America's Fighting Admirals: Winning the War at Sea in World War II

by William Tuohy

Book Overview

American naval actions of World War II comprise the most widespread, complex, and dramatic battles in the history of sea warfare. The fighting took place over vast distances in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, as well as in the constricted spaces of the Mediterranean and Solomon seas. Each of the major actions had an admiral, the commander in charge, who led the battle. In combat, the abilities and determination of these commanders at sea were put...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0760329850
• ISBN13: 9780760329856
• Release Date: May 2007
• Publisher: Zenith Press
• Length: 400 Pages
• Weight: 1.64 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 6.5" x 9.5"

Customer Reviews

America's Fighting Admirals

Tuohy's "America's Fighting Admirals" follows his earlier "The Bravest Man: Richard O'Kane and the Amazing Submarine Adventures of the USS Tang". Tuohy's new book is easily one of the most readable, comprehensive and well-researched books I have seen about America's top naval leaders, their adversaries and the war at sea in World War II. His fast-paced and wide-ranging account concisely examines and summarizes key actions and players at war in the vast expanses of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, and the Mediterranean Sea. Tuohy analyzes the strategy, detailed planning and execution of the war's major campaigns by America's fighting admirals and provides brief, but concise overviews of each major battle from Pearl Harbor to Tokyo and North Africa to Normandy. The roles of great personalities such as King, Nimitz, Halsey, Spruance, Fletcher, Mitscher, Turner and Kinkaid are well covered, but Tuohy provides new details on lesser-known flag officers such as Jack Towers, "Slew" McCain, "Ching" Lee, "31-knot" Burke, "Uncle Dan" Barbey, "Tip" Merrill, "Pug" Ainsworth, "Close-in" Conolly and many others. Tuohy's battle coverage includes the Fighting Admirals' counterpart foes in the Imperial Japanese Navy such as admirals Yamamoto, Nagumo, Ozawa, Kurita, Nishimura, "tenacious" Tanaka and others. This well-organized 400-page book contains an introduction, 31 chapters, an epilogue, brief biographical highlights of 54 admirals, plus Marine LtGen Holland M. "Howlin" Mad" Smith and Army Gen Douglas MacArthur, a list of sources, chapter notes, maps, 14 pages of flag officers' photographs and unit, vessel and general indices. I highly recommend this book. For the historian, it provides a fresh look at well-documented events and personalities. For the layman, it provides a sweeping picture of the greatest naval leaders of the greatest fleet fighting the greatest naval war in history. It supplements earlier works such as Pfannes and Salamone's The Great Admirals of World War II: The Americans, Boyne's Clash of Titans and Howarth's Men At War. I thoroughly enjoyed Tuohy's excellent book and give it five stars.

America's Fighting Admirals

As a retired Naval Officer and student of Naval history, I found this book filled in many of the "holes" I had in my knowledge of WWII. The very striking parallels between those Admirals who actually WON the war, because they were warriors, and those who observed because they were bureaucrats and the current state of today's leadership is simply stunning. A must for those who want to understand how things worked and what must be done to succeed then and NOW.

The battles are here described from the perspective of American admirals who fought them

The American naval actions of the second world war were some of the most dramatic in the history of sea warfare, taking place over the Atlantic and Pacific oceans alike with an admiral overseeing each action and battle. The battles are here described from the perspective of American admirals who fought them and comes from a World War II navy veteran who not only covers all major campaigns and admiral leaders, but analyzes strategy and decision-making challenges during battle. Serious World War II military collections, particularly those with strong naval history sections, need AMERICA'S FIGHTING ADMIRALS: WINNING THE WAR AT SEA IN WORLD WAR II.

A Brilliant History of the US Navy and Its Admirals in World War II!

"America's Fighting Admirals" is a history of the United States and its fighting admirals in World War II. Pulitzer Prize winner author William Tuohy discusses more than fifty US Navy admirals and how they won the war at sea. This brilliantly written work is a compelling read and is full of new insights on the American Navy and its opponents in World War II. Particularly interesting were the sections on the Japanese Imperial Navy's Long Lance torpedo and Japan's Kamikazes, which haunted the Americans until the closing days of the war. This book is recommended for anyone interested in combat leadership, the United States Navy, and naval warfare in World War II.

The best, bar none!

Bill Tuohy is the best, bar none. His book The Bravest Man, the story of Richard O'Kane and US submariners in the Pacific during World War 2, was the single best book ever written about submariners in that theatre. He has followed it with a major triumph in America's Fighting Admirals. This book is essential reading for WW2 buffs, Navy buffs and, in fact, anyone who loves a great non-fiction read. A terrific book by a five star admiral of a writer!!!