In her stunning memoir, The Jersey Brothers: A Missing Naval Officer and His Family’s Quest to Bring Him Home, Sally Mott Freeman tells the story of three brothers and their courageous service for the United States in the midst of World War II. Barton, the youngest, is slated to serve at one of the safest areas available—the Philippines, but when the Japanese bomb the islands, Barton is wounded and taken prisoner. This devastating turn of events spurs the two older brothers, Bill and Benny, to action as they attempt to rescue their brother. Will they be able to find him before the unthinkable happens?

The Jersey Brothers is an extremely well-written and well-researched volume. Told through each brother’s point-of-view, using eye-witness accounts, personal letters, and Defense Department documents, Freeman’s book is a riveting account of one man’s struggle for survival while his family does everything they can to save him. Far from a dry tome, this narrative reads like a novel. It allows readers to acquaint themselves with the events of the Pacific Theatre and all its political intrigue and personal pathos. Freeman should not only be commended for her writing, but also her perseverance in solving the disappearance of her beloved uncle.

The Jersey Brothers is an excellent page-turning account of one family’s journey through World War II. I highly recommend it to history buffs and novices alike.


I was given a free copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest review

“The Jersey Brothers” eBook was published in 2017 and was written by Sally Mott Freeman. This is Ms. Freeman’s only publication.

I categorize this novel as ‘R’ because it contains scenes of Violence and Mature Language. This true story takes place during the years of World War II. It tells of three brothers who all served in the US Navy.

The two older brothers, Benny and Bill, were Annapolis graduates and both served on-board ships in the Pacific as well as in Washington D.C. during the war. The youngest of the brothers, Barton, was a new Ensign who had been posted to Manilla as a supply officer just prior to the Japanese attack on Perl Harbor.

The book goes through the experiences of all three. The part of the story for Bill and Benny tell of their combat experiences as well as an inside look at the politics behind the scenes. Bill was stationed in the White House a few years and knew president Roosevelt and the government principals, then joined an Admiral’s staff in the Pacific. Benny was a gunnery officer on the USS Enterprise for a few years, then returned to Washington D.C.

Barton underwent years as a POW, being moved from camp to camp and suffering under horrible conditions. Both Benny and Bill use all the contacts they have trying to find their brother. Barton, and hundreds of other prisoners, suffered greatly in the Japanese POW camps.

I thoroughly enjoyed the 14 hours I spent reading this 608 page Non-Fiction World War II account. The author is a the niece of young Barton. She spent about 10 years researching before she was able to write this account. While basically a biography of the three brothers, it reads much like a novel. The heroic action by many is cited. The political infighting within the US military which impacted the war effort is also revealed. The cover art is OK as much of the story involves US Navy invasions of Japanese held islands in the Pacific. If you are interested in this period of history, you will enjoy this book. I give this novel a 5 out of 5.

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Excellent read about 3 brothers in WWII. Everyone should read about their experiences during that time.
A very powerful read and the characters will stay with you long after the book is finished

I received a free Kindle copy of The Jersey Brothers by Sally Mott Freeman courtesy of Net Galley and Simon and Schuster, the publisher. It was with the understanding that I would post a review to Net Galley, Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes and Noble and my history book review blog. I also posted it to my Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Google Plus pages.

I requested this book as I have read a great deal about the World War II and the description presented something that I had not read about. This is the first book by Sally Mott Freeman that I have read.

This book is well researched as I would expect with the daughter of one of the three main indiviudals as the author. It is also well written, engaging and reads at a fairly quick pace. The storyline is about the three Mott brothers , one a prisoner of war in the Phillipines, one on the aircraft carrier Enterprise and the other in Washington D.C., and their mother. The book revolves around trying to find out if the captured brother is alive and exactly where he is.

One of the side stories that I found particuarly interesting was the development of Franklin Roosevelt's map room which the author's father maintained during a good portion of the war. As with many other books on this time period, it points out that Douglas McArthur was a vainglorious, self centered individual.

I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in World War II and in particular novels about the individuals involved in the war who were not necessarily leaders in the conflict.

This is a real life story of three brothers who played important roles in World War II and their attempts to save their youngest brother who became a P.O.W. This was a very eye-opening book that gave me unknown insight into events that occurred during W.W. II. It was interesting reading about the growth in character of the youngest brother during his incarceration and the way he became a role model to his other fellow P.O.W. friends. The mistakes made during the war that led to his incarceration were appalling. The love that the siblings had for the youngest brother was heart-warming and the way that they did everything in their power to rescue him was touching. If you want new insight into this war and events that shaped the men who fought in it then you will enjoy this book.

