''Delilah'' is a novel by

Marcus Goodrich Marcus Aurelius Goodrich (November 28, 1897 – October 20, 1991) was an American screenwriter and novelist. Biography He was the first husband of the actress Olivia de Havilland. Their only son Benjamin was born on September 27, 1949. He was m ...

first published in 1941. It revolves around the activities of the fictional American destroyer, the USS ''Delilah'', and her crew in and around the Philippines in the time period from 1916 to 1917. The novel is loosely based on Goodrich's own experiences as a sailor on board the , a destroyer. Much of the book constitutes detailed descriptions of various characters, punctuated by plot developments associated with the ship's mission in general support of maintaining order in the southern islands of the Filipino archipelago, populated by Muslim natives dissatisfied with the center of government in the northern island of

Luzon Luzon (; ) is the largest and most populous island in the Philippines. Located in the northern portion of the Philippines archipelago, it is the economic and political center of the nation, being home to the country's capital city, Manila, as ...

. The relationship between the enlisted men and the officers on board the ''Delilah'' receives special treatment. This relationship can be seen as a logical link between the strict stratification of naval personnel in the age of sail and the more egalitarian navy that emerged following

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. The novel was an immediate success. Although the author's foreword expressly states his intention to write a sequel, and the story ends on the eve of the United States' entry into

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

following an extensive overhaul of the ''Delilah'', no sequel was ever published. ''Delilah'' remained the biggest success for writer Goodrich, who is perhaps better known today as the first husband of actress

Olivia de Havilland Dame Olivia Mary de Havilland (; July 1, 1916July 26, 2020) was a British-American actress. The major works of her cinematic career spanned from 1935 to 1988. She appeared in 49 feature films and was one of the leading actresses of her time. ...

References

1941 American novels Novels set during World War I Novels set in the Philippines Farrar & Rinehart books {{1940s-WWI-novel-stub