On the Warpath in the Pacific: Admiral Jocko Clark and the Fast Carriers [Hardcover]

Clark G. Reynolds (Author)

Book Description

Series: Library of Naval Biography | Publication Date: October 30, 2005

When J.J. Clark graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy at the end of World War I he was ready to be a pioneer in one of the great transformations of the U.S. Navy in the twentieth century - the change from a surface-only force to one in which aviation played a key if not determinant role. Under the leadership of the key aviation admirals, William Moffett and John Towers, "Jocko" Clark with other aviation-minded officers battled low budgets and unsympathetic policy makers to champion the development of naval aviation during the 1920s and 30s. Pearl Harbor proved them right. As captain of the new Yorktown (the original was sunk at Midway), Clark provided aggressive leadership in the capture of the Gilbert and Marshall Islands. As a carrier task group commander, Clark was instrumental in the brilliant victory at the Battle of the Philippine Sea, which included the Marianas Turkey Shoot. He withstood numerous kamikaze attacks at Iwo Jima and Okinawa while seeing that Japan's airpower was destroyed. After the war he was instrumental in salvaging naval aviation from the attacks of other services and policy makers. During the Korean War he served as Commander Seventh Fleet in the all-important naval air support of that conflict. Naval historian Clark Reynolds is particularly well placed to write this book because he had access to family papers and was co-author of the Admiral Clark's autobiography.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Clark Reynolds is the author of numerous naval books, including The Fast Carriers.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 537 pages
• Publisher: Naval Inst Pr (October 30, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1591147166
• ISBN-13: 978-1591147169
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6.3 x 2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,096,093 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book on a great carrier commander, August 6, 2006

By 

J. Groen "Jerry Groen" (GURNEE, ILLINOIS USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: On the Warpath in the Pacific: Admiral Jocko Clark and the Fast Carriers (Hardcover)

This is an excellent book about a great carrier commander. Jocko Clark was the initial commander of the new Yorktown, and a great task group commander as part of task force 58 under Marc Mitscher. In fact, he was Mitscher's leading commander, the one that Mitscher looked to for all the challenges. And, he delivered. This book provides how he did that - his personality traits, including his angry tirades, his physical challenges, including his continual bouts with an ulcer that required a special diet. However, he was a loyal commander and an individual who supported his men. Many a time, he wanted to look for downed flyers when the previous task force commander prior to Mitscher was nervous about lingering in an area too long and the threat of Japanese submarines. If you want a book that provides the panorama of the Pacific carrier war in detail - each minor and major action - Jocko was in the Gilberts, Marshalls, Marianas, through Halsey's typhoons - this is a great book for the WWII enthusiast in the pacific. Highly recommended.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Patton of the Pacific, October 12, 2005

By 

John Matlock "Gunny" (Winnemucca, NV) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: On the Warpath in the Pacific: Admiral Jocko Clark and the Fast Carriers (Hardcover)

The story goes that when the small carrier 'Liscome Bay' was sunk, her airborne planes had to have a place to set down or they would have to crash in the ocean. The man who gave the order on the carrier 'Yorktown' to turn on her landing lights after dark to give them a place to land was Jocko Clark.

That alone would justify reading more about him, but there is lots more. An indian, he went to the Naval Academy (Class of 1918) while the indian wars were a fresh memory. Early recognizing the value of aircraft, he became a pilot when planes were still wood and fabric. World War II came with the Japanese attack at Pearl. Getting rid of the battleships left the carriers and the aircraft admirals in position to win the war.

Younger than the famous admirals of World War II, he was commander of the Seventh Fleet operating off of Korea. He lived through the transition from wood and fabric through to the time of the jets. Not just lived, he commanded.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Continuing a preoccupation with Clark..., April 24, 2010

By 

Phoenix Rising - See all my reviews

This review is from: On the Warpath in the Pacific: Admiral Jocko Clark and the Fast Carriers (Hardcover)

Clark G. Reynolds has done significant work researching naval aviation and particularly the Fast Carriers of World War II. That said, he has a preoccupation with Jocko Clark because his father was Clark's flag secretary for years. While I appreciate Reynolds' body of work and his ability to sort out key issues in the Pacific War doctrinal changes as the Fast Carriers took prominence over the "black shoe" Navy, I also believe that his objectivity suffers dramatically with regards to Clark. Indications in his work of this favoritism are littered in all of his works - most often with respect to Clark's captaincy of CV-10 USS Yorktown, which Reynolds believes was the finest carrier in the Navy based on his father's experiences and his Clark worship.

Do not discount Reynolds' scholarship based on this alone - simply be ready to take his Clark-centric viewpoints with a grain of salt.