Publisher's Synopsis
It was a time of great danger. The Merchant Marine in World War II was responsible for transporting supplies and personnel to Allied forces around the world. The Merchant Marine had the highest casualty rate of any service. Set against this looming reality are five coming-of-age stories as author, artist and designer Gene Tepper recalls his days as a young Merchant Marine Cadet and Deck Officer. They include evocative tales of the art world in New York and New Orleans, wartime in Italy and the Middle East. First hand descriptions of life at sea: Training on an old-line sailing vessel, a grim departure among massed convoys in New York Harbor, unexpected fun on a Suez canal passage and at war's end his ship's exuberant arrival in San Francisco.
