| Front Cover |
Book Details |
|
| Genre |
Non-Fiction |
| Subject |
Guadalcanal, Battle of, Solomon Islands, 1942-1943; United States. Navy - Biography; United States. Navy - History--World War, 1939-1945; Veterans--United States - Interviews; World War, 1939-1945 - Naval operations, American |
| Publication Date |
1/25/2011 |
| Format |
Hardcover (9.5
x
6.5
mm)
|
| Publisher |
Random House Publishing Group |
| Extras |
Dust Jacket; Dust Jacket Cover |
|
| Description |
| With The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors and Ship of Ghosts, James D. Hornfischer created essential and enduring narratives about Americars"s World War II Navy, works of unique immediacy distinguished by rich portraits of ordinary men in extremis and exclusive new information. Now he does the same for the deadliest, most pivotal naval campaign of the Pacific war: Guadalcanal. Neptuners"s Infernois at once the most epic and the most intimate account ever written of the contest for control of the seaways of the Solomon Islands, Americars"s first concerted offensive against the Imperial Japanese juggernaut and the true turning point of the Pacific conflict. This grim, protracted campaign has long been heralded as a Marine victory. Now, with his powerful portrait of the Navyrs"s sacrifice-three sailors died at sea for every man lost ashore-Hornfischer tells for the first time the full story of the men who fought in destroyers, cruisers, and battleships in the narrow, deadly waters of "Ironbottom Sound." Here, in brilliant cinematic detail, are the seven major naval actions that began in August of 1942, a time when the war seemed unwinnable and America fought on a shoestring, with the outcome always in doubt. But at Guadalcanal the U.S. proved it had the implacable will to match the Imperial war machine blow for violent blow. Working from new interviews with survivors, unpublished eyewitness accounts, and newly available documents, Hornfischer paints a vivid picture of the officers and enlisted men who took on the Japanese in Americars"s hour of need: Vice Admiral William "Bull" Halsey, who took command of the faltering South Pacific Area from his aloof, overwhelmed predecessor and became a national hero; the brilliant Rear Admiral Norman Scott, who died even as he showed his command how to fight and win; Rear Admiral Daniel Callaghan, the folksy and genteel "Uncle Dan," lost in the strobe-lit chaos of his burning flagship; Rear Admiral Willis Lee, who took vengeance two nights later in a legendary showdown with the Japanese battleshipKirishima; the five Sullivan brothers, all killed in the shocking destruction of theJuneau; and many others, all vividly brought to life. The first major work on this essential subject in almost two decades,Neptuners"s Infernodoes what all great battle narratives do: It cuts through the smoke and fog to tell the gripping human stories behind the momentous events and critical decisions that altered the course of history and shaped so many lives. This is a thrilling achievement from a master historian at the very top of his game. |
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| Product Details |
| LoC Classification |
D767.98 .H665 2011 |
| Dewey |
940.54/265933 |
| ISBN |
9780553806700 |
| No. of Pages |
544 |
| First Edition |
No |
| Rare |
No |
|
| Notes/Review |
Hornfischer delivers another powerful book. The book covers the US Navy's struggles in the Solomons, the seven major surface engagements ranging from the Battle of Savo Island on 9 August 1942 to the Battle of Tassafaronga on 30 November. The centerpiece is the First Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, on the night of 13 November.
We learn the story from the commanders on down to the lowest ranks, from the beginning of the Japanese presence on Guadalcanal to the inquiry after the action. Although this is the story of the surface Navy, we get enough of a taste of the Marines and fliers to get a well-rounded story of this crucial early victory for the US in WWII.
Highly recommended. |
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