Reviews for The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors:

A MAIN SELECTION OF THE BOOK-OF-THE-MONTH CLUB

A MAIN SELECTION OF THE MILITARY BOOK CLUB

AN ALTERNATE SELECTION OF THE HISTORY BOOK CLUB

“Moving.... Stands comparison with the best work of Stephen Ambrose.”

—Dennis Showalter, History Book Club magazine

“A brilliant, fast-moving book worthy of the sailors who fought. It belongs with the

classics of U.S. naval literature.” —Charlotte Observer

“It may be time for the Navy to take a lesson from the Marine Corps and designate our own ‘marquee title’—one book to be read and discussed by every sailor, regardless of rank or warfare speciality, that links us to an honorable past, a difficult present, and a dynamic future. There are many candidates, such as The Cruel Sea, The Good Shepherd, and Winds of War, among others. I believe, however, there is one clear choice—James D. Hornfischer’s The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors.” —Stephen F. Davis, Captain, USN, Naval Institute Proceedings

“An instant and enduring classic of naval warfare and World War II literature.” —Flint Journal

“One of the finest WWII naval action narratives in recent years.... Reads like a very good action novel.”

—Publishers Weekly

“The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors is classic naval history. Mr. Hornfischer ably mixes technology and tactics with descriptions of ships’ personnel and their lives to produce a credible and compelling portrait of World War II naval warfare. No one with even a passing interest in the Pacific theater of World War II, or naval warfare in general, should fail to read this book.” —Dallas Morning News

“A critically acclaimed, blow-by-blow look at a small American force counterattacking into the teeth of hopeless odds.” —Miami Herald

“Hornfischer is a powerful stylist whose descriptions are clear as well as memorable.... Hornfischer never loses control…. A dire survival-at-sea saga.” —Denver Post

“James Hornfischer drops you right into the middle of this raging battle, with 5-inch guns blazing, torpedoes detonating and Navy fliers dive-bombing.... The overall story of the battle is one of American guts, glory and heroic sacrifice." —Omaha World-Herald

“An immensely gripping account of supreme courage and self-sacrifice…. With captivating prose and innovative battle maps, Hornfischer deftly creates a clear picture of what has been characterized by some historians as the most complex naval battle in history…. Steeped in the immensely rich details of the men and ships that fought, Hornfischer's work will be welcomed by both general readers and naval enthusiasts. Highly recommended for all public libraries.” —Library Journal

“Simply stated, The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors is the best military book buy of the new year.” 

—Navy Times 

“The writing is forceful and vivid, and the book is harrowing and unforgettable. This is a monumental tribute to the hundreds of sailors who sacrificed their lives that day, and a sobering reminder of the costs of war.”

—Barbara Lloyd McMichael, The Book Monger

“Reads like a particularly good novel…. Readable from beginning to end, this popular history magnificently brings to life men and times that may seem almost as remote as Trafalgar…. One of the finest World War II volumes to appear in years.”   —Booklist (starred review)

“Only once in a great while does a book come along that manages to combine authentic historical detail with the fast pace of the thriller. This is an important book and one that everyone interested in naval history should read and that every destroyer veteran should have in his personal library. If you read only one destroyer book about the war in the Pacific, The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors should be that book.”

—The Tin Can Sailor (The National Association of Destroyer Veterans)

“A gripping saga of courage and carnage on the high seas…triumphal…a tale that deserves a place among this nation’s greatest wartime epics. Mixing meticulous research with a profound respect for the guts and grit of ordinary seamen, Hornfischer may have written the final military chapter of the Greatest Generation’s heroic sacrifices.... Should appeal to landlubbers and seasoned salts alike. Hornfischer’s account combines the epic scope of Tolstoy with Ernie Pyle’s grunt’s eye view of combat to give a riveting account of what survivors endured. —MetroWest Daily News (Boston)

“A thrilling narrative…. Hornfischer expertly conveys the sensory experience of warfare, its deafening roar and sickening stench, to produce a gripping minute-by-minute reconstruction of an engagement awful in cost but awesome in importance. Easily merits pride of place among the flotilla of books appearing in recent years on ‘the greatest generation.’ ”   —Kirkus Reviews

“Carries a considerable emotional wallop.” —The Capital Times (Madison, Wisc.)

“What a treat it was to read this work. Hornfischer…paints a portrait so remarkable he should at least be made an honorary tin can sailor. [His] skillful description makes the old salt reader, as well as the landlubber, feel right there on board those little tin cans, alongside the sailors whose lives become real. As if this were a novel, the author makes the reader fear for the players as the battle looms…We read of many acts of individual heroism that together thwarted a seemingly unbeatable force. We learn of the skippers who defied all probabilities when in desperation they maneuvered the handful of tin cans into point blank range of mighty battleships. We can see the aviators from escort carriers firing every last bullet at their pursuers. We read of sailors who refused to buckle under when their shipmates are being struck down. We learn the human cost of the Battle off Samar and the terrifying aftermath for survivors who float for days after the battle amid oil, sharks and blood…Hornfischer pulls no punches…The naval historian and amateur alike can learn from this fascinating book. As Herman Wouk wrote in War and Remembrance, ‘The vision of Sprague's three destroyers charging out of the smoke and rain straight toward the main batteries of Kurita's battleships and cruisers, can endure as a picture of the way Americans fight when they don't have superiority. Our schoolchildren should know about that incident and our enemies should ponder it.’”

—Vice Adm. Ronald Eytchison, Chattanooga Times Free Press

“Stirring, inspirational… Hornfischer makes a stellar debut that ranks with John Lundstrom’s The First Team and Rich Frank’s Guadalcanal. We eagerly await his next book.”

—The Hook (The U.S. Navy Tailhook Association)

“Reads as fresh as tomorrow's headlines.... Hornfischer's captivating narrative uses previously classified documents to reconstruct the epic battle and eyewitness accounts to bring the officers and sailors to life.”

—Texas Monthly

“The most amazing air and sea battle story you will ever read.... I could write a book about this book; it’s probably the most informative, entertaining, engaging and awe-inspiring work of Navy nonfiction I have ever encountered.” —Pacific Flyer

“A valuable tribute to the hearts of brave sailors, airmen, and naval officers who fought that morning and also a reverent eulogy to the lives lost during the battle.” —Sea Power

“Hornfischer tells colorful stories of heroism and companionship. The book is well-told and enjoyable [with] excellent and pertinent notes, documentation and bibliography.” —Associated Press