Sea of Thunder: Four Commanders and the Last Great Naval Campaign 1941-1945
by Evan ThomasSign in to Goodreads to see your friends' reviews of this book.
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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 92)
Well written story of Leyte Gulf campaign from points of view of Admiral Halsey and Commander Evans on the American side and Admiral Kurita and Adm. Ugaki on the Japanese side. Taken from these perspectives, the naval strategies/tactics and battles took on an intense, emotional significance for the reader. The author borught these four men alive, replete with all their emotional and cultural baggage, which played significant role in how they implemented their nations' strategic goals. Author...more
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Read in August, 2008
While not "historical fiction", Thomas highlights the reasons behind the facts. This make the book more interesting. I think he has done a good job of tying together the stories of many people, focusing on the admirals who made the decisions.
I'm sure there may be other opinions as to how this battle went, but it seems well documented and would be worthwhile for anyone interested in going into the navy to read.
Ultimately he does a great job of explaining the pointlessness of war...more
I'm sure there may be other opinions as to how this battle went, but it seems well documented and would be worthwhile for anyone interested in going into the navy to read.
Ultimately he does a great job of explaining the pointlessness of war...more
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I'm a military history geek. I grew up sucking down WWII history like a friekin' Hoover. I loved this book. It profiles four of the major Naval commanders in the Pacific (two Japanese, two American) leading up to the ultimate battle in Leyte Gulf, which more or less crushed Japan's prospects for anything remotely resembling militaristic hope for success in the theater. The profiles help the reader understand the overall maneuvering better when viewing the battle itself and the decisions inhe...more
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bookshelves:
history,
war
Evan Thomas does not attempt to present a history of the entire Japanese-American naval war. Instead, he does something more adventurous and more revealing; he views that conflict of nations through the prisms of four naval commanders, two from each warring nation. Using oral histories, dairies, correspondence, and postwar testimony, he shows how cultural differences and personalities played a major part in the outcome of critical October 1944 Battle of Leyte Gulf. Military history from a differ...more
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The U.S. admiral, William Halsey, really screwed up. The Japanese commander turned back when the victory was within grasp. A U.S. destroyer captain ran the gantlet of battleships and cruisers and chased away a superior force. Great acccount of the Battle of Leyte Gulf, the greatest naval battle ever (and actually four separate encounters).
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Read in July, 2008
The author did a good job portraying four naval commanders, two American, and two Japanese, though it was really three Japanese. He provided good analysis and insight into the two cultures and why they fought the way they did. The book goes through Pearl Harbor-from the Japanese stand point, to the end of the war, with about 150 pages dedicated to the battle of Leyte Gulf.
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second-world-war-history
GREAT book about the Battle of Leyte Gulf and the four commanders who fought it. Lots of detail and first person accounts bring the battle and personalities alive. Leyte Gulf is famous for the American commander's ability to perform a classic naval maneuver and "cross the T" of the Japanese fleet. The Japanese navy never seriously threatened the US navy again.
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Read in January, 2007
This history of the Battle of Leyte Gulf focused on the characters and actions of four men, Admiral William “Bull” Halsey, Cdr. Ernest Evans, Admiral Matome Ugaki, and Admiral Takeo Kurita. A very good read with lots of human interest and good maps of the battle. Genevieve gave me this one as a Christmas present. I really enjoyed it.
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Among the many books written about the Battle for Leyte Gulf, Evan Thomas has written an excellent expose of the personalities involved from both sides of the conflict. Gripping and engaging, this is a read that is hard to put down if one is interested in naval engagements.
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Read in December, 2006
Really interesting if you enjoy biographies, or military history. Profiles and follows the 4 main naval commanders of the Pacific theater in WWII. Evenhanded in showing the cultural prejudices of all involved.
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Read in January, 2008
This clearly explained the final Pacific battles of WWII in a readable way. It gave interesting biographical sketches of the commanders on both sides of the battle. Readable history.
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Read in April, 2008
Wow, what an excellent analysis of the naval action in the Pacific in WWII. Not only a good historical read but also one that kept me turning pages until late in the evening.
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nonfiction,
to-read
Dad told me that my Grandfather Herbert Claiborne Jones, Sr. was there at the Battle of Leyte Gulf in October 1944!
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