Shadows on the Horizon (subtitled: The Battle of Convoy HX-233) By:  Winthrop A. Haskell (192 pages, photos, drawings, maps) Reviewed by: Bob Cohen Three Stars: Recommended. A solid effort "Shadows on the Horizon" is about an allied convoy that sailed from America to England in April, 1943.  This voyage may be considered the turning point of the Battle of the Atlantic since its coordinated defense against a determined U-boat attack denied the Germans the victories they had been achieving prior to this time.  The author served as a merchant seaman onboard an American tanker during this particular convoy, and is a veteran of many others. The book isn't about the author's personal recollections, however.  It's an exhaustively researched analysis that examines the convoy's battle from many different perspectives.  In some cases the author succeeds in clarifying what had previously been conflicting accounts from opposing players.  He has done this through extensive examination of primary source documents as well as by personal interviews with survivors. The author does evince a curious anti-American bias.  There are numerous negative characterizations of the US Navy and Coast Guard throughout the book, some of which appear to be quite subjective in nature.  While mistakes certainly were made by all, the author includes critical comments about Americans, yet there seem to be no similar commentaries about the British, Canadians or Germans.  For example, a US Navy failure is described as "inept," while a Royal Navy failure is described as "ill-starred."  Oddly, the post-battle POW experiences of two crewmembers of U-175 are given fairly lengthy and sympathetic coverage in the book's epilogue.  Quite interesting, but a little off the subject. Despite this, "Shadows on the Horizon" gives detailed insights into merchant, U-boat and surface escort operations.  There is a good variety of photographs, maps and drawings, all closely related to the narrative.  The book is attractively bound with hardcover and quality paper.  Overall, "Shadows on the Horizon" is well worth reading.          Availability: Naval Institute Press (800) 233-8764