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The Admirals: Nimitz, Halsey, Leahy, and King--The Five-Star Admirals Who Won the War at Sea
How history's only five-star admirals triumphed in World War II and made the United States the world's dominant sea power.
Only four men in American history have been promoted to the five-star rank of Admiral of the Fleet: William Leahy, Ernest King, Chester Nimitz, and William Halsey. These four men were the best and the brightest the navy produced, and together they led...more
Only four men in American history have been promoted to the five-star rank of Admiral of the Fleet: William Leahy, Ernest King, Chester Nimitz, and William Halsey. These four men were the best and the brightest the navy produced, and together they led...more
ebook
Published
May 1st 2012
by Little, Brown and Company
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There's a wonderful enthusiasm to Walter Borneman's accounting of these four incredible naval figures, and that was the most enjoyable part of this extremely well-researched book. Any military history buff would really devour such a barrage of information.
For me, who is definitely not a military history buff, it felt like a bit of a slog and I realized I was eager to read about World War II from an angle that wasn't quite so specific. So I abandoned this book. But out of my own impatience, not...more
For me, who is definitely not a military history buff, it felt like a bit of a slog and I realized I was eager to read about World War II from an angle that wasn't quite so specific. So I abandoned this book. But out of my own impatience, not...more
The best part of this book was its depiction of William Leahy, who made a substantial, and largely unheralded contribution to the allied war effort. Its worst is methodological, in the manner of Stephen Ambrose: to attempt to incite an emotion, and then rely on that emotional response, rather than evidence, to carry its point. I have to assume that the high ratings come from those carried along on the emotional level, who are glowing in being told that what they feel is true, is true. I am not a...more
Everyone has heard about Admiral Halsey and Admiral Nimitz, but Admirals Leahy and King are less well known. These four were the men that spearheaded America's successful campaigns against Japan. In part, they did this by their willingness to change and adapt to new ideas, to throw over everything they knew about the importance of battleships in war, and embrace new strategies with aircraft carriers and submarines.
Borneman does an excellent job in telling the intertwining stories of these men...more
Borneman does an excellent job in telling the intertwining stories of these men...more
I am absolutely loving this. I have found I really enjoy military history, and this history of naval conflict stretches from the 1800's to WWII with explanations dating back to the Revolutionary War, and the biographies are fascinating too. The prologue starting where each man was on December 6, 1941 was a clever touch too.
Finished. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I read it through in five days. I wished for more detail about many of the battles, but the focus was on the leaders and their decisi...more
Finished. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I read it through in five days. I wished for more detail about many of the battles, but the focus was on the leaders and their decisi...more
An excellent volume on the five star admirals of WWII. You can see how their careers led them to their various positions, and how their individual personalities suited their particular areas of responsibility. King, the gruff son-of-a-bitch who climbed the ladder of promotion but had the ability to get things done (although he had trouble not micro-managing his subordinates). Leahy, the consummate statesman whose counsel to FDR was invaluable. Halsey, the fighting sailor. The fifth star was prob...more
I felt this was a good look at the four men who held the rank of Admiral of the Fleet (5 stars) Borneman makes the four men come alive. In the first part of the book, he traces the careers of the 4 men independently, but when World War II starts their stories become intertwined.
He traces both their professional lives and to some extent their personal lives as well. He seems to admire Nimitz and Leahy more than King and Halsey, but gives credit to all four men for their accomplishments during the...more
He traces both their professional lives and to some extent their personal lives as well. He seems to admire Nimitz and Leahy more than King and Halsey, but gives credit to all four men for their accomplishments during the...more
I liked this book. It covers the lives of the Admirals from their grandparents to their deaths. It is superficial in the sense that it covers five lives over 40+ years of naval careers, including all of WWII, in under 500 pages (the rest are appendices to give some context, and the extensive notes and sources). It can only give a 10,000 foot view of the men and their accomplishments (and failures), but it also points the way to more depth should the reader wish to explore anything mentioned in m...more
i love reading about history so i liked this book, but being a civilian with no knowledge whatsoever of nautical terms & naval hierarchy made it just a little bit harder for me to thoroughly enjoy this book. I mean I did enjoy reading it, I just had to scan over some of the information about the ships' specs because they were too technical for me. But if you are a naval history buff, then you would love this book.
This book is very informative & eye-opening, I had no idea the US navy had...more
This book is very informative & eye-opening, I had no idea the US navy had...more
This book presents a collective biography of the four men who rose to the rank of fleet admiral (five stars) in the US Navy during WWII. It is a well done book that fills in the story regarding the conduct and evolution of US armed forces during the war. While the Army and its generals have received continuing attention with recent histories of WWII and two recent biographies of Eisenhower, it is arguable that the leadership of the Navy has not received comparable attention recently and I found...more
Although the beginning of the book had a lot of jumping back and forth between the early lives of each of the admirals, I found the book compelling. I ended up taking a long time to read this book because I kept getting sidetracked with details like the "battle of Tsushima".
