happen and President Truman's refusal to approve an operation involving 600,000 American Casualties. I applaud Ms. Freeman's writing of this book. The most I have done is to note down for family what my father has chosen to share of his experiences in the War.

Each of the three brothers represented a part of the Navy battles in the Pacific. Their stories put a human face on the amazingly detailed descriptions of such a complicated war. The brothers themselves showed admirable strength, morality, grit, determination and compassion. Their experiences drove the story of the war. At times I read with a map alongside the book. It was a very fulfilling experience.

In the early days of World War II, three brothers went off to fight the Japanese. Benny served aboard the USS Enterprise, Bill worked in FDR's Map Room in the White House, and Barton, the youngest, was a supply officer in the Philippines. Shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor, Barton was wounded and captured by the Japanese. In "The Jersey Brothers", Sally Mott Freeman, daughter of Bill, describes the tireless efforts of Benny and Bill to find their younger brother.After his capture, and for the ensuing several years, Barton faced the wrath of the maniacal Japanese. He was literally plucked from his hospital bed and taken prisoner. This began an odyssey for the young Barton. He was placed in and moved from several different POW camps throughout the Philippines. Forced to endure beatings, near-starvation and thirst, and little if any medical attention, Barton fought to survive. Meanwhile, his brothers never gave up the search for their little brother. Perhaps Barton's greatest struggle was endured on the infamous Japanese "hell ships"; overcrowded freighters that were jam-packed with POWs for the trip to Japan. Many of these unmarked ships were bombed or torpedoed by American planes and submarines. Bill and Benny continued their search for Barton throughout the war.During the course of his imprisonment, Barton's faith never failed. He was looked to as a source of inspiration by other POWs, and his calm demeanor and caring were a source of strength.Sally Mott Davidson has written a masterful book. Not only does she describe Barton's struggles as a POW, she also includes a fine narrative about each battle of the Pacific war, including Midway, Guadalcanal, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa. Also included are many letters written by Barton's mother as well as letters written by Barton's fellow POWs. "The Jersey Boys" is a fine work of World War II history. Highly recommended.

very interesting WWII novel, quite moving

Kept me captivated. Well done.