Voyage of Atonement starts off during the era of World War II and continues in a more or less chronological order through that turbulent time in history. This book is essentially the life and story of Dutch Clarke who has survived and experienced the horrors of World War II: the Nazis and militant SS, brutal prison camps, and mass killings. The story also involves the people Dick knew and his friends who went through the war with him. The adventure really begins when Dick and his friend start on a sailboat on the Pacific to explore and make peace with the past. As they encounter thrilling adventures along the way, that include finding gold hidden by the Nazis on the Pacific islands, their quest takes a turn as they realize that their find has political and social ramifications and there are still groups of people out there wanting to claim the gold. This quickly escalates into an international situation and forms the plot of the novel as they navigate through plenty of action and adventure to a thrilling ending.

Voyage of Atonement: The Tainted Treasure by Brian D. Ratty is a seafaring adventure story with plenty of twists and turns, surprises, drama, intrigue, and even romance. Voyage of Atonement is a great book for sea lovers and adventure readers alike. The book contains plenty of naval lingo and sailor terms and is an exciting read, especially for people who enjoy that genre. I thought the writing style was engaging and the author obviously knows a lot about the world and the era in which the story is primarily set. The tensions between countries and nationalities is well drawn and believable. All in all, an enjoyable read.

Voyage of Atonement by Brian D. Ratty is a historical novel. The 1960s was a time when the world was still struggling to heal some wounds or cover up different scars from the Second World War. Among the people laboring through life is forty-two-year-old POW, Dutch Clarke. Heartbroken over losing his uncle, his wife, and his family business, he attempts suicide. When that fails, he decides to sail solo to the South Pacific on a sailboat that his father-in-law bought for him. While preparing for his trip, he meets Doug Asbow, also a survivor of the Japanese prison camps. Both had suffered greatly, and both still had problems with lingering malaria and recurring nightmares of the war. But they also have pride and refuse to portray themselves as victims.

While sharing stories of the POW camps, they decide to start an assignment of photographing war relics for a documentary. But they get more than they’d bargained for when they come across a mysterious entombed U-boat with a cargo of Nazi gold in the remote islands of Tahiti. As the treasure is exposed, so are they, to two clashing interests — a secret group of former Nazi SS members (ODESSA) and the country of Israel — that turns Dutch and Doug’s discovery into an international tug-of-war with deadly consequences.

Navigating back and forth between the '40s and the '60s, Brian D. Ratty made Voyage of Atonement a fascinating book. Through powerful writing, a captivating plot, and vibrant characters set against a two-decades background, Ratty has delivered a great blend of love, adventure, and history. The recounting of some historical events in this book will scrape your emotions raw. I cried when Dutch arrived at Camp Ireland (or what was left of it) to pay his respects to his friend, Jack, who was beheaded by the Japanese during the war.