# My book about my time at sea as an R/O in the '70's



## brewj (Feb 26, 2007)

I have just self-published an account of my time at sea as a Radio Officer in the 1970's. The title is 'The Radio Officer is dead' and it is available as an e-book on Amazon at:
Amazon.com: The Radio Officer is dead: Life at sea for a Marine Radio Officer in the 1970’s eBook: Brew, John: Kindle Store 
It may be downloaded to a Kindle e-reader, or in various other ways as well; see online.


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## djringjr (Feb 11, 2008)

There was discussion of this book on the [email protected] email list, it was very well liked.

Congrats on the publication!

73
DR


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## brewj (Feb 26, 2007)

djringjr said:


> There was discussion of this book on the [email protected] email list, it was very well liked.
> 
> Congrats on the publication!
> 
> ...


Thanks. I was not aware of the discussion. I will check it out.


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## Larry Bennett (Aug 28, 2005)

Halfway through the book. Thoroughly enjoying it, and recommend it highly. 

Larry +


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## Troppo (Feb 18, 2010)

I'm about a quarter of the way in. You write well, but some more tech details would have been nice.


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## Troppo (Feb 18, 2010)

OK, finished.

As I said above, you write well. The stories and characters are well crafted. It is always difficult with a book of this type deciding who the audience are..

For a non-seagoing reader, the book provides an interesting insight into the MN of the 70s.

From an R/O's perspective it would have been nice to see some more technical details of the equipment and related technical/watchkeeping stories - perhaps in an annex or two..


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## Harry Nicholson (Oct 11, 2005)

brewj said:


> I have just self-published an account of my time at sea as a Radio Officer in the 1970's. The title is 'The Radio Officer is dead' and it is available as an e-book on Amazon at:
> Amazon.com: The Radio Officer is dead: Life at sea for a Marine Radio Officer in the 1970’s eBook: Brew, John: Kindle Store
> It may be downloaded to a Kindle e-reader, or in various other ways as well; see online.


Well done, John. There needs to be more books of this sort. I've just downloaded the kindle version. I have two in publication in the same genre, but as an r/o in the 50/60s. The latest is, 'You'll See Wonders'. It is usually in the top twenty in the Amazon category 'Ships' or 'Ship references'. I see you have placed yours in 'Travel' and 'Memoir' - You might be more easily discovered in categories specifically devoted to ships. With the thousands of titles that appear each year nowadays, a well-focussed category placement can avoid a book getting lost in the welter of new issues.
Good fortune with the new book.
Harry


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## brewj (Feb 26, 2007)

Harry Nicholson said:


> Well done, John. There needs to be more books of this sort. I've just downloaded the kindle version. I have two in publication in the same genre, but as an r/o in the 50/60s. The latest is, 'You'll See Wonders'. It is usually in the top twenty in the Amazon category 'Ships' or 'Ship references'. I see you have placed yours in 'Travel' and 'Memoir' - You might be more easily discovered in categories specifically devoted to ships. With the thousands of titles that appear each year nowadays, a well-focussed category placement can avoid a book getting lost in the welter of new issues.
> Good fortune with the new book.
> Harry


Hello Harry,
Thanks for you generous comments about my book.
I take your point about categories. This is my first ever publication, so I was really undecided as to how to choose the most appropriate or relevant categories. I will definitely revisit this.
Thanks again,
John


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## Hrvatska (Jun 24, 2019)

John thank you!
You are a gifted writer. it was a pleasure learning and traveling with you.
I was a 20 year old hippy passenger headed for Italy on the Yugoslav M/S Hrvatska in 1961 when the Alantic was a glassy lake. I returned in 1962 returned to the US on the Slovenija during the March Ash Wenesday storm. Here's an excerpt from my diary:
"I was in the pilot house, oblivious to the danger, marveling at the spinning disks of glass which remained transparent when the view from all other windows was obscured by the intense rain and spray. The Captain told me we were sailing toward Bermuda instead of New York in order to penetrate the enormous waves, the crests of which towered high above the ship. According to the Captain, the engines were running at full power and we were moving several knots backwards. One of the Canadian widows and the Croatian woman fell and broke her arm. When we docked in New York, we looked down into one of the hatches and saw that a Volkswagen bus had been crushed by a shifted cargo of capers and olives. For several days, my sea legs continued to bend and shift.”
Thank you for the pleasure and nostalgia!
Rayburn Beale


