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Rip roaring read for the layman and enthusiast 2009-11-11

Reviewer: Paul Lawrence

Thomas J Cutler has a track record of books on naval combat behind him from discussions of riverine warfare of the Vietnam War to this book on the epic battle of Leyte Gulf fought in and around the Phillipines during late October 1944. And what a great job he does of telling the story of this massive battle! As a naval history buff I came to this book with some trepidation due to a fear that Mr Cutlers nationality would make his account a rather dire affair where you could almost hear the chanting of USA! USA! But the author has made me eat crow (so to speak) as while he does fall off that line of impartiality on a few occasions he keeps a lid on any grandiose displays of excess. And he has been rewarded by writing a highly readable account of what must have been a very complex subject to try and portray in terms comprehensible to the layman whilst still getting across some semblance of the fog of war inherent in a battle spread over multiple dimensions and hundreds of kilometres.

All the tension of command is herein, stacks - or should that be tonnes? - of technical data and details that the average person won't necessarily realise the importance of at first are thrown in and yet they don't impinge on the sheer enjoyment of visualising the contending fleets and air arms jockeying for position for a massive showdown. Both sides are shown as human and fallible and the authors' love of his topic is a boon - the pacing of this is quite an achievement. The way in which the characters are shown doing their duty, sometimes blindly, sometimes with too much gusto, is quite poignant and the way in which the Japanese foe is dealt with in terms that shows why they lost, but also admits to their bravery and stoic courage is also moving.

And amidst all the big stuff the author also finds time to discuss details like rescue missions for sailors of downed ships. The problems arising from trying to pick up these survivors is described in detail yet doesn't detract from the overall picture and in fact they humanise a story that, at its essence, also revolves around brutal behemoths of destruction built solely to take human life as quickly and efficiently as possible.

A book I've re-read three times so far and as far as I'm concerned it is at once one of the most informative and enjoyable slices of naval history I've yet read.

Probably The Best 2008-09-06

Reviewer: David Van Keuren

Probably the best book out there on the subject. I have read just about everything out there on BLG and so many other authors just don't know how to tell this story with a style and flair that draws you into the battle and won't let you go. Cutler by all means does this. I have read several other books on BLG and simply tossed them when I was done because I knew I would never subject myself again to the author's boring and stiff writting style. BTW, I have seen many reviews stating that Hornfischer's "Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors" to be the best rendering of the BLG. Sorry, I must disagree. LSTCS is indeed a GREAT book written by a very gifted author and it is definitley a MUST read. But LSTCS is more the story of the Battle of Samar Island and focues mainly on the horrific tale of Taffy 3. Cutler's book gives the reader a much broader picture of the entire BLG while including Taffy 3's spellbinding story as well. As a matter of fact, Cutler's chapter dealing with the DD's and DE's that charged into certain death and destruction at the hands of the Kurita's heavies is in my opinion one of the greatest chapters of reading in any book I have read on any topic on the war in the Pacific. He entitled the chapter "The Charge of the Light Brigade," after the 1854 Battle of Balaclava in the Crimean Pennisula of the Ukraine in which a courageous and lightly armed British calvalry unit of only 600 men charged into a valley floor overlooked by Russian heavy artillery and were decimated to the last man. Cutler tells the story of Taffy 3's DD's and DE's sacrifice and bravery as he intersperses lines from Alfred Lord Tennyson's classic and masterful poem that describes the 1854 "Charge of the Light Brigade." I can tell you that my eyes certainly weren't dry at the end of THAT chapter.
Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors draws the microscope down on Taffy 3 with a general overall rendering of the BLG. Cutler's book does just the opposite in drawing the microscope off of Taffy 3 and giving an outstanding and highly enjoyable and easily understood overall account of the BLG while at the same time ensuring the story of the bravery and sacrifice of the heros of the DD's and DE's of Taffy 3 are never to be forgotten in his unforgettable chapter "Charge of the Light Brigade."
I highly recommend this book to any Pacific War enthusiast, especially those who have attempted to get a handle on BLG from other authors and came away unsattisfied, or simply to anyone who just flat out enjoys a GREAT read no matter what the topic. Cutler's BLG is one truly incredible book. Don't miss it if you haven't read it. I can assure you, you won't be tossing this one when you're done with it. You'll put in on your bookshelf and look forward to reading it again.

Excellent navel battle book 2008-06-10

Reviewer: G. Powell

An incredible story well told. Once I cracked this book open, I couldn't put it down even though I had already read another account of this battle. It's excellently written. It as a good analysis of the overall importance of the battle, and the failures on both sides as well as the politics. "The last stand of the Tin Can sailors" goes into more detail on the last phase of the battle, but this book has more of the big picture, why things happened when the did. WWII navel historians will enjoy it, as do us armchair warriors.

"Where is Task Force 34? The World Wonders" 2008-05-21

Reviewer: Jeffrey T. Munson

In late October, 1944, the U.S. Navy and the remnants of the Imperial Japanese Navy met in the waters near the Philippine Islands in what was to become the largest naval engagement of World War II. By the time the battle was over, numerous ships from both sides had been sunk. But, the Japanese had missed a golden opportunity to reach the American invasion beaches and destroy the transports anchored off shore. Also, Admiral William F. Halsey would commit a blunder that would haunt him for the rest of his life.

The Japanese had divided their forces into three separate groups: the northern force, under the command of Admiral Ozawa and containing Japan's last four aircraft carriers, was to lure Halsey's powerful Third Fleet away from the Leyte beaches; the center force, under the command of Admiral Kurita, was to sail through the San Bernadino Strait and smash the unprotected American transports anchored off Leyte; and the southern force, under the command of Admiral Nishimura, was to sail through the Surigao Strait and form a pincer attack with Kurita's center force.

Nishimura's force ran into a force of American battleships, destroyers, cruisers, and PT boats. In the ensuing battle, Nishimura lost almost his entire fleet. Ozawa succeeded in luring the overzealous Halsey away from the Leyte beaches, leaving them wide open for Kurita's center force. Despite losing all of his carriers, Ozawa accomplished his mission. Kurita's force suffered great damage at the outset of the battle, but he re-grouped his assets and continued on toward the American beaches. The only force guarding the approaches to the beaches was a small group of American escort carriers and destroyers. Kurita's force was soon giving chase and had succeeded in sinking several of the destroyers and carriers.

However, it is here that Kurita made perhaps one of the most fateful decisions of the war. Instead of pressing his attack against the overmatched Americans, he decided to withdraw to the north. The remaining ships in the American force were spared almost certain destruction. Halsey, after receiving the curt "Where is task force 34" message from Nimitz, dispatched his battleships to sail back to San Bernadino Strait to protect the landing beaches, but by the time they arrived, the battle was already over. Halsey had once again missed his chance for a surface battle with the Japanese navy.

This book does a good job of describing all aspects of the Battle of Leyte Gulf. The first few chapters provide biographical sketches of the major players in the battle, and the description of the battle itself is handled very well. I've read several accounts of this battle, and author Thomas J. Cutler's assessment is one of the best I've read. I was especially impressed with his analysis as to why Kurita decided to withdraw his forces, and the description of Halsey's decision to charge after the Japanese carriers was explained in great detail as well.

This is a great book. It is loaded with facts about the Battle of Leyte Gulf and the author expertly intertwines the human side of battle into the narrative. Highly recommended.

Mostly Name Dropping 2007-03-05

Reviewer: Scott Guthery

The book is more about the biographies of the Pacific military big wigs than it is about the Battle of Leyte Gulf. If you are looking for a first rate description of the battle itself there's no better book than The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors.