The Crescent Odyssey

When Rudolph Halouk Daus was born in 1933 in Paris, France, to an Ottomon princess and an American Beaux Arts educated entrepreneur with Jewish Rabbinical and French Catholic roots, no one had any idea that in just seven years, the German Army would invade France and uproot his family, sending all of them to fulfill new destinies.

Daus shares a fascinating story of his diverse background, his ancestors, and his personal odyssey as he progressed from extraordinary beginnings to a miraculous escape from Nazi-occupied France and finally to an incredible naval career capped with command of two warships. As he details his singular progress across continents, Daus provides an unforgettable glimpse into a circuitous and star-crossed life as he experienced adventures, challenges, and heartbreaking trials as an American Naval Officer and was eventually led into a second career as a law firm manager and a third career as an entrepreneur whose ventures steered him from America to Turkey, Japan, and the Wild East of Central Asia.

The Crescent Odyssey shares the fascinating story of a man for all seasons and his unique journey from his Turkey Ottoman soldier's roots to his escapades as an American warship captain and entrepreneur.

?The Crescent Odyssey is a superb read and tells the story of the life and diverse background of an American Naval Officer, his shipmates, his family, his ancestors and his life at sea during the Cold War ? easy to understand for either the experienced sailor or one accustomed to life ashore ...?

? Admiral Frank Kelso, United States Navy (Retired), 44th Chief of Naval Operations

The author was born in Paris the issue of an American Beaux Arts educated entrepreneur with Jewish Rabbinical and French Catholic roots and an Ottoman Turkish princess, raised by an Ottoman nanny, escaped German occupied France, thrust into a blue-collar parochial schools in mid-town Manhattan, New York. The author's circuitous and star-crossed life story leads through careers which seem like three life times. A naval career capped with command of two incredible ships and ship's companies, a Destroyer Escort at age 33 and a Guided Missile Destroyer at 40, and shore duty as Program Sponsor of a new class of 60 Oliver Hazard Perry class Frigates. Over fourteen years, he managed 4 law firms, the last of which had offices in four cities, Washington, Chicago, Boston and Portland, Oregon. His entrepreneurial ventures over a span of over twenty years led to adventures in America, Turkey, Japan and the Wild East of Central Asia. He matriculated for a year at Fordham University in a liberal arts discipline before attending the US Naval Academy earning an engineering degree and a commission as Ensign, US Navy in 1956. The author is enjoying retirement with his wife of 58 years whom he has known for 63 years. They live in the Alexandria, Virginia, a suburb of Washington, D.C. in the Mount Vernon Estate area for the past 44 years. This is the author's first book.