Customer Reviews

The Quiet Warrior: A Biography of Admiral Raymond A. Spruance (Classics of Naval Literature)

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I was perplexed at the lack of available information on Admiral Spruance, considering the astonishing list of accomplishments: lieutenant during Teddy Roosevelt's "Great White Fleet" world tour, commanded Halsey's cruiser escorts for Jimmy Doolittle's raid on Tokyo, tactical (and decisive) command during the Battle of Midway, Nimitz's Shief of Staff, Commander of the US Fifth Fleet (the largest, most powerful battle fleet in the history of the world) including Iwo Jima, Saipan, Guam and Okinawa, President of the Naval War College and Ambassador to the Phillippines. Buell presents a good account of his life and career without delving into the psychological aspect (including a somewhat troubled relationship with his son, a WWII submarine commander). I believe this to be an important work for any serious amateur historian. Nimitz and Halsey may receive more name recognition, but Admiral Spruance's tactical command at Midway did more to turn the tide of the Pacific War than any other single commander. While many books have been written concerning Midway, this is the only book I have found that tells the story from Spruance's point of view.

Buell is to be praised for this significant contribution the history of WWII. He is able to compare and contrast Spruance against the better know Halsey in a fashion that gives the reader a perception of how the men of the fifth and third fleet (one in the same) viewed Spruance. He was brilliant, but conservative. Regarded as timid at Midway and at the "Marianas Turkey Shoot" by the aviation community, this battleship admiral was thrown into the uncomfortable position of commanding of a carrier fleet and he acquitted himself admirably. Regarded by Admiral King as the only officer smarter then he, Spruance was widely recognized for his meticulous planning. This carried over into life after the Navy when he served as ambassador to the Phillipines. By itself this is a wonderful biography. Taken with Buell's biography of King, Potter's work on Nimitz, the books "Magnificant Mitcher", "Halsey" and "The Reluctant Admiral" one comes away in awe of the complexities Spruance dealt with so often and so well.

Admiral Raymond Spruance was one of the major naval leaders in the Pacific Theater during World War II, ranking with Halsey in that regard. He was given command of the Fifth Fleet after having served some time as Admiral Chester Nimitz' chief of staff. He was happy to be released from that position and able to serve at sea once more.

Spruance is perhaps best known for his role at the Battle of Midway. Halsey came down ill and Spruance was designated as his replacement--even though he had never commanded an aircraft carrier nor had any background in naval aviation. There is some controversy over his decision-making, but, overall, the volume represents him as a sound commander under a greatly ambiguous situation.

Later, he also suffered some criticism for his decision making during the Battle of the Philippine Sea. The author of the Introduction notes that (page ix): "Spruance was largely unfamiliar with the intricacies of naval aviation, and carrier operations in particular. Whether or not this lack of specialized experience was detrimental to his handling of a carrier task force in battle is debatable." Overall, the book examines Spruance fairly sympathetically, although Buell, the author, is willing to suggest where difficulties lay, too.

The treatment of Spruance after the War is well done, including his stint as Ambassador to the Philippines and President of the Naval War College. All in all, a serviceable biography of one of the more important leaders in the Pacific Theater.

As a WWII history buff, I have noticed striking differences in emphasis between the services (Army and Navy) in how they recorded their respective histories. The Army created an agency to record its official history (the big green books if you have seen them), while the Navy created no official history (Samuel Eliot Morison wrote an unofficial, less exhaustive history albeit still useful). Similarly, there is a great amount of good biographies, histories, and studies in command of the Generals of WWII (think of Eisenhower, Marshall, MacArthur, and Patton), while similar works of Naval leadership are few and far between. Potter's "Nimitz" is the only biography of that great leader.

Spruance also received short shrift in the way of bigraphies (in fairness, neither Nimitz or Spruance would consent to an "official" biography - and both were written after their deaths). Buell's work is the only one studying the leader of the Battle of Midway. Those desiring to advance their knowledge of WWII history will definitely get something out of "The Quiet Warrior," but the book is written primarily for the military professional by a military professional (Buell was a student at the Naval War College when he began "Warrior").

As such, this book is strongest when it delves into the planning of campaigns that Spruance's Fifth Fleet conducted and weakest when it attempts to recount the making of the Admiral. I most enjoyed the chapters discussing Spruance as Chief of Staff for Nimitz, Planning and execution of the Gilberts and Marshalls operations, and that of the Battle of the Philippine Sea.

I felt that Buell came up short in his examination of the Naval Academy years, his early shipboard life and lessons that he took from that time, and how he ran his ships. This information is most valuable to the Naval Officer. Also, I felt that "The Quiet Warrior" failed to capture Spruance's thoughts on events of significance in the Pacific Theater that did not directly affect the Admiral. An example is the Typhoon that battered Halsey's Third Fleet after the Battle of Leyte Gulf. We know from Potter's "Nimitz" that the CINC reprimanded Halsey for poor decisions that resulted in the loss of several ships during the Typhoon. Buell makes little mention of the event, that must have been a topic of discussion for Spruance and staff. In this instance, it appears that Buell opted for an incomplete history rather than the possibility of inciting a controversy. I wish that he had pulled the string a bit harder in this case.