I did experience some slowdown in the beginning because there is a lot of their early history discussed. But having this foundation helped when WWII started and things started moving. For me, someone that usually focuses on g...more
I did experience some slowdown in the beginning because there is a lot of their early history discussed. But having this foundation helped when WWII started and things started moving. For me, someone that usually focuses on g...more
I really enjoyed reading this book. Borneman makes reading the integrated biographies exciting while also providing the facts and figures which is known to make history texts boring. Even if the reader knows nothing of the Navy or World War 2, the author does a excellent job of explaining difficult military terminology, unique naval customs, and the grueling challenges of naval warfare. The only downside to this title is that it is quite long with a few long chapters. I had to take a few breaks...more
May 02, 2012
Erin Cataldi
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
2012,
goodreads-giveaway
I honestly didn't know anything about naval history before reading this book even though my father was enlisted in the navy for nearly 25 years. I am however, a huge history buff (thanks undergrad!) and I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know more about the five-star admirals that this book portrayed. It was like getting a whole new perspective on many of the battles that I had previously only skimmed over in my history classes. While I don't recommend this as light reading (it's definitely more fo...more
Jun 01, 2013
Bdalton
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
adult-memoir-and-biography
This book provides a detailed look at four five-star admirals who led the US Navy during World War II. King and Leahy were on the brink of retirement when the Japanese struck Pearl Harbor. Nimitz and Halsey also were older employees. The expertise and leadership of these older employees was valued by the Navy and the general public. Older readers are likely to clue in and appreciate this point. :)
I found the pieces about the admirals leadership styles and their personal and professional mistakes...more
I found the pieces about the admirals leadership styles and their personal and professional mistakes...more
The Admirals is written as four biographies, sometimes intertwined and sometimes simply told in sequence, of Admirals Chester Nimitz, Bill Halsey Jr., William Leahy, and Ernest King. It begins with brief overviews of their childhood, their formative years at the Naval Academy, and then their first assignments in the Navy and how they arrived at the World War II era with a vast array of experiences and knowledge that would serve them well in the war (including naval gunnery, submarines, the trans...more
A good description of the lives of America's only 5 star admirals and a fair overview of the Pacific campaign. I enjoy reading military and naval history although I am not a WW11 specialist and this book was appropriate for me.
It was interesting to learn about MacArthur's histrionics and the attempts by the admirals to manage him. As I live in South Korea, arguably saved by MacArthur's daring Incheon Landing, I have to accept that he did at least one thing right.
The author is also upfront about...more
It was interesting to learn about MacArthur's histrionics and the attempts by the admirals to manage him. As I live in South Korea, arguably saved by MacArthur's daring Incheon Landing, I have to accept that he did at least one thing right.
The author is also upfront about...more
I think Borneman demonstrates an angle of history we miss today, even in teaching. The art of past antidotes, of character, of Halsey almost being removed from the Naval Academy due to chain smoking.
Hey I am no expert in writing. Publishers avoid me like MacArthur did the Philippines until '44.
If any student wants to be there now, understand Presentism (connecting past traits to current ones), then Walter Boreneman is a man of distinction. He reminds me of one of my fond Professors of Naval Hist...more
Hey I am no expert in writing. Publishers avoid me like MacArthur did the Philippines until '44.
If any student wants to be there now, understand Presentism (connecting past traits to current ones), then Walter Boreneman is a man of distinction. He reminds me of one of my fond Professors of Naval Hist...more
Walter Borneman has written a priceless study of the Four Four Admirals who crafted the Naval victories in the Atlantic and the Pacific during WW II. Nimitz of the crust steady demeanor who guided the ships and men in the Pacific; Ballsy Halsey , head down, lets kill 'em all; King the undiplomatic and brilliant CNO; and finally, the one we hardly hear of; Leahy, who was FDR's personal Naval aide.
Borneman traces all of their begiing and follows the intertwining of their careers up to the moment...more
Borneman traces all of their begiing and follows the intertwining of their careers up to the moment...more
Excellent portrait and in some sense probably better, despite some inevitable shortcomings, than individual biographies of those admirals as their paths so thoroughly intertwined in the second World War and even, to some extent, The War to End All Wars.
Was interesting too author Borneman's periodic critical comments on Douglas MacArthur, especially between 9 hours after Pearl Harbor that his airfields would get bombed by the Japs while his planes were all grounded and wingtips together, and MacA...more
Was interesting too author Borneman's periodic critical comments on Douglas MacArthur, especially between 9 hours after Pearl Harbor that his airfields would get bombed by the Japs while his planes were all grounded and wingtips together, and MacA...more
As a WWII hobby historian, it never occurred to me the role that these Admirals played in the overall war effort. I had read about them individually but never really put it into a global perspective. This is an excellent accounting of how these men shaped the strategy in Washington, the Atlantic and especially the Pacific that played a significant role in the Allied victory.
