The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors: The Extraordinary World War II Story of the U.S. Navy's Finest Hour

by James D. Hornfischer

Paperback, 2005

Status

Available

Genres

Collection

Robert Ames Collection

Publication

Bantam Books (2005), Edition: Reprint, 499 pages

Description

History. Military. Nonfiction. HTML:�??This will be a fight against overwhelming odds from which survival cannot be expected. We will do what damage we can.�?� With these words, Lieutenant Commander Robert W. Copeland addressed the crew of the destroyer escort USS Samuel B. Roberts on the morning of October 25, 1944, off the Philippine Island of Samar. On the horizon loomed the mightiest ships of the Japanese navy, a massive fleet that represented the last hope of a staggering empire. All that stood between it and Douglas MacArthur�?? s vulnerable invasion force were the Roberts and the other small ships of a tiny American flotilla poised to charge into history. In the tradition of the #1 New York Times bestseller Flags of Our Fathers, James D. Hornfischer paints an unprecedented portrait of the Battle of Samar, a naval engagement unlike any other in U.S. history�??and captures with unforgettable intensity the men, the strategies, and the sacrifices that turned certain defeat into a legendary victory. BONUS: This edition includes an excerpt from James D. Hornfischer's Neptune's Inferno. Praise for The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors �??One of the finest WWII naval action narratives in recent years, this book follows in the footsteps of Flags of Our Fathers. . . . Exalting American sailors and pilots as they richly deserve. . . . Reads like a very good action novel.�?��??Publishers Weekly �??Reads as fresh as tomorrow's headlines. . . . Hornfischer's captivating narrative uses previously classified documents to reconstruct the epic battle and eyewitness accounts to bring the officers and sailors to life.�?��??Texas Monthly �??Hornfischer is a powerful stylist whose explanations are clear as well as memorable. . . . A dire survival-at-sea saga.�?��??Denver Post �??In The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors, James Hornfischer drops you right into the middle of this raging battle, with 5-inch guns blazing, torpedoes detonating and Navy fliers dive-bombing. . . . The overall story of the battle is one of American guts, glory and heroic sacrifi… (more)

User reviews

LibraryThing member creighley

Not normally a huge fan of nonfiction history books because of the intense ratlling off of names, places, dates, and weaponry, I found this one a page-turner. It still served to increase my distrust of those in high military rank doing what it is right. Too many cover ups of those in charge at the

expense of the "little guy." Halsey should have been court-martialed! To give him some credit, however, hindsight is always 20/20. Overall, a good read. It still had LOTS of names and places which made it hard to distinguish which ship sometimes, but it had a lasting impression of the horror of war and the isolation of fighting a battle on the sea.

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LibraryThing member Karlstar

A great story about one of the greatest moments in US naval history. I'm glad I read it, but I really wish there had been more analysis, documentation and facts. This is the story of the sailors involved on that terrible day, not so much about the battle itself. A great tribute to those sailors.

LibraryThing member oldman

Very good description of the ships and men who fought in the Battle of Samar Island in Oct 1944. The ships on the US side were all out gunned and outmanned by the Japanes ships. The bravery of these men was beyond description given the odds against them, but they prevailed. Listening to the

description of the battle and the ships' size vs the larger and more powerful foes was somewhat lost because no maps or relative pictures were available,, which I assume is present in written volume. Four stars

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LibraryThing member martinhughharvey

A very easy book to read and an excellent account of a battle that's always interested me. I was compelled to read the book after watching a Military Channel program that featured the author. This book hit all the spots I wanted it to - both sides although naturally more the US side, the ships and

planes covered, the actors very well covered, ther hum,an angle, and (if I may use the word) the romance of the place and time.

As a side note I have a model of "The Gambier Bay" to make to which I've added "The Chikuma"!

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LibraryThing member armyofbobs

Fascinating, educational, a quick read that painted a full picture of what the battle must've been like. I could really imagine being on the boat - and if a book transports me, I like it.

LibraryThing member GrinningDwarf

The most dramatic account of any sea battle I have ever read. You get an up close and personal look at being on one of those destroyer escorts running into point blank range of the Japanese battleships and heavy cruisers.

LibraryThing member ksmyth

Hornfishcher's stirring recounting of the desperate Battle off Samar during the Leyte Gulf battles was a page turner. Excellent, excellent retelling of this critical action between an overwhelming force of Japanese surface ships including the legendary Yamato, and a much smaller force American

support ships including escort carriers, destroyers and destroyer escorts.

Hornfischer's account focuses on the desperate sortie of a handful of destroyers and escorts, their momentary success, and inevitable destruction. He relies on the accounts of mostly American survivors to weave together a wrenching narrative.

Though mostly focused on the sacrifice of the destroyers, their captains and crews, there are also accounts of the jeep carrier pilots, poorly armed to equipped to attack the heavily armored Japanese behemoths.

A must read for anyone interested in the naval war in the Pacific.

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LibraryThing member Sandydog1

I listened to this incredible David vs Goliath page-turner on CD and eventually realized that it was (horrors) an abridgement! Hey, now that I think of it, wasn't it Gladwell that wrote of that Biblical David's, actual advantages? The USN had several things going for them as well, including air

power and some small but incredibly accurate naval guns. If anyone is interested in WW II books or fearless heroes, you've got to read this one. I'll be re-visiting the unabridged version, very soon.

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LibraryThing member jamespurcell

A penetrative and well-done portrayal of a David beats Goliath Victory by the U. S Navy during WW2

LibraryThing member GeoffHabiger

An enthralling and wonderfully researched story about an unknown (to me) event during the war in the Pacific. Hornfischer does a great job of putting you on the ships involved, enough so that I felt as if I was dodging the incoming fire from the Japanese as these destroyers made their stand.

LibraryThing member lokidragon

Great book about a lesser known but important naval battle during the Pacific Campaign of WWII.

LibraryThing member kslade

Top account of Leyte Gulf fight in the Philippines when just a few small pocket carriers took on the last big Japanese fleet.

LibraryThing member KurtWombat

With their chances of winning WW2 quickly waning, Imperial Japan hurls one last Pacific offensive against the US at Leyte Gulf. Devising a three-prong attack with top and bottom feints designed to draw US ships away from the center, Japan nearly pulled off a dramatic victory. Against all odds and

logic, the center held. This story draws the focus of WW2 down to that center offensive through the San Bernardino straight—where dramatically over-matched US forces stymied what should have been overwhelming forces. There is some well-handled big picture stuff, but the guts and glory of this book is the staggering amount of detail about the American “oil can sailors” and their fate. Once it gets rolling the narrative will take your breath away. Shifting perspective from ship to ship during the course of the battle could have made the book uneven but the tempo never slows.So much is going on, and clearly related, that I kept being stunned when given a time check reminding me almost everything was happening within a 6am to 8am window. Because of the often staggering amount of detail, kept having flashbacks of the first time I saw SAVING PRIVATE RYAN and their assault on Omaha Beach. Even a watered down filming of this could have the same effect. If you love the sea and history, how people and rise and fall confronted by hell, then grab a copy of this and pull up a deck chair.

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