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## DickGraham (Oct 2, 2017)

Dear John  ,

Just finished reading your book (bought the print version!). Well done, it was an excellent read and rang quite a few bells with me with "when are you going back?", "used but good", the pilots chair, Botlek Stores and others.
Thanks very much
cheers
Dick


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## Pat bourke (Jun 30, 2007)

brewj said:


> I have just self-published an account of my time at sea as a Radio Officer in the 1970's. The title is 'The Radio Officer is dead' and it is available as an e-book on Amazon at:
> Amazon.com: The Radio Officer is dead: Life at sea for a Marine Radio Officer in the 1970’s eBook: Brew, John: Kindle Store
> It may be downloaded to a Kindle e-reader, or in various other ways as well; see online.


Greetings John, I have just ordered the printed version of your book. Looking forward to reading same. I am a former MIMCO man and also went to the Marine Radio College, Limerick in the early 70's.


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## brewj (Feb 26, 2007)

Hrvatska said:


> John thank you!
> You are a gifted writer. it was a pleasure learning and traveling with you.
> I was a 20 year old hippy passenger headed for Italy on the Yugoslav M/S Hrvatska in 1961 when the Alantic was a glassy lake. I returned in 1962 returned to the US on the Slovenija during the March Ash Wenesday storm. Here's an excerpt from my diary:
> "I was in the pilot house, oblivious to the danger, marveling at the spinning disks of glass which remained transparent when the view from all other windows was obscured by the intense rain and spray. The Captain told me we were sailing toward Bermuda instead of New York in order to penetrate the enormous waves, the crests of which towered high above the ship. According to the Captain, the engines were running at full power and we were moving several knots backwards. One of the Canadian widows and the Croatian woman fell and broke her arm. When we docked in New York, we looked down into one of the hatches and saw that a Volkswagen bus had been crushed by a shifted cargo of capers and olives. For several days, my sea legs continued to bend and shift.”
> ...


Thanks for your comments, Rayburn. I'm glad you enjoyed it.


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## brewj (Feb 26, 2007)

DickGraham said:


> Dear John  ,
> 
> Just finished reading your book (bought the print version!). Well done, it was an excellent read and rang quite a few bells with me with "when are you going back?", "used but good", the pilots chair, Botlek Stores and others.
> Thanks very much
> ...


And thanks to you, Dick. It's great to get positive comments - John


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## brewj (Feb 26, 2007)

Pat bourke said:


> Greetings John, I have just ordered the printed version of your book. Looking forward to reading same. I am a former MIMCO man and also went to the Marine Radio College, Limerick in the early 70's.


Thanks, Pat. I hope you enjoy it - John


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## Joe Kav (Jun 3, 2021)

brewj said:


> I have just self-published an account of my time at sea as a Radio Officer in the 1970's. The title is 'The Radio Officer is dead' and it is available as an e-book on Amazon at:
> Amazon.com: The Radio Officer is dead: Life at sea for a Marine Radio Officer in the 1970’s eBook: Brew, John: Kindle Store
> It may be downloaded to a Kindle e-reader, or in various other ways as well; see online.


Congratulations John. I really enjoyed your book. I got lots of laughs from the incidents, the characters and your descriptions. 
Poli Kalo
Joe


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## wsrmb01 (May 24, 2020)

I read this book on my Kindle app, and almost read it in one sitting. Thoroughly enjoyed it! I wish now I had kept all my G.C.N.S. Notes on my radio & Radar courses, as I believe my parents threw them out during a house move. Well done, it was a very good read and jogged a few of MY memories, I can tell you!


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## brewj (Feb 26, 2007)

Joe Kav said:


> Congratulations John. I really enjoyed your book. I got lots of laughs from the incidents, the characters and your descriptions.
> Poli Kalo
> Joe


Thanks Joe.
I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Regards
John


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## brewj (Feb 26, 2007)

wsrmb01 said:


> I read this book on my Kindle app, and almost read it in one sitting. Thoroughly enjoyed it! I wish now I had kept all my G.C.N.S. Notes on my radio & Radar courses, as I believe my parents threw them out during a house move. Well done, it was a very good read and jogged a few of MY memories, I can tell you!


Thanks,
It's always good to get positive feedback.
Regards
John


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