Storm Over Leyte
The Philippine Invasion and the Destruction of the Japanese Navy
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4.6 • 7 Ratings
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- $10.99
Publisher Description
The story of the Battle of Leyte Gulf in World War II—the greatest naval battle in history.
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.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
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.
