The first half of "The Captain" … is as predictably exciting as a TV show. With a soothing combination of instinct, courage, and coincidence, the Dutch captain maneuvers his tugboat to England just ahead of the Nazis, contains the jealousy of his crew, sidesteps the bullying of shipowners, and survives a British sangfroid that looks more and more like cold-bloodedness.

But suddenly we are in deep waters…. What began as a successful, rollicking tale of the sea fails as soon as Mr. de Hartog tries to transform it into one of those psychological dramas with characters who act and talk tougher the weaker they feel….

[Mr. de Hartog] has an important point of view on war and killing. "The Captain" is not a substantial enough platform for its presentation.

Pamela Marsh, "New Novels in Brief: 'The Captain'," in The Christian Science Monitor (reprinted by permission from The Christian Science...