It was also interesting to note, how different each of the Admiral's personality and leadership style was so different. Y...more
It was also interesting to note, how different each of the Admiral's personality and leadership style was so different. Y...more
Although a history major, I don't necessarily take a "scholarly" approach to historical accounts. Mostly, I read for the enjoyment of it, and hopefully to gain some newer insight (even if just anecdotal) into people and events. This book, in what is essentially a four person short biography, fulfills most of what I like in reading history.
I would say this doesn't quite rise to the level of a Doris Kearns Goodwin, Stephen Ambrose, or David McCullough, as far as readability, but it is still quite...more
I would say this doesn't quite rise to the level of a Doris Kearns Goodwin, Stephen Ambrose, or David McCullough, as far as readability, but it is still quite...more
Aug 16, 2012
Steeljaw Scribe
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
history-naval-and-naval-aviation
book follows the paths of four Naval officers who rose to hold the highest rank in the US Navy at the end of the Second World War – the five-star rank of Fleet Admiral. Borneman uses an interesting approach for this comparative biography, but in a manner different than what Larrabee took in his work (Commander in Chief: FDR His Lieutenants and Their War). While Larrabee’s work bound several biographies together, Borneman instead follows all four of his subjects through the epochs that preceded t...more
The Admirals covers the lives and careers of the 4 men who became Admirals of the Fleet during and after World War 2. While it doesn't contain any new or earth shattering revelations, it does provide a great overview of these 4 extraordinary men and how they helped shape the strategy that defeated Germany and Japan in the war. The most informative portions of the book for me were the sections covering Admiral Leahy, the first Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and presidential confidant. I am...more
An overdue, and splendidly realized, multiple biography of the four Navy admirals who directed the sea battles of WWII. This was an ambitious project and Mr. Borneman proved equal to the task. This book is not only a salute to Nimitz, Halsey, King, and Leahy,, but also a paean to the Naval Academy, hatchery for such gallant men.
A good Pacific centered history of the war. Borneman does an excellent job of following the four admirals from the Annapolis through their rise to the top ranks of the navy. It shows that US Naval History as a continuous narrative from the Spanish-American War through the WWII, which helps with context and narratives.
Aug 13, 2012
Albert
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Everyone who enjoys military history
Recommended to Albert by:
My wife pointed it out to me
When I think of the U.S. Navy's in the Pacific we immediately think of Nimitz and Halsey. This book pulls into one book the story of the four five-star admirls and their journey that interweaves with one another. The author reveals their weaknesses and strenghts, their flaws and unique leadership abilities that took them to the top. It is giving me a new glimps of history of WW2.
Well worth the read, learn a few things and appreciate their courage and leadshiph.
Well worth the read, learn a few things and appreciate their courage and leadshiph.
An engaging, readable book that is more an examination of the admirals themselves and their impact on modernizing the Navy and naval warfare itself than a history of WWII. Certainly opinionated in terms of other players at the time, he almost writes off MacArthur entirely for example, but I learned a lot about people who had immense influence while being behind the scenes, such as Leahy.
Excellent story about major naval players in WWII. I have read many books which refer to these Admirals so I enjoyed reading about them as the central figure of the narrative. The stories about the only five star Admirals that there ever were in the Navy and how they interacted. Fascinating slice of history.
For starters, how can you not like a book with a cover photo such as this one?
The story of four 5 star United States WWII admirals from the beginning of their careers up to the point of their deaths after the war. If you want more detail on any of them, best to look elsewhere. But this was a well written account of their service and interaction with others and among themselves.
The story of four 5 star United States WWII admirals from the beginning of their careers up to the point of their deaths after the war. If you want more detail on any of them, best to look elsewhere. But this was a well written account of their service and interaction with others and among themselves.
Leahy was a combination of Chief of the Joint Staffs and National Security Advisor and played a far more important role in the White House than I realized. His only actual combact action was on the Battleship Oregon during the Spanish American War.
An interesting book of the key figures in the Naval War.
An interesting book of the key figures in the Naval War.
I was sad for World War II to end, as well as this book. These four men, all five star fleet admirals, were really quite fascinating to learn about, from the better known Nimitz and Halsey to the far less familiar King and Leahy. My only complaint is that this book's form, multi-biography, makes it hard to discern particular personalities, especially early on, and which don't come to fuller understanding until the culmination of the book. Guess the only way to solve this is to read it again.
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Walter R. Borneman, b.1952, an American historian and lawyer, is the author of well-known popular books on 18th and 19th century United States history. He received his B.A. in 1974 from Western State College of Colorado, and received an M.A. in history there in 1975 for a thesis on "Irwin : silver camp of the Ruby Mountains"; in 1981 he received a law degree from the University of Denver, and prac...more
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