This is a very cynical novel. It also lacks credibility.Captain Queeg is not a believable character. Ten or fourteen years out of the Naval Academy (depending on which passage in the book) and old for a Lt. Commander, his superiors would know that he cannot accept responsibility for his own actions. And yet for this and his many other shortcomings, including incompetence and cowardice under fire, he is portrayed as a typical Regular Navy officer.The trial is an travesty of the Military Rules of Evidence. And yet the novel is compelling. I felt emotionally drained when I finished. I give it four stars.