The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors: The Extraordinary World War II Story of the U.S. Navy's Finest Hour (Abridged)

by James D. Hornfischer Narrated by Grover Gardner

Overview

“This will be a fight against overwhelming odds from which survival cannot be expected. We will do what damage we can.”

With these words, Lieutenant Commander Robert W. Copeland addressed the crew of the destroyer escort USS Samuel B. Roberts on the morning of October 25, 1944, off the Philippine Island of Samar. On the horizon loomed the mightiest ships of the Japanese navy, a massive fleet that represented the last hope of a staggering empire. All that stood between it and Douglas MacArthur's vulnerable invasion force were the Roberts and the other small ships of a tiny American flotilla poised to charge into history.

In the tradition of the #1 New York Times bestseller Flags of Our Fathers, James D. Hornfischer paints an unprecedented portrait of the Battle of Samar, a naval engagement unlike any other in U.S. history-and captures with unforgettable intensity the men, the strategies, and the sacrifices that turned certain defeat into a legendary victory.

Editorial Reviews

DEC 04/JAN 05 - AudioFile

Hornfischer recounts the last Japanese attempt at a breakthrough in the Pacific in WWII, during which an American light carrier group miraculously held off a large contingent of warships, though outnumbered, outweighed, and out-gunned. The complex Japanese plan is too complicated to follow comfortably in audio; the battle itself is easier, but the multiplicity of players demands close attention. Grover Gardner reads with controlled emotion and good taste; his clarity and verbal facility keep the complex story moving forward, creating an exciting sea story of battle tactics and raw courage, punctuated by devastating accounts of the human cost. An addendum gives samples of Hornfischer’s interviews with American survivors. W.M. © AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine

DEC 04/JAN 05 - AudioFile

Hornfischer recounts the last Japanese attempt at a breakthrough in the Pacific in WWII, during which an American light carrier group miraculously held off a large contingent of warships, though outnumbered, outweighed, and out-gunned. The complex Japanese plan is too complicated to follow comfortably in audio; the battle itself is easier, but the multiplicity of players demands close attention. Grover Gardner reads with controlled emotion and good taste; his clarity and verbal facility keep the complex story moving forward, creating an exciting sea story of battle tactics and raw courage, punctuated by devastating accounts of the human cost. An addendum gives samples of Hornfischer’s interviews with American survivors. W.M. © AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine

Product Details

BN ID:	2940169179651
Publisher:	Penguin Random House
Publication date:	02/03/2004
Edition description:	Abridged

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