The Ambassador's Son

By: Homer Hickam

Narrated by: Stephen Hoye

It's 1943 and the Americans and Japanese are fighting a deadly war in the hot, jungle-covered volcanic islands of the South Pacific. The outcome is in doubt, and now a terrible blow has fallen on American morale. Lieutenant David Armistead, a Marine Corps hero and cousin of the president of the United States, is missing and some say he's gone over to the enemy. All that's known for certain is he was last seen heading north into Japanese-held islands, taking with him the beautiful, young native wife of a colonist who heads up the local militia and is swearing revenge. Something must be done before Allied unity falls apart.

Coast Guard Captain Josh Thurlow and his ragtag crew are given the assignment to find Armistead, though not necessarily to bring him back alive. Recruited in the hunt is a tormented and frail PT-boat skipper nicknamed Shaffy, who's also known by another name: John F Kennedy. When Josh is stranded in the jungles of New Georgia with a mysterious, sensual woman who has a tendency to chop off men's heads, it's up to Kennedy to come to the rescue and complete the mission. To procure a gunboat, however, he first has to play high-stakes poker with a young naval supply officer called Nick, who happens to be the best gambler in the South Pacific. Nick has another name, too: Richard M. Nixon.

The adventures of these hot-blooded characters wind tighter and tighter until a fiery, climatic day when Joe Gimmee, a local holy man with some peculiar ideas on how to acquire treasure from the gods, has promised a miracle. The one he produces is remarkable, and will change the lives of everyone who watches it unfold. Based solidly on historical facts with echoes of James A. Michener, The Ambassador's Son is a thrilling tale of the South Pacific and adventure fiction at its finest.©2005 Homer Hickam; (P)2005 Books on Tape, Inc.

Off the beaten track

The cast of characters, the premise, and drama of setting/time all make for a very enjoyable listening experience. Hickam is laugh-out-loud funny at times. The unexpected and the build to a climax writing is both inviting and fulfilling when one finally reaches the endpoints. The only thing disappointing is having to listen in small chuncks. It's the type of writing I could binge on... and alas life intrudes too often....
I will investigate the first installment in this series and anything else Hickam has written.
Bottom line: Not a change the world type book , but extremely enjoyable.

A unique view

An amazing series, probably the biggest one to make go research / think / debate about its story.... but loved it!

Hickam is Hilarious!

Set in the Solomons during mid-1943, this novel is populated with some notorious WWII characters, including an AWOL Marine lieutenant named David Armistead; a Navy PT boat skipper named Jack Kennedy; a Navy supply officer named "Nick" Nixon; and a Navy historian named Jim Michener. The story begins on Tulagi and heads north in a Catalina, looking for trouble.

Hickam is a <b>very</b> funny writer, combining inventive storytelling with a keen eye for characterization and detail. This novel is the second in Hickam's Josh Thurlow series; the first, <i>The Keeper's Son</i>, is freighted with some frankly insipid romance, so I really can't recommend it. Hickam's latest novel, on the other hand, takes all of his first novel's best qualities and cranks them up.

You'll love it!