The Amphibians Are Coming! Emergence of the 'Gator Navy and its Revolutionary Landing Craft, Vol. 1 (Amphibious Operations in the South Pacific in WWII series) [Paperback]

William L. McGee (Author), Foreword by John A. Lorelli (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 2000

The first volume in William L. McGee's acclaimed Pacific war trilogy is a detailed history of the revolutionary World War II landing craft and the unsung heroes who manned them. Exhaustive research, hundreds of interviews, and a point-blank writing style capture the very essence of the amphibious assignments in the World War II 'Gator Navy.

From the Back Cover
The primary objective of Volume I is to provide a close-up look at the most prevalent of the revolutionary World War II shore-to-shore landing craft and the unsung heroes that manned them:

• Puts the reader aboard the landing craft specifically designed and built to speed assault troops directly to the beach.
• Provides a brief history of amphibious warfare from the Revolutionary War to the 1942 Guadalcanal and North Africa campaigns.
• Profiles the famed "Green Dragons," the high-speed destroyer transports that filled a pressing Marine Corps need for ship-to-shore delivery prior to the availability of the new landing craft.
• Focuses on the "Earlybird" Flotilla Five LCTs, LSTs and LCIs and their crews -- from landing craft design and construction, to amphibious training and crew and flotilla formations, to on-the-job warfare training in the Southern Solomons -- all in preparation for their first invasion of enemy-held territory, Operation TOENAILS.

308 pp, 110 b&w photos, plus appendices, notes, bibliography and index.

Other books in this series:
Vol. II, THE SOLOMONS CAMPAIGNS, 1942-1943: From Guadalcanal to Bougainville, Pacific War Turning Point

Vol. III, PACIFIC EXPRESS: The Critical Role of Military Logistics in World War II

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A must read for anyone who is interested in the history of our great amphibious navy." -- Curt Clark, Sec'y, The Four Stack APD Veterans

"A must read, and not just for veterans. It is detailed, vivid and accurate." -- Anthony P. Tesori, Gunnery Officer, LST-340

"Bill McGee, himself a veteran of the World War II navy, has not only done exhaustive research into the documentation of how the amphibious forces were built, but has added the words of the men who took the theory of the amphibious doctrine and the new machines to sea. His dedicated work will surely help keep the day-to-day naval record of the Greatest Generation from being lost." --John A. Lorelli, author, To Foreign Shores: U.S. Amphibious Operations in World War II

"Bingo! Bill McGee struck the motherlode with <I>The Amphibs Are Coming! Totally researched and well-written. A pleasure to read." -- Bud Farmer, Coxswain, LCT(A)2310

"McGee's AMPHIBIANS describes miracles. First, the miracle of bringing LSTs and other landing vessels into high production only a short time after the original designs were created. Second, the miracle of bringing together untrained officers and men to perform tasks which should have required months of training and experience. Finally, the miracle of making it all work under unbelievable combat conditions. One wonders if the same achievements could be possible today." --Mel Barger, author, Large Slow Target --Reader Testimonials

About the Author

William L. McGee (1925- ) was born and raised on a ranch in Montana. At 17, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served in the Pacific theater from 1942 to 1946. After the war, he returned to cowboying and worked as a dude wrangler on an exclusive Nevada divorce ranch south of Reno that catered to wealthy divorce seekers who came to Reno for a six week divorce. In 1950, Mr. McGee left cowboying and made a successful transition to the film, radio and TV industry. He launched Broadcast Marketing Corporation ("BMC"), a consulting and publishing company. Under the imprint "BMC Publications", he wrote and published numerous sales guidebooks for the broadcasting industry. In the 1990s, Mr. McGee turned his interest to military research and writing. William L. McGee is a member of Broadcast Legends and Western Writers of America. He appears in two special features on the 20th Century Fox re-release of the 1939 film, "Charlie Chan in Reno".

