Annapolis
PRAISE FOR WILLIAM MARTIN
“A writer whose smoothness matches his ambition.”
—Publishers Weekly
“A rip-roaring page turner. A perfect read.”
—The Boston Globe on Back Bay
“Utterly fascinating … The unexpected twists and turns will keep readers guessing and the pages turning.”
—Booklist on Harvard Yard
“Smart, witty, terrific storytelling … A great sprawling read. Enjoy!”
—Allan Folsom, New York Times bestselling author of The Machiavelli Covenant
“Martin’s style is perfectly suited to this wedding of multigenerational saga and detective drama.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“Teems with memorable characters, … suspense, authenticity, and conflict.”
—Chicago Tribune on Cape Cod
“A deft, spicy, and exciting blend of fact and fiction.”
—USA Today on Citizen Washington
BOOKS BY WILLIAM MARTIN
Back Bay
Nerve Endings
The Rising of the Moon
Cape Cod
*Annapolis
Citizen Washington
Harvard Yard
*The Lost Constitution
*City of Dreams
*From Tom Doherty Associates
ANNAPOLIS
WILLIAM MARTIN
A TOM DOHERTY ASSOCIATES BOOK
NEW YORK
The author and publisher have provided this e-book to you without Digital Rights Management software (DRM) applied so that you can enjoy reading it on your personal devices. This e-book is for your personal use only. You may not print or post this e-book, or make this e-book publicly available in any way. You may not copy, reproduce or upload this e-book, other than to read it on one of your personal devices.
Copyright infringement is against the law. If you believe the copy of this e-book you are reading infringes on the author’s copyright, please notify the publisher at: us.macmillanusa.com/piracy.
NOTE: If you purchased this book without a cover, you should be aware that this book is stolen property. It was reported as “unsold and destroyed” to the publisher, and neither the author nor the publisher has received any payment for this “stripped book.”
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
ANNAPOLIS
Copyright © 1996 by William Martin
Originally published in 1996 by Warner Books.
All rights reserved.
A Forge Book
Published by Tom Doherty Associates, LLC
175 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10010
www.tor-forge.com
Forge® is a registered trademark of Tom Doherty Associates, LLC.
ISBN 978-0-7653-6360-2
First Forge Edition: April 2010
Printed in the United States of America
0 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
For Chris
And three great kids
… always
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
On a bitter cold Sunday afternoon sometime in January of 1960 (I know the year because I remember being in the fourth grade at the time), my father took me to visit the USS Constitution, at the Charlestown Navy Yard in Boston.
I don’t recall my first impression of the spar deck. But I’ll never forget the sense of awe that I felt when I descended to the gundeck and saw those great black cannon, sitting there silently, like sleeping beasts. Our guide, a young sailor, told the story of the ship and her battles, and when he was done, I went running from gun to gun, fighting an imaginary battle of my own, complete with the sound effects that every little boy seemed genetically programmed to make.
My love of American naval history was born that day, so I should thank my father before anyone else.
One of the joys of writing a novel that requires a wide range of research is that I get to meet a wide range of people who offer me their insights and opinions, share their experiences and expertise, answer my questions and challenge my assumptions, all for the simple love of their work. Some will see their contributions here in black and white; others will find them buried between the lines. But my deepest thanks to all who helped.
In Annapolis: Linnell Bowen, formerly of the Historic Annapolis Foundation, and all the docents and staff at Historic Annapolis; Alfred A. Hopkins, mayor of Annapolis; three women whose writings and knowledge place them among the leading historians of the city—Phebe Jacobsen, Mame E. Warren, and Jane McWilliams; Christopher Nelson, president of Saint John’s College; Greg Stiverson, former director of the Maryland State Archives; the archives staff; Pam Williams and Mary Lou Blakely of Three Centuries Tours; innkeeper Rob Zuchelli.
At the United States Naval Academy: Admiral Charles R. Larson, superintendent; Captain Tom Jurkowsky; the many junior officers and midshipmen who took time to talk with me. Also James Cheevers; the staff of the Academy archives; and especially Kenneth Hagan, professor emeritus and director emeritus of the Academy museum and archives, who helped me to think like a naval historian.
Also in Maryland: Patti and Dawson Farber; the staff and docents at Sotterley, in Saint Mary’s County; the people who keep the past alive at Historic Saint Mary’s City.
Aboard the USS America: Captain R. E. Suggs, commanding officer; Commander J. Michael Denkler, executive officer; Lt. Commander Steven Lowry, public affairs officer; and all the officers and crew of the giant aircraft carrier. They gave me the run of the ship, from the engine rooms to the flag bridge, and sent me off with what they call the E-ticket ride: a catapult shot in a C-2 Greyhound.
Aboard the USS Annapolis: Commander Steve Chapman, commanding officer; Lt. Commander Jeff Hughes, executive officer; and all the officers and crew of the attack sub. Again, they gave me the run of the ship, from torpedo room to sail. I took the helm at four hundred feet and got the submariner’s version of an E-ticket ride: the emergency blow, when the submarine surfaces like a breaching whale.
Other active duty naval officers; Rear Admiral Richard Buchanan of Submarine Group Two; Commander Michael Beck of the USS Constitution; Lt. Commander Scott Harris; Lieutenant Jeff Dodge; Lieutenant William Fenick; and a special thanks to Commander Dave Morris, public affairs officer for New England, who opened doors, made contacts, and got quick answers to all my questions.
Retired officers and families: Captain Roger Deveau; Captain Basil “Buzz” Livas and his wife, Jan; Captain Daniel O’Connell and his wife, Sheila; Commander Richard B. Amirault; Lt. Commander Peter Bagley and his wife, Adrienne; Commander F. H. “Skip” Fumia; Commander Peter Kallin; Lieutenant (jg) Hank McQueeney, an intelligence officer aboard the carrier USS Ticonderoga in the Tonkin Gulf, August 1964; and Richard G.
1 comment