Sasebo: A Mason McCabe Novel

Sasebo is the story of young Mason McCabe, an enlisted sailor whose leisurely tour of duty at the U.S. Naval Base in Sasebo, Japan during the 1950's is turned upside down when he comes face to face with the realities of the Cold War. His work with classified documents brings an offer from a communist undercover organization, headed by a Nisei with a grudge against America, to buy military secrets. Mason shrugs off the early offers, but his work as a courier of top secret documents eventually gets him into a situation where he is fighting for his very life on a mountain outside Sasebo.

During the course of his tour he also becomes involved in a swing band comprised of both Japanese and Americans. The band experience brings him into contact with Laura Robbins, a beautiful young officer's wife. Even though he knows that a relationship with her could have tragic consequences, he is unable to fend off the temptation. His involvement with a Japanese bar girl further complicates the situation.

Mason MaCabe's adventures reveal what life was like for young servicemen in the Far East during the 1950's when America had all the money and the Seventh Fleet was the Bull of the Pacific.