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Storm over Leyte : the Philippine invasion and the destruction of the Japanese Navy / John Prados.

By: Material type: TextTextPublisher: New York, New York : NAL Caliber, [2016]Copyright date: ©2016Description: 388 pages, 16 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations, maps ; 24 cmContent type:
  • text
Media type:
  • unmediated
Carrier type:
  • volume
ISBN:
  • 9780451473615 :
  • 0451473612
Other title:
  • Philippine invasion and the destruction of the Japanese Navy
Subject(s): Genre/Form: Additional physical formats: Online version:: Storm over LeyteLOC classification:
  • D767.4 .P73 2016
Contents:
All in -- The lowdown -- Breakthrough and exploitation -- Best-laid plans -- Destroy the invading enemy -- MacArthur returns, Sho unleashed -- "With confidence in heavenly guidance, the entire force will attach!" -- The First Team versus the Rising Sun -- Tallyho ... carriers! -- "Close and attack enemy carriers!" -- Sea fights and shipwrecks.
Summary: "As Allied ships prepared for the invasion of the Philippine island of Leyte, every available warship, submarine and airplane was placed on alert while Japanese admiral Kurita Takeo stalked Admiral William F. Halsey’s unwitting American armada. It was the beginning of the epic Battle of Leyte Gulf-- the greatest naval battle in history. In Storm Over Leyte, acclaimed historian John Prados gives readers an unprecedented look at both sides of this titanic naval clash, demonstrating that, despite the Americans' overwhelming superiority in firepower and supplies, the Japanese achieved their goal, inflicting grave damage on U.S. forces. And for the first time, readers will have access to the naval intelligence reports that influenced key strategic decisions on both sides. Drawing upon a wealth of untapped sources-- U.S. and Japanese military records, diaries, declassified intelligence reports and postwar interrogation transcripts-- Prados offers up a masterful narrative of naval conflict on an epic scale"-- Dust jacket.
Fiction notes: Click to open in new window
Holdings
Item type Current library Collection Call number Copy number Status Date due Barcode Item holds
Non-Fiction Davis (Central) Library Non-Fiction Non-Fiction 940.5425 PRA 1 Available T00610624
Total holds: 0

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

By October 1944, the US Navy had driven the devastated Japanese fleet across the far Pacific. But with each defeat, Japanese commanders became even more determined to destroy the Americans in a final decisive battle. In Storm Over Leyte, acclaimed historian John Prados gives readers an unprecedented look at both sides of this titanic naval clash. Drawing upon a wealth of untapped sources Prados offers up a masterful narrative that breaks new ground in our understanding of the greatest naval clash in history.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 357-376) and index.

All in -- The lowdown -- Breakthrough and exploitation -- Best-laid plans -- Destroy the invading enemy -- MacArthur returns, Sho unleashed -- "With confidence in heavenly guidance, the entire force will attach!" -- The First Team versus the Rising Sun -- Tallyho ... carriers! -- "Close and attack enemy carriers!" -- Sea fights and shipwrecks.

"As Allied ships prepared for the invasion of the Philippine island of Leyte, every available warship, submarine and airplane was placed on alert while Japanese admiral Kurita Takeo stalked Admiral William F. Halsey’s unwitting American armada. It was the beginning of the epic Battle of Leyte Gulf-- the greatest naval battle in history. In Storm Over Leyte, acclaimed historian John Prados gives readers an unprecedented look at both sides of this titanic naval clash, demonstrating that, despite the Americans' overwhelming superiority in firepower and supplies, the Japanese achieved their goal, inflicting grave damage on U.S. forces. And for the first time, readers will have access to the naval intelligence reports that influenced key strategic decisions on both sides. Drawing upon a wealth of untapped sources-- U.S. and Japanese military records, diaries, declassified intelligence reports and postwar interrogation transcripts-- Prados offers up a masterful narrative of naval conflict on an epic scale"-- Dust jacket.

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Table of contents provided by Syndetics

  • Introduction (p. 1)
  • Prologue (p. 7)
  • Chapter 1 All In (p. 21)
  • Chapter 2 The Lowdown (p. 44)
  • Chapter 3 Breakthrough and Exploitation (p. 70)
  • Chapter 4 Best-Laid Plans (p. 94)
  • Chapter 5 Destroy the Invading Enemy (p. 118)
  • Chapter 6 Macarthur Returns, Sho Unleashed (p. 152)
  • Chapter 7 "With Confidence in Heavenly Guidance, The Entire Force Will Attack!" (p. 181)
  • Chapter 8 The First Team Versus the Rising Sun (p. 217)
  • Chapter 9 Tallyho... Carriers! (p. 253)
  • Chapter 10 "Close And Attack Enemy Carriers!" (p. 285)
  • Chapter 11 Sea Fights and Shipwrecks (p. 330)
  • Abbreviations (p. 355)
  • Endnotes (p. 357)
  • Bibliography (p. 367)
  • Index (p. 377)

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Publishers Weekly Review

In this well-researched and detailed account, Prados (Islands of Destiny), an experienced historian and professional intelligence analyst, examines the Battle of Leyte Gulf, the largest naval battle of WWII, which resulted in the destruction of the Japanese fleet as an effective combat force. Prados writes through the prism of an intelligence professional and focuses two thirds of the work on the battle's strategic setting as the opposing sides analyzed intelligence and attempted to interpret each other's intentions. The opening sections can be difficult reading, but in the fast-paced final third, Prados paints a clear and exciting picture of the major naval engagements themselves. The strongest part of the book is Prados's description of the U.S. intelligence apparatus that meticulously tracked the Japanese military's communications, leveraging a small army of brilliant linguists, radio operators, cryptologists, and analysts. The work is exceedingly balanced and provides detailed portraits of the personalities of the Japanese commanders, their understanding of events, and their decision-making processes. This is not a book for the casual reader of WWII or naval history; its nuanced approach and new facts and analysis will be of greatest interest to serious naval historians. Agent: Michael Congdon, Don Congdon Associates. (July) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

CHOICE Review

WW II, particularly the Pacific theater, has a wide appeal for readers. Relying on previously untapped Japanese and US documents, especially signals and communications intelligence, Prados (senior research fellow, National Security Archive) creates a vivid picture of the Battle of Leyte Gulf, which sealed the fate of Japan. The author's skill is evident in his portrayal of the admirals who issued critical orders before and during the campaign and the intelligence officers and planners who conducted the operations essential for victory. In an age before satellite imagery, intelligence officers had to rely upon traffic analysis to determine enemy strength and, more important, to inform commanders of the enemy's intentions, something that Admiral William "Bull" Halsey, a navy legend and commander of the "Big Blue Fleet," never understood as the battle was unfolding. Prados engages readers with his prose and transports them into the combat information centers during the engagement that determined the final outcome of the war. A must for anyone interested in the Pacific conflict. Summing Up: Essential. All levels/libraries. --Christopher C. Lovett, Emporia State University

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