All told, "The Quiet Warrior" is a great read. It is expecially valuable as a lens for examining the U.S. Navy during the first half of the Twentieth Century and one that I recommend without reservation.

The Quiet Warrior is a biography of Admiral Raymond A. Spruance, by author Thomas Buell, first published in 1974. The sources for Spruance's biography are plentiful, not only for his service in WW2, but for his early life and career, and postwar life as Naval War College president and then after retiring from the navy, ambassador to the Philippines. Buell does an excellent job of characterizing Spruance from his early life onward as intelligent, taciturn and somewhat enigmatic. The 1987 edition of The Quiet Warrior contains an introduction and footnotes by renowned Pacific War historian John Lundstrom.

One of the themes that runs through much of Buell's book is the contrast of Spruance with Admiral William Halsey. Spruance was ever the cautious commander, some say overly so, whereas Halsey was aggressive, some say rash. Halsey was outspoken and animated, Spruance quiet and reserved. Buell demonstrates that this contrast was well-articulated as early as the 1920s, when Spruance and Halsey commanded the same two destroyers in a short period of time. Even their attitudes about the Japanese differed; Halsey's outspoken hatred for the enemy contrasted with Spruance's detached analytical approach toward his foe.

Another theme in The Quiet Warrior is Spruance's command style as a delegator. He did not like to dwell on any details that could be passed to subordinates for decision making. As Fifth Fleet commander, Spruance had one particularly able chief of staff, Carl Moore, whose ambitions for flag rank had been derailed by his grounding of a cruiser earlier in his career. Nevertheless, Moore's tireless work under Spruance paid enormous dividends. Although prone to delegate what he could to free up his time from the bothersome routine of command, Spruance himself made the difficult decisions in the heat of battle, most notably at Midway and again at the Philippine Sea when he chose caution over aggression in confronting Japanese carrier forces.

As a military biography, I would place The Quiet Warrior on a par with E. B. Potter's "Nimitz," and just below D'Este's "A Genius for War" about Patton, and Manchester's "American Caesar" about MacArthur. This ranking is not a reflection on the author, but the subject. Flamboyant personalities like MacArthur and Patton left memoirs or diaries, voicing their opinions and telling what they thought of other commanders' actions and decisions. Spruance's beliefs can only be discerned by his correspondence, and the memories of those who knew him. Like Nimitz, he did not have the personality to write memoirs and thereby have to be outspokenly critical of others. Buell rates five stars not only for making the most of his sources, but for his evenhanded evaluation of Spruance's activities, both as a fighting admiral, and Spruance's disappointing (in my opinion) stint as ambassador to the Philippines, where he got involved in some shady political dealings.

Most enjoyable biography I've ever read. Clear, fair, and historically detailed. It closed a multitude of gaps in my knowledge. Full disclosure: I knew and crossed swords with the author as lieutenant commander students at the Naval War College. Had I not so grossly underestimated his scholarly aptitude, I would have keep my counsel at school and also read his book many years ago.

The book portrays Adm. Spruance throughout his life as a man bent on doing things his way and in many ways in an obstinate manner. A very methodical and cautious man. The withholding of the orders to commence an essential aircraft launch during the battle of Midway may well have cost the sinking of the USS Yorktown and could have cost the US the battle at Midway. Coordination of aircraft and carrier air squadron was severely lacking. On the whole however the push through the Central Pacific was extrodinary and at the same time possbily more costly than it should have been for US Marines based on some decisions made by Admiral Spruance and staff. His post Naval career was very interesting especially his ambasssdorship to the Phillipines and the political intrigue connected with his tenure as the ambassador. It was a good read and lent itself to an appreciation for the man that was doing all of this in very trying times under difficult circumstances.

This is a "must read" biography for those interested in WWII Naval history. Although the author/publisher's pro-America bias shows through, this is a well-written, factually accurate, well-deserved tribute to an unpretentious and very private individual (unlike Halsey who managed to garner much more notoriety). Without a doubt, however, Spruance was a great Naval hero. His quiet intellect, unassuming leadership, and outstanding delegatory skills brought out the best in his subordinates and in those he influenced at the Naval War College. I recommend this book highly and will re-visit it again and again.

Wonderful look at Raymond Spruance. I think a great book for anyone interested in WWII.

"The Quiet Warrior" was loaned to me by my college room-mate who said "I couldn't put it down" and she was right as I couldn't either. Being the daughter of a WWII Pacific vet and living still in a world 'at war', I found the story relevant, interesting and easy to follow. For Christmas I gave a copy to both my father and my son and now they "can't put it down". Like many of the "Greatest Generation", my father didn't talk of his service or of his sacrifices or of what he saw, but this book has opened a new communication between us three, a chance to talk about the war, the military, national security, service to one's country, both then and now. I recommend it without hesitation. DG