A Sailor's Story (Dover Graphic Novels)

Sam Glansman’s A sailor’s story is his story. His and his shipmates. AS they lived it from the decks and fire-rooms of a the USS Stevens DD-479. Fans of the movie Greyhound will recognize it as a Fletcher class destroyer, only this is a real ship in the real war as fought in the Pacific Theater. Fans of what was known as comic books will also recognize the realistic ink work and drawings of a man who was much prized in the years before the term graphic novel. Readers will not just read, but see and feel what it was to deal with boredom, storms and sudden death that is what it means to be a Navy man. Not just a US Navy sailor, but a navyman in a warship. Glanzman expresses no particular affinity for his enemy, but all that he wants us to know is universal even as it is unique to him. His shipmates are his family. His respect is for his fellow tin can sailors who are forever on that longest patrolCollected in A Sailor’s Story are at least three different comic books he wrote well after World War II. The first book, A Sailor’s Story is a straightforward, somewhat sanitized version of his life in the navy Beginning with leaving his farm, where there was only his dog to leave behind to his return to that same farm months after the end of the war. He shares with us both his life as a sailor and engineer, a snipe in Navy parlance, as well as a number of asides designed to explain the technology and language of shipboard life. Every sailor learns it is a deck, not the floor, the overhead not the ceiling, extremely important, bulkheads, not walls. Glanzman may never have stood the mail buoy watch, but you can bet he was sent to get a length of chow line, or a left-handed monkey wrench.Book 1 is somewhat sanitized in that he excised much of the business of war fighting, emphasizing the personalities and events between patrols. Book 2 is somewhat choppy. He has sections beginning with his diary of that period and then particular episodes some comic, most very personal from that period. For example, I had read about the bitter and massively destructive fighting to retake Manila. The pictures of destroyed buildings and needlessly made desperate people carry emotional weight. This is not romantic, glorious war, or American flag waving. This is what people survive when war comes to them. Also included is a third title, Even Dead Birds Have Wings. This is a highly personal effort to remember, those lost at the Battle of Midway, and through them to honor those who go towards the sounds of war at whatever the hazard.

I enjoyed Sam Glanzman's art on G.I. Combat. Sam drew the Haunted Tank feature and combined aspects of the greatest war artist of all time: Russ Heath and the amazing Joe Kubert.I bought "A Sailor's Story" as a child and enjoyed it. Later in life, I also bought the sequel. This new release is exquisitely colored and on high quality paper.You will enjoy Sam's description of destroyer life: the food, the chores, the mental stresses. And then the combat. What's clear is the destroyer U.S.S. Stevens is not a mere ship but the home of hundreds of young men. Delightful details of US Navy life abound: the time honored USN ritual when crossing the Equator, naval terminology (Port-Starboard-Fantail, etc.).A Sailor's Story brings us a fantastic firsthand view of the Second World War by a vet who was there. Heartbreaking aspects of Sam's life: he is an orphan deeply attached to his dog Beauty. Read this and respect this.Rest In Power Mr. Glanzman and thank you for your service and your art.

I bought this for my grandson just days before he left for Navy Boot Camp. He hasn't had a chance to read it yet, but it looked interesting. Hope he likes it

The story was great. WWII was fought by a lot of farm boys who struggled through the depression. For many, the trip to boot camp was the first time they traveled more than 20 miles from the place where they were born. This book tells that story well. It also does a great job of explaining the weapons an the life of a Destryerman in that conflict. The format made it somewhat difficult to navigate through the pages.

In 1987, I bought a graphic novel by renowned war comics artist Sam Glanzman, who had made a name for himself illustrating DC comics' varying war titles. I hadn't really heard of him, but he released a graphic novel with Marvel called "A Sailor's Story," which I bought and immediately fell in love with. It's a unique book in that it is illustrated by someone with experience in sequential storytelling, and who actually was assigned to a Destroyer during World War II.This autobiographical book is funny, endearing, sad, tragic and very much very day-in-the-life. We get a unique illustrated perspective of a sailor's downtime, along with the fret and fury of all-out battle.Shortly after that Graphic Novel was released, a follow-up story was released that gave more anecdotes about his tour with the USS Stevens in the Pacific during World War II. But for some reason, I never bought it.Earlier this year, this combination was released by Dover that puts book one and book two together, along with page after page of accolades heaped upon him by comics greats and industry legends. It is a truly wonderful piece of work, and worth every penny.

My Dad served on a Fletcher Class Destroyer in the Pacific during World War II, I found this book very interesting and allowed me an insight to life on board during the war. It also helped fill in some details that my Dad shared with me. Some funny, some dangerous ie. Kamikaze attacks, landing zone bombardments and submarine attacks. My Dad has been gone for almost 6 years now but this book keeps him close.

This is essentially a comic book version of Mr. Glanzman's experiences in the Navy during World War Two. Written and drawn by Mr. Glanzman, it illustrates (pun definitely intended!) his keen eye for the little and big things in life. Mr. Glanzman has had a long career in the comics field, so this is polished but not slick, real but not amateurish. A treat for anyone interested in WW II or superior comics storytelling. Highly recommended!Note: One day, DC Comics will realize what a treasure they have in the USS Stevens stories that Glanzman wrote and drew for Sgt. Rock and GI Combat back in the 1970s. Those include fictionalized accounts of his experiences, and will one day make a wonderful companion book. It's worth checking to see if that day has yet come. If so, that book is also highly recommended.