Blood on the Sea: American Destroyers Lost in World War II (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "A veteran of the quasi-war with France (during which time he had been captured), James saved the life of his commanding officer, Captain Stephen Decatur,..." (more)
Key Phrases: darkened seascape, two geared turbines, forward fire room, Lieutenant Commander, Rear Admiral, Pearl Harbor (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Seventy-one American destroyers were lost during WWII, 60 of them in confrontations with enemy ships, planes, shore batteries and mines, the other 11 to accidental groundings, friendly mines or severe storms. Parkin (Under the White Ensign) here compiles sketches of each destroyer's career from launch to destruction and a detailed description of the ship's final hours. He begins with an account of the sinking of the Reuben James in 1941 off Iceland, a U-boat victim and the first American warship lost in the war, and concludes with an account of the sinking of the Callaghan in a kamikaze attack in 1945, the 13th destroyer to go down in the waters off Okinawa. Included are descriptions of the capsizing of the Warrington in an Atlantic tempest, the loss of the Corry to German shore batteries on D-Day and the unequal fight between the Monssen and the Japanese battleship Hiei. One of the destroyers, the Stewart, was raised by the Japanese and commissioned into the Imperial Navy. Parkin's colorful style adds to the pleasure this meticulously researched book offers Navy buffs. Illustrations.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

Seventy-one U. S. Destroyers were lost in the Second World War. Blood On The Sea describes each event, taking the reader on a breathtaking tour of American military action, on a multitude of fronts and on both sides of the globe. From the stormy North Atlantic to the calm, blue Mediterranean; from the U. S. East Coast to the vast reaches of the Pacific, brought home to the reader is the enormous scale of our simultaneous war against Germany and Japan -- and the dedication of the young fighting men who prosecuted the war. Lurking enemy submarines infested both the Atlantic and Pacific; within range of the Luftwaffe, no ship could be considered safe. In the hot expanses of the Pacific a ship could suddenly find itself swarmed by Japanese aircraft, or encounter a long-range cruiser. The American Destroyers were omnipresent in every pitched battle. The infernos off Guadalcanal and Okinawa took a grievous toll of our sailors, and off Salerno and Normandy, protecting the infantry transports, the Destroyers stood fast, albeit suffering causalities. Robert Parkin has written a history of each Destroyer's actions prior to its doom, as well as a context for the battle in which it was lost. Filled with eye-witness accounts, as well as the result of many years' research, Blood On The Sea offers an entirely unique perspective on battles fought around the globe during the last World War. -- Midwest Book Review

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 360 pages
• Publisher: Sarpedon Publishers; illustrated edition edition (January 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1885119178
• ISBN-13: 978-1885119179
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,709,524 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Larry Johnson, December 1, 2000

By	Larry Johnson (Dickinson, Texas United States) - See all my reviews

This is a very good reference book. It covers all of the important information that relates to the Destroyer during the war. I wished the book would have been huge, and covered more information about each destroyer, but alas, with so many lost during the war, it would have taken volumes. This book tells you the name, type, date of loss, location of loss, and details on all destroyers lost during WWII. There are mentions of some other ships lost at the same time, but the author chose not to get into other ship types. I really enjoyed this book, couldn't put it down. I highly recommend it for people who are interested in the WWII naval war.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Essential Reading if Your Dad or Loved One Served., August 12, 2000

By	Earl Biggers (Tiffin, Ohio United States) - See all my reviews

With my father recently passing away, I found myself wanting to know more about what he and the other gallant sailors faced while serving on a destroyer in WWII. While some may find the listing of each ship lost, as repetitious; I found it helpful and a fitting tribute for all the destroyers lost in WWII. In the introduction, the author indicates his desire to convey to later generations, the understanding of what our destroyermen faced - you sir, have succeeded! I found the listing of each ship essential and a fitting reminder for those who make the supreme sacrifice.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A catalogue of lost destroyers -- a reference book, January 20, 1999

By	Liz Corey ([e-mail]) (Fort Worth, Texas, USA) - See all my reviews

This is the kind of book you can pick up and open to any chapter without losing the thread or missing out on anything. Each chapter is distinct and self-contained. The format for each is the same: capsule biography of the person for whom the ship was named; description of its building, launching, and subsequent patrols; and, brief recounting of the ship's final mission. The connection between the chapters is only accidental, e.g., when two ships were lost in the same engagement, the one which is not the subject of the particular chapter is mentioned in passing. Also, there is not much detailed discussion about the sailors and officers who manned these vessels. The chapters are about the ships, not about the crews, except in those instances where a crew member won a prestigious medal. In sum, this book reads more like a naval vessel catalogue than a book for the interested lay historian. I will keep it among my reference books.