"I believe that a writer should constantly feed his fires by being on the go, doing different things, seeking new experiences," Theodore Taylor once noted. Putting that philosophy into practice in his own life, Taylor has served as a newspaperman, magazine writer, and movie publicist, managed a prize fighter, worked as a merchant seaman, been a naval officer, and spent time in Hollywood as both a production assistant and a documentary filmmaker. Inspired by these varied vocations, as well as by the many locations--from Japan, Taiwan, and Hong Kong to most of the European countries--in which he has lived and worked at one time or another, Taylor has crafted several award-winning novels for young adults, as well as acclaimed works of nonfiction that draw on both the author's strong grasp of U.S. naval history and his ability to share that vivid sense of understanding and enthusiasm with...