The New Voyage Begins

If you’ve followed along on this site, you know my journey with Lessons from the Admiral — from the first manuscript to the Frankfurt Book Fair, from 100 days to 200 days to a third printing and nearly 10,000 copies. That journey changed me, and it opened a door I didn’t expect.

The seed for this book was planted over thirty years of naval service. As a retired U.S. Navy Captain and Naval Flight Officer, I flew in the back of the P-3 Orion — first as a Navigator and Communicator, then as a Tactical Aircraft Coordinator, and finally as a Mission Commander. Throughout that career, I learned what it really means to be part of a crew. To trust your shipmates. To lead with integrity. To show up prepared and give everything you have.

Then, about two years ago, something unexpected happened. As a Boeing executive, I had the privilege of spending nearly two weeks aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln off the coast of California, observing aircraft carrier qualifications. I had been underway on an aircraft carrier in my entire Navy career — and what I witnessed amazed me. The precision. The courage. The perfectly choreographed chaos. The thousands of men and women operating together, every one of them trusting their shipmates with their lives.

That combination — a career’s worth of values and two unforgettable weeks aboard the Lincoln — became the inspiration for Andy the Admiral and the USS Shipshape, the first book in my new children’s series, The Shipshape Shipmates.

It’s the story of Andy the Admiral and his crew, a naval adventure designed to spark young imaginations while planting the seeds of character. The same values that filled Lessons from the Admiral are in these pages — just told for the child who is four, or six, or eight years old and ready for their first great voyage.

Teamwork. Courage. Integrity. Kindness. Preparation. Gratitude. Service.

Although they are older now, I wrote it for my daughters. And for every kid who hasn’t yet learned what it means to be a good shipmate and whose parent or grandparent might be in the military.

Andy the Admiral and the USS Shipshape is now available for pre-order on Amazon, with the official launch coming September 1st.

If you know a child, a classroom, a military family, or a grandparent looking for something meaningful to read aloud — I hope you’ll come aboard.

I think you'll come to like Andy and the rest of the Shipshape Shipmate crew.