Published by St. Martin's Press on July 19, 2022

P.T. Deutermann writes novels about naval warfare during World War II. I’m a particular fan of his submarine stories. The Last Paladin is set on a destroyer escort rather than a submarine, but the shhip is tasked with sinking Japanese submarines. The story is loosely based on an actual ship.

Mariono de Tomasi relies on his Sicilian heritage to explain his single-minded quest for vengeance after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor — an attack that nearly killed him and that took the lives of men under his command as Japanese airplanes strafed sailors who were swimming for their lives. Tomasi is the commanding officer of the USS Holland, a destroyer escort that is geared out for detecting and sinking submarines.

The CO’s executive officer is a bright young electrical engineer named Ephraim Enright. While Tomasi has experience, Enright is full of knowledge and good sense.

Having worked alongside the British to hunt German submarines in the Atlantic, the Holland is ordered to join the fleet in the Pacific. Tomasi’s arrival is delayed by circumstances beyond his control. The commodore running the show at Tulagi is displeased with Tomasi’s tardiness. The commodore is expecting 800 ships in the Pacific Fleet to show up and doesn’t have much use for the Holland. Tomasi receives ambiguous orders that amount to “get lost.” Tomasi decides to use his talent at hunting submarines to look for a rumored picket of Japanese subs that might be awaiting the arrival of the Pacific Fleet so that advance warning can be given to Japan.

Operating pretty much on its own, the Holland enjoys unprecedented success in locating and destroying Japanese submarines. The job almost feels too easy. Although the story moves quickly and is always interesting, the tension that Deutermann brings to his other novels is absent for much of The Last Paladin.

Deutermann redeems himself in the later chapters. The Holland is attacked by torpedoes and later by Japanese aircraft, giving the story the kind of suspense that makes me eager to read Deutermann’s novels.

Tomasi and Enright are a bit one-dimensional, but this isn’t a character driven novel. As was true in Deutermann’s last novel, the intense hatred and stereotyping of Japanese culture is discomforting. I recognize that people felt that way during the war, so Tomasi’s attitude is historically accurate even if it is cringeworthy. The stereotype of Sicilians as creatures of vengeance adds to the sense that Tomasi is not a particularly likable man. Still, he doesn’t pretend to be. And even unlikable heroes can tell a good war story.

RECOMMENDED

By P.T. Deutermann, is a superb, battle-filled World War II adventure that takes place aboard the USS Holland, a lone destroyer escort on patrol in the Solomon Islands in the western Pacific Ocean during the summer of 1944—just as the two greatest armadas of the era are assembling for what historians have called The Battle of the Philippine Sea. It was the largest naval battle of steel warships in history, and it broke the back of the Imperial Japanese Fleet . . .

Told in alternating points-of-view between Lt. Cmdr. Mariano deTomasi and his Executive Officer, Lt. Ephraim “Eppy” Edmond Enright, the story begins just as the Holland arrives in the Solomons after hunting U-boats in the North Atlantic. Criticized for being thirty days late, and at just 300 feet in length, boat and crew are considered nothing more than an afterthought to the 800 vessel “Big Blue Fleet” coming toward the Japanese home islands to engage a similar sized fleet from the enemy. Rumor has it that a picket line of submarines has been established somewhere in the Philippine Sea to harass the American battle fleet and sink as many ships as possible. The Holland is sent, all by itself, to see if the phantom submarines really exist, and if so, to engage them. It’s pretty much a snipe hunt, or a suicide mission if the subs are actually there, because the small destroyer escort would have at least two full-size destroyers accompanying it on a normal mission. Undaunted, the Holland sets out on patrol, trying to guess where the end of the picket line of six submarines begins and ends. They estimate approximately 200 nautical miles between subs and set out trying to find them. Days later, as luck would have it, a naval airplane spots a submarine on station and the location is passed on to the Holland, who steams north to engage . . . and the non-stop action begins in this fight to the death between the two implacable enemies in the vast and empty Philippine Sea. If you like World War II battle action and shipboard operations, this is a novel not to be missed!!

This is for fans of Deutermann, who has a way of making WWII naval warfare come to life. The USS Holland is assigned to find Japanese submarines in the Pacific Ocean in order to help protect the larger US fleet. Lt Commander Mariano deTomasi, and Executive Officer Lt. Ephraim Edmond Enright lead the effort. You will find yourself caught up in this one. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Not my usual genre, to be sure, and a very good read.

The war in the Pacific Theater is at its’ zenith. The USS Holland has been in the Atlantic working with the British and has been re-outfitted and sent to the Pacific to aid in the fight against Japanese submarines.

This saga is told from both the ships’ captains’ point of view and the second in command. The story is fictional and covers the sinking of six Japanese submarines during the war. A picket line of Japanese subs is set up to warn the Imperial Navy of ship movements toward the Marianas and Solomon Islands. The crew of the USS Holland discover the submarines and set out to eliminate the threat.

Some of the history disclosed is very interesting. I found the push and pull between Admirals Spruance and Halsey to be particularly interesting. The story points out the tremendous pressure both of these fine admirals were under. The lives of countless sailors, ships, marines, and army were in the balance.

