Review of The Castaway’s War: One Man’s Battle Against Imperial Japan by Stephen Harding Rating ***
There is a compelling story to be told in The Castaway’s War, but several things got in the way for me. I mostly listen to books, and I almost always buy both the Kindle and audiobook versions so I can switch back and forth. In this case, that flexibility didn’t help as much as it usually does.
As with any narrative nonfiction, you need some background before you reach the main event. I’ve only read one nonfiction book that skipped almost all background and delivered pure action — Black Hawk Down by Mark Bowden. Here, you need the context of Hugh Miller’s life and the events that brought him to the Solomon Islands in 1943 to appreciate what happens after his ship, the USS Strong, is struck by a torpedo and sinks.
The story of a lone sailor surviving a sinking and then evading capture is what drew me to this book. The last WWII naval history I read was Neptune’s Inferno — a great book, but heavy on death and destruction. The Castaway’s War is narrower in scope, focusing on the sinking of the Strong and Miller’s life before, during, and after that night.
My first issue was the narration. Given that the author and narrator share a last name, I assume there’s a family connection. I might have rated the book higher if the narration hadn’t been so flat. This is one instance where an AI narrator might actually have done a better job. The background sections sounded like someone reading a ship’s log while racing a stopwatch.
The next issue, equally frustrating, was the complete lack of images. It’s possible the print version includes them, but my Kindle edition had no photos, no maps, no illustrations. For a book like this, that’s unforgivable. A simple map of the Solomon Islands would have made a world of difference. I wanted to see the ship, the people involved, and Hugh Miller himself. I can’t necessarily blame the author, but I can certainly point out the omission.
Despite those complaints, once the narrative reaches the night of the sinking, the story moves quickly and the rapid-fire narration becomes less distracting. The post‑rescue section is also interesting, especially the many attempts to bring Miller’s story to the big screen.
I can recommend the book — the core story is worth knowing — but I can’t give it a higher rating for the reasons above.