Nightmare in the Pacific: the World War II saga of Artie Shaw and his navy band
Michael Doyle
- Resource Type:
- Book (Print/Paper)
- Publication:
- Denton, Texas : University of North Texas Press, [2025]
- Copyright:
- ©2025
More Details
- Summary:
- "Artie Shaw took his clarinet to war, abandoning civilian celebrity to lead World War II's most colorful navy band on an island-hopping odyssey that raised military morale but brought him into dark waters. Nightmare in the Pacific: The World War II Saga of Artie Shaw and His Navy Band recounts the offbeat wartime adventures of the bandleader and the musicians he recruited for the hard-swinging outfit popularly dubbed Shaw's Rangers. This team of all-stars, seasoned pros, and promising up-and-comers were unmatched musically though never exactly squared away. The group's eleven-month overseas deployment started with an extended stay as a house band at a Pearl Harbor club for enlisted men. The cushy gig turned serious when Shaw's Rangers shipped out on a battleship for the far reaches of New Caledonia, the New Hebrides, and, most fatefully, Guadalcanal. It was there that the musicians would come under fire and Shaw's own indomitable will would crack. But then, in an unexpected and poignant coda, the band that Artie Shaw conjured into existence would reach its musical peak once he was out of the picture. Tapping a trove of navy personnel files, medical records, court documents and archival materials, as well as contemporary accounts, Nightmare in the Pacific combines musical and military history into one unique saga"-- [Provided by publisher]
- Table of Contents:
- "All Worked Up Inside"
- Taking Off
- Young Man in a Hurry
- Battle of the Bands
- The Enlisted Man
- From Minesweeper to Bandstand
- "A Pretty Good Group"
- Meet the Band
- Shipping Out
- The Breakers
- New Caledonia
- Beyond Noumea
- Guadalcanal
- Nightmare
- The New Zealand Beat
- "The Ladies Were Wonderful"
- Down Under
- "Wake Up Screaming"
- "Shaw Is Not Well"
- A "Dying Duck"
- England
- Rearrangements.
- Author/Creator:
- Doyle, Michael, 1956- , author
- Languages:
- English
- Language Notes:
- Item content: English
- Main Work:
- Other Related Resources:
- Online version: Nightmare in the Pacific [by Doyle, M.] (Denton, Texas : University of North Texas Press, [2024] — ISBN 1574419560; ISBN 9781574419566; LCCN 2024042371; OCLC Number 1455841346)
- Subjects:
- Genres:
- General Notes:
- Includes bibliographical references and index.
- Physical Description:
- vi, 278 pages, 16 pages of unnumbered plates : illustrations, maps ; 24 cm
- Call Numbers:
- ML419.S52 D69 2025
- ISBNs:
- 9781574419467 (cloth)
1574419463
9781574419566 (ebook) [Invalid] - Library of Congress Control Numbers:
- 2024042370
- OCLC Numbers:
- 1435617292