Tales from Annapolis
by Richard Zino, Paul Laric
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Book Summary Information
Author: Paul Laric, Richard ZinoEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 2000-10
ISBN: 0970471009
Number of pages: 288
Publisher: Omega Resources
Book Reviews of Tales from Annapolis
Book Review: Like a class reunion in print
Summary: 4 Stars
Assemble alumni from any college, and before long the stories will start flowing like wine (or some other adult beverage). This book is like a USNA reunion, with former Mids from the Class of 1931 all the way to the Class of 1994 trading tales and sparking memories. It's particularly interesting to see the same story told from two different perspectives, as happens several times between these covers.
The subtitle declares this "A Ring-Knockers' Bedside [or, as the title page has it, 'Bedtime'] Companion" and that's appropriate on two counts. First, while this is entertaining reading for anyone with an interest in the Naval Academy, its primary audience is definitely USNA grads themselves. There is a helpful glossary of Annapolis argot, but many of the stories will undoubtedly mean more to someone who's been through the Academy. I can think of at least one tale, involving a bowling ball, that while funny will still be largely incomprehensible to anyone unfamiliar with the internal geometry of Bancroft Hall.
The second reason the subtitle fits is that I think this volume works best as a "bedside companion" for quick dipping-into before falling asleep. While I read the volume straight through from end to end, it seems like shorter, more leisurely visits would be more rewarding. In that sense, and given the vast number of alums who apparently didn't submit stories, it's a shame this book isn't two or three times longer than it is.
If I do have a complaint, it's with the organization and arrangement of the stories. The chapters are divided up based on "The Laws of the Navy" Mids memorize during Plebe Summer, but I seldom saw the connection between a given story and its placement in the book. Also, some submissions are quite long and contain many reminiscences, while other contributors have had their stories divided up among several chapters. This results in, for example, Jeff Conklin ('93) making reference to "the same upperclassman who caught my 'Go Army' blunder" nearly 100 pages before the story of that blunder is told. Similarly, Bob Osmon ('60)'s entry on page 248 begins with the cryptic sentence, "The second episode didn't have such dire consequences" -- cryptic, that is, until the reader remembers to flip back to page 142, where Osmon mentions "Two events that happened to my roomie and me," but then only relates the first of the two.
Those complaints aside, it was nice to see both familiar names like Joseph Taussig (a hero of Pearl Harbor who died very recently), James L. Holloway, and Sumner Shapiro (a household name in my home, anyway) as well as many grads not so well known. These are some funny stories, and a look inside the Academy at things most visitors never see and most books never relate.
Summary of Tales from Annapolis
Collection of 91 stories from 61 graduates of US Naval Academy from classes of 1934 through 1994 relating personal experiences from their Midshipman days. It is humorous, candid, eye-opening and entertaining. Contributing authors include a former US President, a former head of the CIA, a former Chief of Naval Opertions and a former head of Naval Intelligence, as well as numerous other Academy grads who share the conviction that if these stories are not set down in writing for posterity, they will be lost for all time.General Books
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