“ Dan was in a red-headed glare of emotion. He was too young to look upon such things calmly. He turned his eyes from the wreck to the Sovereign, just as her bow went up on a wave, showing the red underbody. And it reminded him of the yawning mouth of some sea monster hungry for prey. "We're lying here like bloodsuckers!" he yelled. "Waiting for salvage while good men are dying! Dying—and we're doing nothing! Fellows," he roared, "I'm going to take the tug in to her. I'm not afraid of a risk to save the lives of brave men." "All right, Cap'n," said Mulhatton, "you know we'll go with you. ”
Lawrence Perry
Biographical details
Lawrence Perry (1875–1954) was an American author, sports reporter, and drama critic whose works combine maritime peril, social stratification, and naval conflict. His novels, such as Dan Merrithew and Prince or Chauffeur? A Story of Newport, examine human resilience in times of crisis and the strict hierarchies of elite society, while Our Navy in the War plunges readers into the raw intensity of naval combat.
Perry’s writing, characterized by striking imagery and tight pacing, reflects his dual background in journalism and literature, delivering narratives that are both historically rooted and psychologically insightful. His body of work blends adventure, critique, and the human experience within the settings of sea and society.
Quotes by Lawrence Perry
Lawrence Perry, Prince or Chauffeur? A Story of Newport
“ Since that day she had gone far. She was on familiar terms with an English earl and two dukes; she had entertained an emperor aboard her yacht; in New York and Newport there were but two women to dispute her claims as social dictator, and one of these, through a railroad coup of her husband's, would soon be forced to her knees. It was all in her face. Armitage could read it there in the hard shrewd lines, the cold, heartless, vindictive lines, or the softer lines which the smiles could form when smiles were necessary, which was not so often now as in former years. ”
Lawrence Perry, Our Navy in the War
“ While the ship groans and lists under the sudden turn at high speed, the ammunition-hoists drone as they bring powder and shell up to gun and turret. From the range-finding and plotting-stations come orders to the sight-setters, and in an instant there is a stupendous roar as every gun on the port side sends forth its steel messenger.Again and again comes the broadside, while the ocean for acres about the periscope boils with the steel rain. It is much too hot for the submarine which sinks so that the periscope is invisible. ”
