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Enterprise: America's Fightingest Ship and the Men Who Helped Win World War II Hardcover – February 14, 2012

by Barrett Tillman (Author)

4.5 326 ratings

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Offering a naval history of the entire Pacific Theater in World War II through the lens of its most famous ship, this is the epic and heroic story of the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise, and of the men who fought and died on her from Pearl Harbor to the end of the conflict.

Pearl Harbor . . . Midway . . . Guadalcanal . . . The Marianas . . . Leyte Gulf . . . Iwo Jima . . . Okinawa. These are just seven of the twenty battles that the USS Enterprise took part in during World War II. No other American ship came close to matching her record. Enterprise is the epic, heroic story of this legendary aircraft carrier—nicknamed “the fightingest ship” in the U.S. Navy—and of the men who fought and died on her.

America’s most decorated warship, Enterprise was constantly engaged against the Japanese Empire from December 1941 until May 1945. Her career was eventful, vital, and short. She was commissioned in 1938, and her bombers sank a submarine just three days after the Pearl Harbor attack, claiming the first seagoing Japanese vessel lost in the war. It was the auspicious beginning of an odyssey that Tillman captures brilliantly, from escorting sister carrier Hornet as it launched the Doolittle Raiders against Tokyo in 1942, to playing leading roles in the pivotal battles of Midway and Guadalcanal, to undergoing the shattering nightmare of kamikaze strikes just three months before the end of the war.

Barrett Tillman has been called “the man who owns naval aviation history.” He’s mined official records and oral histories as well as his own interviews with the last surviving veterans who served on Enterprise to give us not only a stunning portrait of the ship’s unique contribution to winning the Pacific war, but also unforgettable portraits of the men who flew from her deck and worked behind the scenes to make success possible. Enterprise is credited with sinking or wrecking 71 Japanese ships and destroying 911 enemy aircraft. She sank two of the four Japanese carriers lost at Midway and contributed to sinking the third. Additionally, 41 men who served in Enterprise had ships named after them.

As with Whirlwind, Tillman’s book on the air war against Japan, Enterprise focuses on the lower ranks—the men who did the actual fighting. He puts us in the shoes of the teenage sailors and their captains and executive officers who ran the ship day-to-day. He puts us in the cockpits of dive bombers and other planes as they careen off Enterprise’s flight deck to attack enemy ships and defend her against Japanese attackers. We witness their numerous triumphs and many tragedies along the way. However, Tillman does not neglect the top brass—he takes us into the ward rooms and headquarters where larger-than-life flag officers such as Chester Nimitz and William Halsey set the broad strategy for each campaign.

But the main character in the book is the ship itself. “The Big E” was at once a warship and a human institution, vitally unique to her time and place. In this last-minute grab at a quickly fading history, Barrett Tillman preserves the Enterprise story even as her fliers and sailors are departing the scene.

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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Barrett Tillman is a widely recognized authority on air warfare in World War II and the author of more than forty nonfiction and fiction books on military topics. He has received six awards for history and literature, including the Admiral Arthur Radford Award. He lives in Mesa, Arizona.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Simon & Schuster; First Edition (February 14, 2012)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 320 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1439190879
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1439190876
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.16 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 8.5 x 1 x 9.75 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #538,116 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #898 in Military Aviation History (Books)
- #1,149 in Naval Military History
- #5,111 in World War II History (Books)

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4.5 326 ratings

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Barrett Tillman

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Barrett Tillman was born into a NE Oregon ranching family and developed an early interest in aviation. He learned to fly as a teenager and has logged several hundred hours in historic aircraft. He was first published at age 15, and graduated from the University of Oregon with a journalism degree in 1971. He has worked as a newspaper reporter, book publisher, and magazine editor, but has been self employed all but seven years since graduating from college. Though best known for his histories of US naval aviation, he also has published ten novels and short stories, and has sold a screenplay.

Tillman continues writing nonfiction books and has written more than 800 articles in the US and abroad. He frequently appears as a commentator on TV documentaries in addition to his speaking appearances. The recipient of eight writing awards, he lives with his wife in Arizona

Tillman's web site and blog are found at www.btillman.com.

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4.5 out of 5

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Douglas B. Schonour

Great Book

Reviewed in the United States on September 6, 2013

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I first read "The Big E" in 1964 and it led me to reading WWII history. I have an original hardback edition and a paperback copy. I have read the book at least four time.
I was looking for more Enterprise material on Kindle and discovered " Enterprise: America's Fightingest Ship. So many events were recognizable from "The Big E." More important was the slightly different accounts of people and actions of the Galloping Ghost during the war.
The book is well written and very informative. I am still in awe of the Big E's fighting spirit in 1941 and 1942 as she defended this country almost by herself. So many heroes gave there all for us to defeat the japanese in a cruel and hostile environment.
If you are interested in the war in the Pacific this is a must read. Tillman has also written some great books on the naval aircraft of that time as well.

3 people found this helpful

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Courtney Volpe

Great book about a Great Ship!