Product Details

• Paperback: 280 pages
• Publisher: BMC Publications; First Edition edition (November 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0970167865
• ISBN-13: 978-0970167866
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #875,474 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

William L. McGee (1925- ) was born and raised on a ranch in Montana. At age 17, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served in the Naval Armed Guard from 1942-1946 in the Pacific. After the war, he worked as a dude wrangler on an exclusive Nevada divorce ranch 20 miles south of Reno that catered to wealthy divorce seekers who came for a six-week divorce. In 1950, Mr. McGee left cowboying and made a successful transition to the film, radio and TV industry where he enjoyed a 32-year career in broadcast sales. Mr. McGee is the author of numerous books and is a member of Broadcast Legends and Western Writers of America. He and his co-author wife, Sandra, are currently consulting on a feature-length documentary, "Reno and the Romance of Divorce" (anticipated completion: 2012/2013). Visit the author's web site at www.williammcgeebooks.com.

Sandra McGee is a former publicist for the performing arts and currently VP/Director of Marketing for BMC Publications. Sandra is a member of Western Writers of America.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "Dad, What did you do in the war?", April 26, 2001

By 

M. K. Pierson (Biloxi, MS) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Amphibians Are Coming! Emergence of the 'Gator Navy and its Revolutionary Landing Craft, Vol. 1 (Amphibious Operations in the South Pacific in WWII series) (Paperback)

If your children or grandchildren have ever asked, "What did you do in the war?" then point them to this book.

Bill McGee, a prolific author and veteran of naval service in the South Pacific, has written a book that will do any "Amphibian" proud. He has managed by dint of exceptional research and extensive interviews to perfectly blend the historical development of naval amphibious forces with humorous anecdotal references. You will find yourself chuckling and nodding in the affirmative as you recall your own moments of terror, mind-numbing boredom and outrageous pranks.

McGee tells his story by following the formations of the Flotilla 5 LCTs, LSTs and LCIs from the formation of their crews in the states through their training--or lack thereof--crossing the Pacific, and their arrival and operations in the Solomon Islands group. It is a compelling story of "green" crews, "green" officers, "green" dragons and "green" camouflage.

Throughout this book, you will find yourself saying, "Yup, that was us." Read this book and I will guarantee that you will have a renewed respect for the guy you see in the mirror every morning.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A welcome and informative addition to World War II studies., January 4, 2001

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Amphibians Are Coming! Emergence of the 'Gator Navy and its Revolutionary Landing Craft, Vol. 1 (Amphibious Operations in the South Pacific in WWII series) (Paperback)

William McGee's The Amphibians Are Coming! is a deeply engaging biographical history of World War II ship-to-shore landing craft and their crews. A brief history of amphibious warfare from the American Revolution to the 1942 Gudalcanal and North African campaigns is provided. Specifically designed and built to speed assault troops ashore under enemy fire, these landing crafts were used extensively in both the European and Pacific theaters. The Amphibians Are Coming! also profiles the famed "Green Dragons", the high-speed destroyer transports that filled a pressing Marine Corps need for ship-to-shore delivery prior to the availability of the new and more effective landing craft. Here is also the story of the "Earlybird" Flotilla Five LCTs, LSTs, and LCIs and their crews. McGree ranges from landing craft design and construction to amphibious training and flotilla formations, then concludes with the on-the-job warfare training in the southern Solomons. The Amphibians Are Coming! is a welcome and informative addition to personal, academic, and community library World War II history and reference collections.

5.0 out of 5 stars gift for my dad, September 5, 2010

By 

R. Hopkins (Ohio) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Amphibians Are Coming! Emergence of the 'Gator Navy and its Revolutionary Landing Craft, Vol. 1 (Amphibious Operations in the South Pacific in WWII series) (Paperback)

Gave this book to my Dad for his 86th birthday. He served in WW II in amphibian LCT 5 in Pacifics. he really was thrilled with this book. Arrived in great shape and in timely manner.