In the Author Spotlight ...
Don Napolitano,
Author of
Submarine Commander Jodi Bennington

 

 

“Commander, you mean to tell this Board of Inquiry that your intent was to fire
your torpedoes at our closest ally the British?” asked the Provost.
Commander Bennington replied, “Yes sir.”

 

Jodi Bennington is the first woman to command a U.S. nuclear powered attack submarine. The Shark Fin is a 1.3 Billion-dollar weapon of mass destruction. In Don Napolitano's new book, Submarine Commander Jodi Bennington, Jodi and her crew play a deadly game of tag with a rogue British submarine bearing nuclear weapons.

Author Don Napolitano has always been fascinated and a big fan of submarines. "I must have been a sub commander in a previous life," laughs Don. "There have been many movies and books written about submarines and their crew. I always thought I could come up with a story of my own that would challenge the best of them."

In the book, the main confrontation takes place in the North Atlantic 680 miles north of Bermuda in the area known as the Hatteras Abyss, where in 1986 the Russian nuclear submarine K-219 caught fire and sunk.

"In my research I realized that there were no women in submarines other than during construction," Don explains. "The U S Navy had women only on surface ships. I decided to change the person in charge (commander) to a woman knowing that some day there would be women on board and in charge." This presented several questions that actually help create the story line with the crew. The main character finds herself challenged by her assignment, the gender gap between herself and her crew, a hostile male board of inquiry, and her fateful decisions regarding the use of weapons. *Note: The Navy has decided and officially stated in April 2010, that they will begin training women to serve on submarines.

Don Napolitano graduated from the University of San Francisco, with Master's degrees in Human Resources and Organizational Development. He is a Captain in the United States Coast Guard, Eleventh District Southern Region Auxiliary, serving Southern California. His responsibilities include participation in search and rescue patrols, and Homeland Security projects. His span of responsibilities encompasses three Divisions that represent approximately 500 men and women.

Don has 2 adult children and 5 grandchildren. He is currently dating Dr. Debra Holland, a well know Psychotherapist. When not writing, he enjoys cooking and spending time on his ocean going boat. He is working on a follow up story to Jodi Bennington Submarine Commander and a follow up to his first book: Divorce, Why me? Why Not! titled Marriage, Divorce and the 10 Commandants.