Quicksilver: A Greyhound at Sea By CDR Jack L. Wells, USN Ret. (377 pages) Reviewer:  Bernie Ditter Overall Rating: Three stars--Recommended. A solid effort. Commander Wells writes with authority which makes this fictional account of a destroyer's action during the Viet Nam War very readable. Were this book to be autobiographical it could be entitled "The Making of a Commander". The characters come alive and most readers will find themselves putting names and faces to each from their own shipboard experiences. Through the eyes of Ensign Dillon, both newly commissioned and newly married, we are given an insider's view to the development of an officer, in this instance a "Mustang". Having been enlisted before being commissioned we see the result of his being considered as being too concerned with the interests of the non-officer population. The tension between him and his immediate superior is introduced early in the book and continues through to the end. The interaction between the officers and the clear delineation between junior grade and senior officers may come as a surprise to many former enlisted readers. As one, at 18, I viewed Officers Country as a club where every one but the Captain was equal. The internecine conduct as portrayed in this book will disabuse any reader from that view. The day to day life at sea is familiar to any who has been there. The experiences in the war zone are reminiscent of the shore battery detail during the Korean Conflict and one can almost feel the sea beneath them as they read. The detail on every page will keep the reader attached. The author's credibility is established early on and continues to the end. Indeed, the end notes themselves are a primer to navy life. Two or three story lines are too important to reveal in a review and the readers will have to find them for themselves. They add personal and tragic dimensions to this well written novel about a time that many might like to forget. Ordering Information Tin Can Sailors Ship's Store