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joabroda's review
adventurous
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
3.5
Informative narrative of the Leyte Gulf battle during WWII. The battle is told through the eyes of four commanders, 2 Americans and 2 Japanese. I have not read anything better that explores the mindset of the Japanese during the war. The duty the top brass of Japan felt to the Emperor reminded me more of a cult. One ridiculous instantce is how they had to be sure to grab the Emperor's portrait before abandoning ship...still makes me shake my head.
The Battle of Leyte was the last massive sea battle to fought by any nation. [author:Evan Thomas|7112] does a fabulous job, in the second half of the book, taking us through the build up and the final confrontation. Sorry to say though, I just cannot give it 4 stars as the 1st half of the book was very, very slow for me.
Like all other recently written history of WWII, we learn things that never came to light immediately after the war. It never surprises me anymore to read about the super egos of our military commanders, and the pettiness and bad relations between them. You would think that during a massive campaign, as this one in the Philippines was, egos would be set aside because of all the lives at stake.
The Battle of Leyte was the last massive sea battle to fought by any nation. [author:Evan Thomas|7112] does a fabulous job, in the second half of the book, taking us through the build up and the final confrontation. Sorry to say though, I just cannot give it 4 stars as the 1st half of the book was very, very slow for me.
Like all other recently written history of WWII, we learn things that never came to light immediately after the war. It never surprises me anymore to read about the super egos of our military commanders, and the pettiness and bad relations between them. You would think that during a massive campaign, as this one in the Philippines was, egos would be set aside because of all the lives at stake.
iceangel9's review
4.0
A magnificent and detailed look at the Battle of Leyte Gulf and the four commanders (two Japanese and two American) who fought there. WWII buffs and those fascinated by Naval battles will enjoy the detailed look at the battle and the commanders involved. This book can seem dry to those who are not interested in military history, but it is full of information and insight. It follows the commanders (Halsey, Evans, Kurita and Ugaki)from the beginning of the war through to the end.
sgtbigg's review
4.0
While partly a history of the entire naval war in the Pacific, it focuses on the Battle of Leyte Gulf, October 23-26, 1944. Thomas does this by focusing on four naval commanders, two American and two Japanese. Admiral William “Bull” Halsey, commander of the American 3rd Fleet, Commander Ernest Evans, captain of the destroyer USS Johnston, Vice Admiral Takeo Kurita, commander of the Japanese 2nd Fleet and Vice Admiral Matome Ugaki, who commanded a battle-ship division in the 2nd Fleet. Thomas does a good job of summarizing the naval war both before and after Leyte Gulf and explains the battle in detail. However, I found the inclusion of Evans and Ugaki somewhat surprising. Evans, who did play a pivotal role in the battle, was not on the same level as the other commanders included and Ugaki, who was undoubtedly an interesting character, played little role in the battle. I found the book to be both enjoyable and informative, with both Japanese and American perspectives. There was one thing that bothered me about Thomas’ writing. Whenever he gave a time of day, he would write 0650 hours, 6:50 AM. He does this dozens of times and while a minor point, I’m sure another way could have been found to address this.
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