Norfolk to Abadan and the Long Way Home By Louis Cattera (154 pages, photos, maps) Reviewer:  Bernie Ditter Overall Rating: Three stars--Recommended. A solid effort. For anyone reading the history of our military it becomes clear that there are characteristics that attach to each specific conflict that differentiates it from others.  During the past week I have read two books written by two sailors on different ships in different parts of the world during times that we do not read or hear much about.  Truthfully these are not books that I would ordinarily recommend but for that distinction. For those who have read countless books about  the US Navy during WWII and Korea these books offer a view during a different time. This is one of those books.   Louis Cattera writes from his personal journal and his recollections about a unique time in our history.  His story is particularly interesting  in the contrast that he presents of the middle east then (1956-57) and now. He and his shipmates are caught up in the conflict between Israel and Egypt and the subsequent closing of the Suez Canal;  a period when no one was quite sure who the bad guys were.  Also a time not written about extensively.   The thrust of his story is about having traveled one way through the Canal but because of the conflict not being able to return the same way resulting in a 15,000 mile return trip to the USA. While he shares with us his shipboard life and his visits to various ports of call in that intriguing part of world we are given a lesson in the geography of a region that does not look at all today as it did then. For those who are familiar with all ports of the Pacific this sojourn through the Middle East is fascinating. .