Into Enemy Waters: A World War II Story of the Demolition Divers Who Became the Navy SEALS

With a tone reminiscent of a wartime newsreel, narrator Basil Sands infuses the drama, intensity, and authority of period broadcasters into award-winning journalist Dubbins’s history of the U.S. Navy’s Underwater Demolition Teams (UDTs) during World War II. The story is presented from the viewpoint of George Morgan, one of the last surviving members of the UDT, and Lt. Draper Kauffman, who provided the vision and direction for this groundbreaking program, a forerunner to the Navy SEALs. Sands excels when narrating the heat of battle, describing each conflict in detail, and palpably bringing out the graphic horror of war. Post-battle, the weariness felt by the men as they reported what they saw and experienced is just as tangible. Sands shines as he captures luminaries who shared wartime experiences with these and other courageous “frogmen.” He replicates the tone quality and vocal pitch of leaders such as Lt. Junior Grade George H.W. Bush, Adm. William “Bull” Halsey Jr., and Gen. Douglas MacArthur. Mispronunciations of multiple location names and naval terms were noted.