If you like stories of familial love and loyalty, were gripped by Unbroken and/or Flags of Our Fathers, and are a passionate lover of WWII tales, then this book is for you. The three Mott brothers, Bill, Benny, and Barton grow up on the Jersey shore with an 'interesting' mother, a deep love for the Navy, and equally challenging childhoods and youths. When WWII hits, Benny's Naval years place him as head gunner on the storied Enterprise carrier, Bill becomes the head of the map room in FDR's White House, and Barton is encouraged to go to the Philippines with the Navy Supply Corps where he will be 'safe.' Yep, you know where this true story is headed. Barton is taken prisoner right after Pearl Harbor, and his two older brothers who always protected and cared for him, are frantic to find him. Interspersed amongst the three stories of the brothers, this narrative follows the many battles of the Pacific, learning details of the shocking human toll at the battles of Saipan and Okinawa, the horrific treatment and movements of the POWs, and the interchange amongst the big boys in the White House. At times a bit long with more specifics than I needed, I still read voraciously, feeling well-educated at the end and quite in awe of the bravery of not only the Mott brothers, but of their Naval brothers in arms. A first book, well-researched and written by the niece of the Jersey brothers, I do hope this is not her last outing.

Five stars Review! I would definitely recommend this book.

THE JERSEY BROTHERS: A Missing Naval Officer in the Pacific and His Family's Quest to Bring Him Home. BY SALLY MOTT FREEMAN

This stunning accomplished memoir is written by the daughter Bill Mott, who was the middle brother that comprise who The Jersey Brothers are. The Jersey brother's are Benny Mott, Bill Mott and Arthur Barton Cross, Jr. This is the story of brotherly love, honor, the quest to bring Barton home. A memoir so epic in scope drawn on ten years of research culled from sources all over the world. It includes information from diaries, interviews with the brother's former shipmates, unpublished memoirs and personal letters. It's authenticity is breathtaking, accurately based on facts, but reads like a fast paced story of three brother's and their harrowing service to this country.

Bill Mott, the author's father, was working at the Office of Navel Intelligence in Washington. He oversaw FDR's Map room located in the White House. FDR got the idea of having this room by a visit from Winston Churchill who had his own war room where he lived in his house. FDR emphasized with Bill over letters Bill had received inquiring over Barton's missing status. Bill was placed in charge of all top secret material that was received, circulated and stored among many other duties.

What stands out for me is that in later years Bill Mott was consulted by President Truman to give an estimation over how many American lives would be lost if the United States invaded Japan. President Truman relied on Bill Mott's estimated 600,000 of U.S. lives lost in making his decision over whether he did the right thing over dropping the bomb over Japan. What also stands out to me is how cruel war is and this family's relentless quest to find Barton.

What I didn't know was that as Barton lay injured from shrapnel wounds to his feet and legs that were not healing, is the circumstances of how Barton and other Navy wounded were left behind. According to this author the wounded were the only military still in Manilla. Even more shocking is that on late December 31, an order from General MacArthur came through that all ARMY wounded, but not NAVY wounded were immediately taken to Pier 7 and loaded onto a Red Cross ship. the SS Mactan and transported to Australia. What about the wounded Navy? Why couldn't they be transported to the ship and transported at the same time? Unluckily for Barton he was one of many of the wounded Navy abandoned. This happened before the Japanese invaded and took over Manilla.

Back on December 8, Benny a gunnery and anti-aircraft carrier arrived in Pearl Harbor to see the death and destruction. Benny was on the USS Enterprise an aircraft carrier that was to witness trapped men in a capsized ship that were trapped and couldn't get out.

Sally Mott Freeman has written a haunting quest to find out what happened to Barton. Her writing is descriptive and spare and she doesn't leave out any details. This work was at times heartbreaking to read, but it also triumphs and shines with the brotherly love of the Jersey Boys. I hope this book reaches the wide audience that it deserves. For a debut memoir and writer Sally Mott Freeman has written a BRILLIANT historical portrait. It is a POWERFUL Family saga and she should be very proud of her family heritage. This book, I hope joins the ranks with "Saving Private Ryan."

A brilliant Memoir of three brothers and there journey through the Second World War.
This is a real page turner that reads more like a novel than a Memoir of the three brothers and their parents.
I cannot believe the research that must have been done by the author.