Bathtub Admirals

Retired navy commander Huber’s debut novel is a profane and hilarious parody of the post–Cold War navy. Huber’s hero is Jack Hogan, a straight arrow trying to keep his sanity in a bureaucratic culture where connections and politics trump competence. Hogan’s career appears bright during the waning days of the Cold War, but when the iron curtain crumbles, the “sandbox generals and bathtub admirals” are reduced to playing war, and Hogan’s stock sinks while that of careerists like his friend Buzz Rucci rises. Huber is funniest when satirizing the bureaucratic infighting and petty rules ingrained in naval culture, but he also scores direct hits on feminism, politicians and the military’s policy toward homosexuals. Populated by outrageous characters and fueled with pompous outrage, Huber’s irreverent broadside will pummel the funny bone of anyone who’s served. (Apr.)