Jonah's Cathedral: A novel of the Vietnam War - Paperback

by R. D. Wall (Author)

On the day Navy Gunner's Mate Jonah Wynchester stopped to examine the rusting ship moored alongside the pier, he didn't realize how his life was about to change. He couldn't begin to imagine just how surreal his new home would be; a rolling, pitching, nauseous world ruled by eccentric misfits in the harsh, demanding environment of a ship at sea. Nor could he visualize having to unravel the mystery of who was to stand with him or who would fight against him. And he certainly didn't foresee what the ebb and flow of destiny held in store as he steamed across the vastness of two oceans into the deadly brown waters of Vietnam. He was about to get underway on a floating knife edge, balancing between his fear of going to war and seeking the love of a woman he didn't deserve.

Author Biography

R.D. Wall served in the U.S. Navy in the Atlantic and Pacific Fleets, and the Mekong Delta and coastal waters of Vietnam. While in the Navy he kept a journal of his daily observations and experiences; his many notes eventually forming the foundation of the Jonah Wynchester Series of Vietnam War novels. Following the navy, he worked as a newspaper reporter, sailmaker and yacht broker, and spent 30 years involved in the design, building, outfitting and sailing of one-design and large ocean racing yachts. He is also an experienced alpine mountaineer, having climbed throughout the French and Swiss Alps, and the North Cascades. In the 1990s he owned a historic inn on Vermont's Lamoille River specializing in fly fishing, with fly shop, fly fishing school and guide services. In addition to his writing, he paints seascapes and landscapes in oils and watercolor. He lives with his wife Jo, and dachshund Saltydog, amid the oak and pine woods of north Florida.