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46th out of 132 books
—
48 voters
Guadalcanal: The Definitive Account of the Landmark Battle
The battle at Guadalcanal--which began eight months to the day after Pearl Harbor--marked the first American offensive of World War II. It was a brutal six-month campaign that cost the lives of some 7,000 Americans and over 30,000 Japanese.This volume, ten years in the writing, recounts the full story of the critical campaign for Guadalcanal and is based on first-time tran...more
Paperback, 800 pages
Published
January 1st 1992
by Penguin Books
(first published 1990)
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Jan 20, 2013
Joseph
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
people who are into numbers and detail
Shelves:
military-biography
This book contains tons of detail. If you are into detail this is the book for you. But, for me, the book almost devolves into minutiae. I checked this book out of the library for three weeks, then renewed it for another three weeks. The reason I checked it out is that I am researching Guadalcanal to try and gain a better understanding of what it was like for my father who fought on Guadalcanal as an enlisted man with the 25th ID. The book gave me some detail and if you want to know how the batt...more
This is a "must" read for anyone interested in the War in the Pacific - the opening chapter dealing with the strategies and influences affecting Japan and the US leading up to the war, and the closing chapter reflecting on the Guadalcanal campaign alone make it worthwhile. Guadalcanal was one of the most significant events of WW II - in the space of eight months following Pearl Harbor, the US bombed Tokyo - fought Coral Sea and reversed Japanese expansion - fought Midway and changed the course o...more
Sorry for using this tired phrase, but in this case it is completely justified - if you are to read a single book about Guadalcanal campaign, then this is the book you want to read. It is very detailed, comprehensive and yet readable account of a World War II campaign that was as decisive as it was unique. There are many reasons why I think this is superior choice on this topic - Frank covers all aspects of the campaign - land, sea and air. Just that fact alone makes it a rarity. Also, the book...more
Tom Clancy said of Frank's book that it will surely become the standard history of the U.S. Navy's most important campaign. After having read it, I tend to agree with him, although I'd be tempted to add that is was perhaps one of America's armed forces most important campaign ever, arguably the true turning point of the Pacific war.
I definitely recommend this book to anyone wishing to acquire an articulate, well researched view of the campaign. Frank digs deep into American and Japanese sources...more
I definitely recommend this book to anyone wishing to acquire an articulate, well researched view of the campaign. Frank digs deep into American and Japanese sources...more
Like the dust jacket says, this is the definitive history of the Guadalcanal campaign, from the bold and even foolhardy American seizure of an airfield at the tip of Japanese expansion in the southwest Pacific to the brilliantly planned and executed Japanese withdrawal of their last skeletal survivors six months later. The campaign is an epic of hardship, determination, and perseverence in American military history, but how much greater were the hardship, suffering, and perseverence of the Japan...more
Feb 24, 2008
Patrick
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
fans of scholarly military history
Shelves:
the-few-and-the-proud,
americanhistory
This is perhaps the best campaign history I have ever read. It is the equal of the best Civil War campaign histories by Catton and Stephen Sears, which for me are the best researched and literary books available on specific American military campaigns. Frank does a superb job of establishing the background that resulted in thousands of men fighting over this obscure little island in the South Pacific. He then does an equally fine job of detailing the various maneuvers of the Japanese and America...more
The battle at Guadalcanal--which began eight months to the day after Pearl Harbor--marked the first American offensive of World War II. It was a brutal six-month campaign that cost the lives of some 7,000 Americans and over 30,000 Japanese.This volume, ten years in the writing, recounts the full story of the critical campaign for Guadalcanal and is based on first-time translations of official Japanese Defense Agency accounts and recently declassified U.S. radio intelligence, "Guadalcanal" recrea...more
Frank wrote the Definitive account of the battle.
What many contemporary readers don't realize is that
the campaign included some of the largest ship to ship battles in history. Unbelievable heroism. I gave this to my uncle who was a participant and he recalled watching the ship battles at night off the coast in iron bottom sound. This book is one of the best executed history books ever written.
What many contemporary readers don't realize is that
the campaign included some of the largest ship to ship battles in history. Unbelievable heroism. I gave this to my uncle who was a participant and he recalled watching the ship battles at night off the coast in iron bottom sound. This book is one of the best executed history books ever written.
An amazing piece of scholarship on what was America's first counter-thrust against the Empire of Japan. Exhaustively researched, Mr. Frank's account of the conflict in late 1942 highlighted the hubris of the IJN and IJA as they first dismissed, then underestimated and finally reacted too late. Great read for aficionados of the Pacific War.
Frank's book is easily the single best volume on the Guadalcanal campaign, weaving together the holy trinity of air, naval and land to provide a complete and extremely well-written and detailed account. Essential for anyone interested in World War II in the Pacific.
In the summer of 1942, the US had been defeated at almost every turn by the Japanese. With the Germany first strategy, it was no sure thing that america's limited resources could defeat the Japanese who had run rampant. The Japanese had no yet been defeated on land. This book is an excellent account of the battle on land and sea that raged from August 1942 through early 1943. The Japanese fought capably and fanatically and it was a near thing but the americans also fought well and eventually wer...more
I want to give it a two because it was a chore to read, however, due to the exhaustive research and the detail it is a 5. "Definitive" is an understatement.
Excellent and comprehensive history of the grueling conflict in this remote tropical jungle island. I doubt any survivor of the campaign came out of it whole.
Covers the land, sea and air campaign from both sides as the source material allows. Very much worth the read.
very good coverage of this US victory in the pacific
Mar 12, 2009
Kevin
added it
Tons of information. Good read.
The definitive account by far. Not a light undertaking, but it's definitely for you if you want in-depth analysis and play-by-play accounts drawn from original documents on both the American and Japanese sides.
Guadalcanal was one of the early battles of World War II to retake the Pacific region from the Japanese. The fierce struggle was a test for Aallied military might and tactics.
The epitome of a campaign study. Meticulously researched, thoughtful, detailed yet accessible to a general audience.
Partially read it years ago. Plan to go back and read again.
May 17, 2013
Gary Margeson
marked it as to-read
May 16, 2013
Thanuja Hemantha
marked it as to-read
May 06, 2013
Paul W
added it
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22. Januar, 06:04 Uhr