Andrew
"Well, I think it was really just determination that really meant something. I can't believe that they didn't just go in and wipe us out. We confused the Japanese so much. I think it deterred them. It was a great experience."
— Thomas Stevensen, Survivor of Samuel B. Roberts
A harrowing reconstruction of the Battle off Samar. Hornfischer makes the decision to focus on a handful of sailors from each of the American escort carriers and destroyer escorts and follow the battle through their eyes, hooking readers in emotionally. It's an effective strategy as opposed to providing a clinical birds' eye view of events, but I confess to often feeling confused about where exactly each ship was in relation to each other and the Japanese during the course of action and being overwhelmed by the volume of violence and the scale of it all...but given that even the survivors themselves couldn't say with 100% accuracy what the hell happened or how they managed to live through it, I can't hold that too much against the author.
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My Rating Scale
5 stars - An all-time classic, a book that fundamentally changed or enriched my life. Would recommend to any and all readers.
4 stars - An excellent book that stands out in one or more areas of writing style, characterization, making a point, etc. Would recommend to anyone with even a passing interest in the genre or subject matter.
3 stars - A perfectly serviceable book that may be entertaining or informative but does not push the envelope or linger long in the memory. Would recommend to pre-existing fans of the genre or author.
2 stars - A book that falls short in one or more areas of writing style, characterization, making a point, etc. Would only recommend with reservations or would not recommend at all.
1 star - A book that has nothing to say, or says it so poorly it isn't worth reading. Would not recommend and would actively warn away from.
"Well, I think it was really just determination that really meant something. I can't believe that they didn't just go in and wipe us out. We confused the Japanese so much. I think it deterred them. It was a great experience."
— Thomas Stevensen, Survivor of Samuel B. Roberts
A harrowing reconstruction of the Battle off Samar. Hornfischer makes the decision to focus on a handful of sailors from each of the American escort carriers and destroyer escorts and follow the battle through their eyes, hooking readers in emotionally. It's an effective strategy as opposed to providing a clinical birds' eye view of events, but I confess to often feeling confused about where exactly each ship was in relation to each other and the Japanese during the course of action and being overwhelmed by the volume of violence and the scale of it all...but given that even the survivors themselves couldn't say with 100% accuracy what the hell happened or how they managed to live through it, I can't hold that too much against the author.
_____
My Rating Scale
5 stars - An all-time classic, a book that fundamentally changed or enriched my life. Would recommend to any and all readers.
4 stars - An excellent book that stands out in one or more areas of writing style, characterization, making a point, etc. Would recommend to anyone with even a passing interest in the genre or subject matter.
3 stars - A perfectly serviceable book that may be entertaining or informative but does not push the envelope or linger long in the memory. Would recommend to pre-existing fans of the genre or author.
2 stars - A book that falls short in one or more areas of writing style, characterization, making a point, etc. Would only recommend with reservations or would not recommend at all.
1 star - A book that has nothing to say, or says it so poorly it isn't worth reading. Would not recommend and would actively warn away from.