The maintenance of secrecy and the health of the sailors aboard the ship is well defined. Using tools such as sonar and radar often alerted the submarines that the ship was in the area.

The story is fictional but alludes to the exploits of an actual ship the USS England (DE 635) although I could not verify this ship or information. However, the tension and dynamics of this story kept me involved and reading during every free moment. Enjoy the ride! 5 stars – CE Williams

I received an ARC of “ The Last Paladin” via Net Galley.My thanks to Net Galley, the publisher and author.
This World War Two novel is based on a true story of a Destroyer escort , veteran of the Atlantic War against German Uboats that is sent to the Pacific for duty for naval operations against Japan. The ship and its skipper received a decidedly cool reception upon arriving at its destination in an anchorage near Guadalcanal. What can this small escort ship , the USS Holland , add to the vast USNaval forces already in the battle against a real enemy naval like the Japanese Imperial Fleet?
Lt. commander Mariano Di Tomasi is determined to prove the worth of his ship and crew. Sent out as part of a small Hunter-killer group looking for a line of Japanese submarines lurking in wait to see the direction of of the U S fleet’s island invasion, DiTomasi uses skill honed against German Wolf Packs to almost single- handedly sweep up. the enemy subs. Sound a bit fantastic? I thought so too, until I read the afterword in the novel which point about that the exploits are fact.
The author quite obviously knows his way around the deck of a navy ship. The jargon, terminology and tactics of the theme and place ring true. The story is sparse on character building ,and introspection as the author lets their words and actions fill the pictures. All the action takes place on deck with a few tension packed and action filled weeks. Things move quickly with quick action filled pages. This is not in a class with “ The Caine Mutiny” - it does not have that depth of compelling personalities and sweeping drama, but it is fun bang-up story tha5 will please it’s audience.
Fans of military drama and action novel will enjoy “ The Last Paladin.”

P.T. Deutermann's many books chronicling the critical contributions made by the U.S. Navy in the Pacific Ocean during WWII have, in my experience, each been very difficult to put down.
The Last Paladin is no exception to that rule. From the beginning, we find ourselves in 1944, in the midst of the great battles for Saipan, leading up to taking back the Phillipine Islands from the Japanese. We see the war through the eyes of the Captain of a destroyer escort and the Captain's Executive Officer.
The vast majority of this book focuses directly on sea battles between the destroyer escort Holland and a large number of Japanese submarines, cruisers and aircraft. Each of these encounters had me on the edge of my seat. I simply could not put the book down until I knew the fate of the ship's Captain and Executive Officer, and neither will you.
A great read, exciting and captivating, while also providing intricate detail of the operations and battle management which led to American success against Japanese forces. Can not recommend more highly.

Another Great War novel by Deutermann! The story is action packed and keeps your attention. You will not want to put this book down ! A must read for fans of Deutermann.

Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Lieutenant Commander Mariano “Mike” deTomasi is the commanding officer of USS Holland, a destroyer escort based in the Pacific Theater of World War II. DeTomasi was the CO of a minesweeper that the Japanese sank at Pearl Harbor, and he has vowed vengeance for that attack and the loss of most of his crew. His executive officer, Lieutenant Eeep Enright, is a young naval reserve officer with short-lived naval experience. Together, the two face off with a squadron of Japanese subs, get their ship through a typhoon, and experience multiple attacks by Japanese planes. Will USS Holland make it out of the Pacific in one piece—and with her crew still alive?

Based on the true story of USS England—with some liberties taken, of course, as it is historical fiction!—Deutermann’s latest in his World War II series is a winner. I greatly enjoyed this book. Deutermann did a stellar job describing the ships, tactics, and—best of all—helping you get to know the men leading this ship and their concerns, successes, and failures. While his battle actions were incredibly well written, it was the typhoon incident that really won me over. Deutermann’s writing really made me feel like I was there, understanding the ship’s movements during the typhoon, experiencing the terror of the crew, and hearing what the captain felt as the ship went over, through, or under every swell. I also appreciated that, while including many of the details of the ship, its systems, and its weapons, the book was not overly technical—Deutermann did well bringing the story back to the people rather than just the technology, which happens so often in naval history.

I knocked off a star because I thought the book had a bit of a rocky start. In fact, a few chapters in, I thought to myself, “Uh oh, do I actually want to read this?” Each chapter switches back and forth between the perspective of the CO or XO—and for the first few chapters, they shared a lot of the same stories. Yes, I understand that deTomasi wanted revenge for Pearl Harbor…but do both characters have to say it several times? It got a little old. As the book continued, however, their perspectives branched out and I wasn’t reading the exact same thing over again. This book definitely improved as time went on, and I’m glad I read it.

Overall, I would highly recommend this book—another success from P.T. Deutermann, an author whose books I love to read. If you’re interested in World War II naval history, this is a book you’ll want to check out.

As a side note, at the time of the writing of this review, the online book description lists the ship as USS Hayward, but it’s USS Holland in the book I read.