Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1357100 in Books
• Published on: 2005-08-30
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 288 pages

From School Library Journal
Adult/High School–An English teacher at the Naval Academy for almost 20 years, Fleming gives readers a good look at the institution as seen by a civilian on the inside. This liberal man, trying to teach largely conservative students to appreciate lifes gray areas, has had a lot of years to discern and perfect his view of what the academy and its students are about, and he covers all of it in a thoughtful, readable way. He contrasts the structured regimen with the Great Books curriculum at St. Johns College across the street, discusses male bonding and the problems it creates for the acceptance of women middies, describes a few days underwater on a cramped nuclear sub, and talks about USNA admissions policies and their harmful effects. He also reports on some of the superintendents under whom he has worked and contrasts the liberal personality with the conservative, and the meaning of the latter (military) protecting the former (almost everybody else). Not only will teens contemplating attending any service academy be fascinated by this book, but it will also hold interest for anyone contemplating becoming an officer (this includes ROTC) as well as those thinking of teaching, especially English.–Judy McAloon, Potomac Library, Prince William County, VA
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