About this item
With The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors and Ship of Ghosts James D Hornfischer created essential and enduring narratives about Americarsquos World War II Navy works of unique immediacy distinguished by rich portraits of ordinary men in extremis and exclusive new information Now he does the same for the deadliest most pivotal naval campaign of the Pacific war GuadalcanalNeptunersquos Inferno is at once the most epic and the most intimate account ever written of the contest for control of the seaways of the Solomon Islands Americarsquos first concerted offensive against the Imperial Japanese juggernaut and the true turning point of the Pacific conflict This grim protracted campaign has long been heralded as a Marine victory Now with his powerful portrait of the Navyrsquos sacrificemdashthree sailors died at sea for every man lost ashoremdashHornfischer tells for the first time the full story of the men who fought in destroyers cruisers and battleships in the narrow deadly waters of ldquoIronbottom Soundrdquo Here in brilliant cinematic detail are the seven major naval actions that began in August of a time when the war seemed unwinnable and America fought on a shoestring with the outcome always in doubt But at Guadalcanal the US proved it had the implacable will to match the Imperial war machine blow for violent blow Working from new interviews with survivors unpublished eyewitness accounts and newly available documents Hornfischer paints a vivid picture of the officers and enlisted men who took on the Japanese in Americarsquos hour of need Vice Admiral William ldquoBullrdquo Halsey who took command of the faltering South Pacific Area from his aloof overwhelmed predecessor and became a national hero the brilliant Rear Admiral Norman Scott who died even as he showed his command how to fight and win Rear Admiral Daniel Callaghan the folksy and genteel ldquoUncle Danrdquo lost in the strobe-lit chaos of his burning flagship Rear Admiral Willis Lee who took vengeance two nights later in a legendary showdown with the Japanese battleship Kirishima the five Sullivan brothers all killed in the shocking destruction of the Juneau and many others all vividly brought to lifeThe first major work on this essential subject in almost two decades Neptunersquos Inferno does what all great battle narratives do It cuts through the smoke and fog to tell the gripping human stories behind the momentous events and critical decisions that altered the course of history and shaped so many lives This is a thrilling achievement from a master historian at the very top of his game.
About the Author
James D. Hornfischer's books have led reviewers to rate him as one of the most commanding naval historians writing today. His awards include the 2018 Samuel Eliot Morison Award, given by the Board of Trustees of the USS Constitution Museum for work that "reflects the best of Admiral Morison: artful scholarship, patriotic pride, an eclectic interest in the sea and things maritime, and a desire to preserve the best of our past for future generations."His most recent book is "The Fleet at Flood Tide: America at Total War in the Pacific, 1944-1945". Recipient of the Navy League's 2017 Commodore John Barry Book Award, it is a major narrative of the U.S. Navy's Central Pacific drive in World War II, covering the air, land and sea operations that seized the islands of Saipan, Tinian and Guam, as well as the strategic air operations conducted from the Marianas that ended the war."Neptune's Inferno: The U.S. Navy at Guadalcanal" (2011) , a New York Times bestseller, was chosen as a best book of the year by numerous book reviews. "Ship of Ghosts" (2006) told the story of the cruiser USS Houston (CA-30) and the odyssey of its crew in Japanese captivity. "The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors" (2004) , a combat narrative about the Battle off Samar, received the Samuel Eliot Morison Award from the Naval Order of the United States and was chosen by the Wall Street Journal as one of the five best books on "war as soldiers know it" and by Naval History magazine as one of "a dozen Navy classics." Hornfischer has also collaborated with Marcus Luttrell, the bestselling author of "Lone Survivor," on Luttrell's second autobiography, "Service: A Navy SEAL at War" (2012) .All of Hornfischer's books have been selections of the Navy Professional Reading program, managed by the office of the Chief of Naval Operations (OPNAV) . He is a regular contributor for the Wall Street Journal and has written for Smithsonian, Naval History, Naval Institute Proceedings, and other periodicals. He has lectured at the U.S. Naval Academy, Marine Corps University at Quantico, the National WWII Museum, the National Museum of the Pacific War, and other venues.Hornfischer's motivation to write about the U.S. military reaches back to his childhood, from his explorations of the school library's 940.54 Dewey Decimal section, building Monogram and Revell model ships and aircraft, watching "Black Sheep Squadron" on NBC (sublimely ahistorical but redeemed by Robert Conrad's portrayal of Major Gregory "Pappy" Boyington of VMF-214) , and absorbing the epic intonations of Laurence Olivier in "The World at War" on PBS. A native of Massachusetts and a graduate of Colgate University and the University of Texas School of Law, Hornfischer lives in Austin, Texas, with his wife and their children.Author photo: Mark Matson, www.matsonphoto.net
