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jabarkas's review
4.0
A fantastic account of one of the last of the true clashes between ships. Hornfischer does a fantastic job evoking the nature of life at sea and the true horror of sea warfare in the modern age. Also this book made me fall absolutely in love with the Brooklyn class Light Cruiser. 14/10, want more 6" guns.
aehsan's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this but the book is not without one key shortcoming. if you are completely new to naval warfare then some primer would have been helpful. While the book as great at explaining the tactical uses of radar and gunnery tactics it would have helped to also provide some perspective on the classes of shops themselves. It took me sometime to figure out the difference between a cruiser, battleship and destroyer. Also I could have used some more background on why the Navy felt the carriers were so important to safeguard and while at the end I could understand the difference between surface ships I never got any information on the flattop. It doesn't hurt the book in the end but it left me wanting more. Beyond this the history of compelling and well explained even for the novice and importantly told in a compelling narrative. The prose while never quite rising to the levels of beevor or Atkinson is quote good on bringing drama and setting the scene. Overall it's a good introduction to naval warfare, highly accessible while also illuminating an important part of the Pacific theatre that has not been covered so well before.
lakecake's review against another edition
4.0
Hornfischer is a master of naval battle narrative, really capturing the full picture of battle from all sides and bringing it to life in amazing detail. It seems like an impossible task--to make these seemingly distant moments in time feel real--and he literally never misses. This is no exception, with the sea and air battles around Guadalcanal brought to thrilling, terrifying, human existence. Highly recommend.
eldiente's review against another edition
5.0
Audio - I knew almost nothing about the Battle of Guadalcanal prior to listening to this book. While no expert afterwards, I do feel like I have a much better understanding of the major factors leading to the United States successful taking a retaining this Solomon Island during World War II. I am awed by the sacrifices of those military men on both sides and am reminded just how brutal war really is. As a patriotic American, I found the author's perspective to be satisfying and his obvious detailed research to be evident. It was eighteen hours well spent.
Edit 22 May 2012 - one of the marks of a good book for me is the recolletions I have several months afterwards. This book has continued to haunt me with remembrances of real men engaged in war in places far away from my own. I really enjoyed it.
Edit 22 May 2012 - one of the marks of a good book for me is the recolletions I have several months afterwards. This book has continued to haunt me with remembrances of real men engaged in war in places far away from my own. I really enjoyed it.
didactylos's review against another edition
5.0
Very well ordered and evidenced factual account of the battles for Guadalcanal and associated islands. Stunning descriptions of the mayhem of naval actions and the inability of the commanders to understand the technology they had at their fingertips. Extremely informative.
nelsta's review against another edition
5.0
One of the single greatest histories of warfare I have read, James D. Hornfischer delivers with an epic tale of how the United States Navy wrested control of the waters off Guadalcanal from the Imperial Japanese Navy. I offend found myself unable to move due to the excitement on each page. It is well researched and remarkably well written. His imagery continues to stick in my mind days after finishing the book. I will continue to avidly read everything Hornfischer writes.