Books › The last stand of the tin can sailors
The last stand of the tin can sailors
First published 2004 · 859 pages
A harrowing, intensely focused plunge into a desperate naval battle where unimaginable courage meets overwhelming odds.
What it feels like
Reading this book feels like standing on the deck of a doomed ship, bracing for an impossible fight. The narrative moves with a propulsive, unforgettable intensity, plunging the reader into the harrowing chaos of World War II naval combat. It is steeped in a mood of heavy dread that slowly gives way to awe as the sheer scale of human sacrifice and courage comes into focus. The prose is vivid and reverent, capturing both the grand strategies of the fleet and the intimate, desperate realities of the sailors. It is a deeply emotional, dramatic experience tailored for readers who devour gripping military history and are moved by true stories of underdog triumphs and legendary bravery in the face of certain defeat.
- Mood
- tense
- harrowing
- awe-inspiring
- dread-soaked
- Tone
- earnest
- intense
- reverent
- dramatic
- Pace
- propulsive
- Themes
- facing overwhelming odds · sacrifice and duty · chaos of naval warfare · courage under fire
- The writing
- Vivid and reverent, painting a dramatic and unforgettable portrait of historical sacrifice and strategy.
- The arc
- Moves from a grim acceptance of impossible odds and impending doom to a breathless, awe-inspiring realization of legendary courage and victory.
- Who it's for
- Readers who devour gripping, high-stakes military history and stories of incredible underdog triumphs.
Content notes
- naval warfare
- military casualties
- combat violence
About the book
"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 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.From the Hardcover edition.
Description from Open Library.
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