Red Crew: Fighting the War on Drugs with Reagan’s Coast Guard is a thrilling true-life account of U.S. Coast Guard maritime drug interdiction, search-and-rescue, migrant interdiction, and national defense operations. Red Crew chronicles the challenges, pressures, failures, and successes of an elite law enforcement terming serving aboard a fleet of high-speed, high-tech cutters, as they face dangerous seas, confront sophisticated smugglers, engage in high-speed chases, and make a bevy of life-and-death decisions. Red Crew expertly captures the spirit of the Coast Guard men and women who put themselves in harm’s way to protect our nation at sea.
“Red Crew is a great, great book.” Nautical Talk Radio
“A fast-paced account of true Coast Guard heroes that would no doubt make President Reagan proud.” Barnes & Noble Review
This is by far the best first-hand narrative of the maritime drug wars I have ever read. Extraordinarily detailed and expertly crafted so as to provide a nuanced appreciation of the Coast Guard’s leadership and expertise in the cat-and-mouse effort to interdict marijuana and cocaine off the Florida coast. Red Crew will be quickly devoured and readers will be asking author Jim Howe; “what’s next?” Amazon Review
“Adventure at its finest … truly nothing short of an inspirational page-turner.” The Bulletin
“A fascinating book, told by a sailor who combines the technical expertise of Tom Clancy and Pat Conroy’s mastery of the English language.” Military Officer Magazine
“For some unknown reason, published autobiographical accounts of service in the United States Coast Guard can be counted on the fingers of one hand. All students of United States maritime history should be thankful that Captain Jim Howe has seen fit to write an entertaining and engrossing account of his time at sea with the Coast Guard during the Reagan Presidency … Overall, the book is a pleasure to read and an enlightening look at Coast Guard drug interdiction operations during the early 1980s. Hopefully, a few more Coast Guard sailors, after reading this book, will commit their tales of service to paper and preserve for future generations the reason why the United States has a Coast Guard.” The Journal of America’s Military Past
“Jim Howe dramatically captures the courage and sacrifice that the Nation may require of its ‘Coasties’ on any given day. Whether it be putting their lives on the line to save a vessel and crew in distress on a lee shore under storm-force winds, or facing down violent drug smugglers on the high seas, Red Crew tells it like it is for these maritime heroes.” Captain Bruce Miller, USN (Ret), former Assistant to the Vice President for Homeland Security Affairs, and commanding officer, USS City of Corpus Christi (SSN 705) and USS Alaska (SSBN 732G)
“Captain Howe’s excellent book is hard to put down. He covers a unique period in Coast Guard history, when technology finally caught up with and integrated into Coast Guard operations, allowing specialized teams to successfully carry out complex missions. I truly savored Red Crew and hope others will enjoy it as much as I did.” Master Chief Vince Patton, U.S. Coast Guard (ret.), Eighth Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard
