Best of Enemies

About the Book

Suppose fate placed you on an inflatable life-raft in the middle of the freezing Atlantic Ocean along with your most bitter enemy contrivable? Would the emotions of hatred, revenge and love of country trump the desire to survive, if killing that enemy ensured your own demise? Captain Mat Richardson, USN, and Emil Gluckler, a German submarine commander, experience that option during the 2nd World War. Mat, captain of a small destroyer, and Emil, commander of an attacking submarine, become stranded on a life- raft after each of the combatant crafts sink each other during a fierce naval engagement. They subsequently experience 38 harrowing days striving for survival. If nothing else, this required the ultimate in mutual cooperation. If the two survived, would the events have a lasting effect on their relationship? Or, if one had the opportunity to kill the other at a later date in a new war-time circumstance, would he do so, or not?

About the Author

The author graduated from Santa Clara University with a Master’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering and has worked 40 years in the Engineering Field, awarded several patents in the glass fiber-forming process. George, however, has written extensively all his life including 5 other books: Mentor (historical narrative), Long Before Glasnost (history), Living On Lifesavers (memoir), Knee High to Hell (memoir) and How Changing World Demographics Affects your Investments & Careers (financial). Instead of rapaciously focusing only on cement, cold steel and unchangeable physical laws -- the holy grail of engineering -- during off hours and vacations his mind danced with ideas for books: conflicts, crises and resolutions, his own and the experiences of others, real and unreal. The author retired in 2006 giving him more time to focus on writing exclusively. His personal writing now includes the 6 books and a collection of 9 short stories. He concurrently served on the Board of Directors as Secretary and Newsletter contributor for 2 NGO non-profit organizations -- World Runners and Global Partners for Development.