Reviewed in the United States on November 16, 2023

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A very readable account of the famous Enterprise that interweaves history with the personal accounts of the many fighting sailors that held the line and began the counter attack that ended in Tokyo Bay.

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John Buchanan

Naval history at its best

Reviewed in the United States on June 20, 2013

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A well done story of a remarkable ship and those who took it into harms way. The book not only gives details of the ships battles but provides background on those who flew and fought.

One person found this helpful

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Jeffrey T. Munson

A Fine Story About The "Big E"

Reviewed in the United States on February 27, 2012

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From the Pearl Harbor attack until a kamikaze knocked her out of the war in May, 1945, the USS Enterprise served in the vanguard of America's naval task forces. In this fine history, renowned military author Barrett Tillman describes the exploits of the "Big E" as she and her crew fought to bring the war to the Japanese.

From the unfortunate loss of several of her aircraft to friendly fire by nervous gunners at Pearl Harbor to the shores of the Japanese homeland, the Enterprise served in every major naval battle of the Pacific War. The Big E's fliers struck the first retaliatory blows against the Marshall islands in early 1942. She sailed with the USS Hornet during the Tokyo raid. She helped send four Japanese carriers to the bottom at Midway. She held the line as the only American carrier in the Pacific during the Guadalcanal campaign. She participated in the assault on the Marianas, Gilberts, Marshalls, Philippines, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa. She also served as the first American carrier specifically set up for night fighters and bombers. Despite being hit several times, the Japanese could never finish off the Enterprise. She would retire to refit, always returning stronger than before.

Author Barrett Tillman tells the story of the USS Enterprise in a manner that truly befits this fine ship. Drawing on interviews from the last surviving veterans, Tillman paints a vivid picture of Americas most fightingest ship. Tillman includes portraits of all of the Big E's contemporaries; from her commanding officers to her heroic pilots down to the deck crew and even the mess hands. The Big E was truly a fighting ship throughout.

I've read several books by Barrett Tillman, including "Whirlwind" and "Clash of the Carriers", and I've always enjoyed his unique ability to tell a sea story. That ability is in full view in "Enterprise". He adds personal accounts from the men of the Big E to his own personal narrative. The result is a very readable book that provides a fine story of the USS Enterprise. Highly recommended.

5 people found this helpful

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Amazon Customer

Excellent book at a good deal

Reviewed in the United States on December 8, 2023

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This is a great book, and the deal I got on it was absolutely fantastic!

Reviewed in the United States on July 27, 2023

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The carrier Enterprise embodied the heroism, fortitude, perseverance, of an outstanding crew -- not only a ship, but a unique culture, serving as a temporary home for sailors, pilots, officers. She was a recipient of the notable Presidential Unit Citation.

At times, disjointed; yet, informative. Unfortunately, the author's subjective stance regarding the Leyte Battles distorts facts, hence, compromising the book's overall objectivity: "The theater commander, General Douglas MacArthur, had failed to coordinate Army-Navy communications, leaving Halsey of Third Fleet and Thomas Kinkaid's amphibious Seventh Fleet (he of Enterprise's flag bridge at Santa Cruz) pursuing their own goals" (p. 219). UNTRUE. As expressly described by official U.S. Navy records, an unwieldy divided command structure had been established during the initial days of the Pacific hostilities: General MacArthur was responsible for Southwest Pacific Area (e.g., Vice Admiral Kinkaid's Seventh Fleet); whereas, Admiral Nimitz was in command of the Pacific Ocean Area (e.g., Admiral Halsey's Third Fleet). Consequently, Admiral Nimitz was Admiral Halsey's superior; not, General MacArthur. Moreover, an explicit Order was issued that all military resources were to protect and defend the vulnerable American landings forces. As anticipated by the Japanese, Admiral Halsey was distracted by the enemy's carrier fleet, thereby, abandoning the Northern patrol; instead, to hunt for the decoy ships; and, Kurita's Central Force would decimate the Leyte invasion. Due to a small indomitable group of American vessels, Kurita's objective was defeated, despite overwhelming odds. Further, Admiral Nimitz sent messages searching for Halsey. (Please see, Naval History and Heritage Command, Leyte Gulf.) Nonfiction demands impeccability.

Reviewed in the United States on August 26, 2023

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What a great way to dive deep into WWII history in the Pacific. Well written and truly a pleasure to read of a great ship and crew.

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Linda

Enterprise: america's fightingest ship

Reviewed in the United States on September 24, 2014

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As a history buff I knew that the enterprise had the greatest war record of any ship in the navy but I just never knew the whole story. This book task you from launch to the scraping of mighty ship.
What a shame that it was not saved for future generations.
A must read for all history fans.

One person found this helpful

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Lloyd Steeves

Personality Perspectives

Reviewed in Canada on May 20, 2015

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Second book on Enterprise I have read. Tillman brings an insight to some of the personalities who served which is refreshing. He also offers a historical perspective on some of the most important battles, again an insight not often provided.