“ The Restless Wave is not only a stirring and gripping story of the sea, but also of love and war and leadership. Admiral Stavridis’s sweeping knowledge of history and life in the Navy shines on every page, imbuing this work with authenticity and power.” —David Grann, #1 NYT bestselling author of Killers of the Flower Moon “In the engaging tradition of Herman Wouk and Patrick O’Brian, Admiral James Stavridis has given us a fascinating novel of one young man’s—and one great nation’s—war at sea. The book is at once entertaining and illuminating, touching on the most fundamental of human themes with deftness and an appreciation of the immense achievements of the United States Navy in the deadliest of eras.” —Jon Meacham From the New York Times bestselling former NATO commander comes a riveting historical novel that charts the coming-of-age of a gifted but immature young naval officer as he is tested in the crucible of World War II in the Pacific Scott Bradley James arrives in Annapolis, Maryland, as a plebe in the class of 1941 without a terribly good idea why he wants to be a naval officer, other than that his father was a sailor, and he wants to see the world, whatever that means. Scott and his roommate become fast friends, and, after surviving scrapes of their own making, the two fetch up at Pearl Harbor. War is brewing, and their class has graduated early. They have been sent to battle stations. Admiral James Stavridis is an acclaimed novelist, a decorated military leader, and a great student of military history. He draws on it all to capture the experience of being storm-tossed by the first bloody years of the Second World War. Scott Bradley James is a talented young officer, but he has a lot to learn. And war will have a lot to teach him. The Restless Wave offers a gripping account of the U.S. Navy’s astonishing progress through the first three years of the war in the Pacific, from Pearl Harbor through to the Coral Sea, Midway, and Guadalcanal. A story of character under pressure in the harshest of proving grounds, it is written with careful fidelity to the truths of war that have made tales of the sea essential to the art of storytelling since Odysseus. "Magnificent . . . a sober account of service as a moral practice, shaped by history, constrained by institutions, and tested most severely when certainty disappears." — U.S. District Judge John W. Holcomb, Western Legal History Journal “Not since Churchill has there been as prolific a writer with as intimate an understanding of world events as Admiral James Stavridis . . . The Restless Wave brings together Stavridis’ deep understanding of history and world events with his gifted storytelling ability in the first volume of a series that will take its place with Patrick O’Brian’s Aubrey–Maturin series and C.S Forester’s Horatio Hornblower novels . . . A rich tale of friendship, courage, and romance intertwined with complex moral choices and valuable leadership lessons.” —Naval Review “Former NATO Commander and four-star Adm. James Stavridis creates a gripping novel about a young Navy officer tested during the early sea battles of World War II, from Pearl Harbor to Midway and Guadalcanal. The novel is action-packed, and filled with insights into leadership and courage.” —The Christian Science Monitor “Fascinating . . . The descriptions of warfare at Midway and other Pacific theaters are exhilarating . . . Stavridis is a gifted dramatizer of naval warfare.” — Booklist “A satisfying novel . . . The author immerses the reader in the world of the Navy and cannily mixes fictional characters with real ones such as Admiral ‘Bull’ Halsey and Commander Wade McClusky. This well-told tale is worthy of The Caine Mutiny and In Harm’s Way .” — Publishers Weekly “Stavridis’ own love of the Navy (where he’s a retired admiral) shows well on these pages . . . First-rate naval fiction.” —Kirkus (starred review) “A double pleasure . . . The book itself conveys a rare kind of authenticity about life in the U.S. Navy . . . There are revealing moments of moral ambiguity about the viciousness required in war, even a ‘good’ one, as well as insight into the pettiness and insecurities that afflict even the heroic . . . We see what nerveless leadership under pressure looks like.” —Richard Aldous “In the engaging tradition of Herman Wouk and Patrick O’Brian, Admiral James Stavridis has given us a fascinating novel of one young man’s—and one great nation’s—war at sea. The book is at once entertaining and illuminating, touching on the most fundamental of human themes with deftness and an appreciation of the immense achievements of the United States Navy in the deadliest of eras.” —Jon Meacham, author of And There Was Light: Abraham Lincoln and the American Struggle “This splendid book is historical fiction at its best. It captivated me from start to finish with vividly drawn characters and a riveting story.” —Doris Kearns Goodwin, Pul