The Naval Battle of Guadalcanal: Night Action, 13 November 1942 [Hardcover]

James W. Grace (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1999

A superb depiction of the ferocious night action off the coast of Guadalcanal from deck level -- and from both sides.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: US Naval Institute Press (March 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1557503273
• ISBN-13: 978-1557503275
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,894,444 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Naval Story Well Told, November 29, 1999

By 

norman polmar (X marks the spot) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Naval Battle of Guadalcanal: Night Action, 13 November 1942 (Hardcover)

This is an excellent account of the Naval Battle off Guadalcanal in the early hours of 13 November 1942. The battle was one of three major disasters that overtook the U.S. Navy in World War II, the others being Pearl Harbor in December 1941 and Savo Island in August 1942. Grace provides a very well written account of the battle with excellent accounts of the men and ships in battle. Very highly recommended.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good "battle history" but weak on context., April 7, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Naval Battle of Guadalcanal: Night Action, 13 November 1942 (Hardcover)

Author James Grace does a very good on describing the actions of the U.S. and Japanese forces during the naval battle of Guadalcanal, especially given that the action was a night-time slugging match. His coverage of the Japanese combatants is appreciated. He also covers the immediate aftermath of the battle, detailing some of the stories of damaged ships and overboard sailors. The author generally eschews dramatic writing, and doesn't spend a lot of ink second-guessing the commanders. He lets the story, especially the limited success of radar and the tragic episodes of "friendly fire," speak for themselves. A major weakness of the book is the overly-short discussion of the near-term effects of the battle on the Guadalcanal campaign. The author also assumes that the reader is familiar with the layout and design of surface warships. Nonetheless, highly recommended for those interested in the Solomons Campaign, naval operations in the Pacific during World War Two, or in naval surface warfare.

2 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Japanese intelligence & the loss of Guadalcanal, August 27, 2000

By 

Brian Benson (Palatine, Il.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Naval Battle of Guadalcanal: Night Action, 13 November 1942 (Hardcover)

Actually not having read but a few brief passages from this fine effort, I believe that some additional background from & about the Japanese would better help the reader understand the materials proffered by the author & his conclusions. I make reference to one excellent volume by a Japanese naval officer, Captain Tameichi Hara, entitled "Japanese destroyer captain" as an outstanding source of background fact, personal experiences & strategic recollections of many facts relating to the Japanese overall conduct of their war effort & his witnessing of many of the major U.S./Japanese Guadalcanal naval engagements.

I have read this fine book & am impressed by Captain Hara's professionalism, insights into Japanese traditions & his command of the Japanese destroyer flotilla that the U. S. code named "The Tokyo express". He also details his flotillas personal activities during the great raid on Rabaul & his suggestions to his destroyer commanders maximizing the use of their anti aircraft batteries' withering fire in defense of the anchorage that made headline in the U.S. referencing the "heavy losses" encountered by the attackers. He also provides an eyewitness account of the destruction of the Japanese super dreadnaught, Yamato, on her last foray from Japan to Okinawa on her kamikaze sortie in the defense of this embattled island.

I heartily endorse this book as both an aid & companion volume on the Guadalcanal campaign.