Vice-Admiral William Paden Mack (1915-2003) was born in Hillsboro, Illinois. He entered the U.S. Naval Academy in 1933 and graduated with the degree of Bachelor of Science and commissioned Ensign in the U. S. Navy.
He was assigned to the battleship USS Idaho and served as a junior officer in all departments of that battleship before joining the destroyer USS John D. Ford, where he was serving as Gunnery Officer at the outbreak of World War II. He then served as Aide and Flag Lieutenant to the Commander Amphibious Force, Pacific before becoming Executive Officer of USS Preston. He finished the war commanding the destroyer USS Woodworth.
Mack spent the bulk of his seagoing career aboard destroyers, commanding ships, divisions and squadrons. He also served as a deputy assistant secretary of defense, 7th Fleet commander and superintendent of the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis.
Better known for World War II fiction he wrote two series, one about Fergus Kilburnie and his Royal Navy career in the age of sail and a second about Matthew Christopher and his and his continental navy career.
Age of Sail: Fiction
AOS Naval Fiction |
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| Series: Fergus Kilburnie | ||
| Year | Book | Comment |
| Captain Kilburnie | This novel charts the rise through the ranks of Fergus Kilburnie, one of the first Scotsmen to serve as an officer. | |
| Commodore Kilburnie | Scotsman Fergus Kilburnie returns to Nelson's Navy to do battle with England's enemies | |
| Series: Matthew Christopher | ||
| Year | Book | Comment |
| 1775 | Lieutenant Christopher | 18 year-old Matthew Christopher leaves his father's Annapolis shipyard and is soon serving as aide to John Paul Jones on the frigate Ranger |
| Christopher and the Quasi-War with France | Captain Matthew Christopher and the crew of the Mary are drafted to ward off the French. | |
Modern Era: Fiction
Modern Era Naval Fiction |
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| Series: The Destroyer Series | ||
| Year | Book | Comment |
| WWII | South to Java | The crew of the destroyer O'Leary must weather the initial Japanese onslaught |
| WWII | Pursuit of the Seawolf | The USS O'Leary is attacked by the Nazis' newest superweapon, the Seawolf. |
| WWII | Checkfire! | The story of the USS Truxton converted into an amphibious transport for the Pacific Island campaigns. |
| WWII | New Guinea | The USS Carson takes part in operations supporting McArthur's advance. |
| 1943 | Straits of Messina | The USS Lawrence sails into a Mediterranean sea controlled in part by the Axis powers. |
| 1944 | Normandy | The USS Lawrence is in the English Channel, preparing to take part in the Allied invasion of France. |