audiobook America's Fighting Admirals: Winning the War at Sea in World War II by William Tuohy in History

Review

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. The Men Who Led the US Navy to Victory in WWIIBy Grover Hartt; IIIWhen I first encountered this book; the title made me wonder whether it was just a superficial hagiography of Bull Halsey and the gang that won the war in the Pacific. I am pleased to say that after I took a chance and purchased it; I found it to be a highly readable portrayal of the flag officers who commanded both in the Pacific and the Altantic/Mediterranean. But it was more than a recitation of who did what and when and where they did it. The author offers an insightful study of a small group of men who essentially came of age together; matured together; and through a stroke of fate led our Navy to its greatest triumphs.Although William Touhy does not explain how he defines a “fighting admiral;” he is candid in his appraisals of the men he includes and willing to criticize those he judges to have been mediocre or even inferior. Not surprisingly; there were a number of rivalries and jealousies. On the whole; I thought that Touhy did a good job of describing the different personalities of the admirals and how they contributed or detracted from each officer’s stature. Although most of his book is a retelling of the naval portions of the Second World War in broad strokes; he does tell it from the perspective of flag officers; and he also describes the earlier experiences these men had at the Naval Academy and the Naval War College. By doing this; he attempts to impart the rather insular culture in which these men thrived and some succeeded. I would have preferred a little more discussion of what their middle years in the 1920s and 1930s would have been like. In addition; I would have liked more information about the staffs they assembled after becoming admirals; e.g.; what kinds of officers did they select; how their staffs interacted with the other officers on the flagships; etc.Among his strong points; Touhy provides an interesting comparison of the different challenges presented by the cross-Channel amphibious assault on the Normandy beaches and those encountered with small islands in the Pacific thousands of miles away the nearest base. On the other side of the ledger; his account of the sinking of the first Wasp; a destroyer; and the damage inflicted upon North Carolina in September 1942 attributes these disasters to two submarines – I-19 and I-15. Many other accounts describe the event as the result of a spread of six torpedoes all fired by I-19. The lack of footnotes makes it impossible to evaluate Touhy’s version.There are a few mistakes. The first Hornet was not a sister of the first Wasp (p. 42). The Kaiser had abdicated years before WWII; and the references to the Kriegsmarine as the “German Imperial Navy” are incorrect (pp. 43 44). As pointed out by another reviewer; Nagara was a light cruiser; not a battleship (p. 138).That said; the mistakes are minor annoyances and the insights into the admirals are worthwhile.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Good overview of the combat Admirals in the Pacific.By Darrell SmithThis book presents a good overview of all the U.S. Admirals (and some of the Japanese) that were part of all the naval battles in the Pacific. No war has seen the magnitude and scope of the Pacific war from an Naval stand point. Mr. Tuohy does a good job providing a overview of all the personalities; the tactics and combat decisions that were made as the U.S. fought it's way to the defeat of Japan. I recommend this book to anyone that is interested in a good overview of the main battles and the Admirals that were involved.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. WWII at SeaBy Great PyrExcellent review of the US Admirals who were of critical importance to the USA victory in WWII. The author isn't shy about giving his personal opinions about them but the books strength IMO ishe covers them all. From Alaska to N. Africa; from landing on Normandy to Iwo Jima Those Admirals who were responsible for getting the Marines and Army Infantry ashore get the recognition they deserve. So do the Admirals who fought the big Sea battles like Midway; Coral sea and Leyete Gulf. Admiral Morrison's epic series on WWII Navy history is has far more information for those who want an in depth and excellent education about the Navy at war. But if you want to learn about the Navies leaders in WWII this book provides a very readable digest that covers the big picture.