The Great Santini Mass Market Paperback – December 1, 1987 by Pat Conroy

Step into the powerhouse life of Bull Meecham.  He's all Marine --- fighter pilot, king of the  clouds, and absolute ruler of his family. Lillian is his  wife -- beautiful, southern-bred, with a core of  velvet steel. Without her cool head, her kids would  be in real trouble. Ben is the oldest, a born  athlete whose best never satisfies the big man. Ben's  got to stand up, even fight back, against a father  who doesn't give in -- not to his men, not to his  wife, and certainly not to his son. Bull Meecham  is undoubtedly Pat Conroy's most explosive  character -- a man you should hate, but a man you will love