The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors

The Second World War marked the apogee of American naval power, and there are many wonderful books about it, especially about the Pacific War. One of the many such books is James D. Hornfisher’s book, which is a dramatic telling of the furious engagement off the island of Samar during the Battle for Leyte Gulf in 1944 when a small group of destroyers stood up to a Japanese battleship-cruiser force.  

A very compelling and action-filled account of the naval military in WWII in the South Pacific, I appreciated Hornfischer's excellent research.

He not only includes background information about the construction of the ships, but adds accurate personal details of specific sailors. The harrowing scenes are riveting, especially knowing they actually took place. The author describes the incredible battle of Samar like no other.

The Greatest Generation sailors demonstrate their courage and patriotism beyond description, and I believe you’ll admire them even more after reading this book.

This is possibly the best book about the US Navy in WW2.

A New York Times bestseller, The Last Stand is the breathtakingly exciting story of three American destroyers and one destroyer escort taking on four monstrous Japanese battleships and six heavy cruisers in an attempt to keep the Japanese force from attacking Gen McArthur’s soldiers who were landing in the Philippines. It’s the “Battle off Samar”…a story of heroism too few know.

Hornfischer is a powerful writer, who describes the fight simply so the non-military reader understands it. Having interviewed most of the survivors, he explains how an American… show more.

A fantastic book that tells the story the last major naval combat in the battle of Samar.

How a small task force made up of destroyers, destroyer escorts and escort carriers stood toe to toe with the biggest battleships of the Imperial Japanese Fleet.

Modern combat at sea wouldn't come down to a single destroyer sailing against an entire enemy fleet, like the USS Johnston, but it would come down to ships and crews continuing to fight even when massive shells, or missiles are raining down all around them like the ships of Taffey 3.

They fought with holes blasted… show more.

With the main body of the Imperial Japanese Navy bearing down on them, four ships—three destroyers Heermann, Hoel, Johnston—and one destroyer escort—Samuel B. Roberts—peel off. The bold, aggressive actions of their captains caused Japanese Admiral Kurita to order his battleships, heavy and light cruisers to abandon their attack on the U.S. invasion fleet off the Philippine island of Leyte. In the annals of modern naval warfare, this is the classic David versus Goliath action. 

Other than those who study U.S. Naval history and the war in the Pacific know about this battle in… show more.

The Battle of Samar Island, which is the subject of this book, is one of the most extraordinary naval battles in all human history. In October 1944 a massive Japanese battle fleet encountered a small US Navy task force just east of the Philippines. Woefully outnumbered and outgunned, the diminutive American escort vessels protecting a handful of light carriers charged headlong at their foes – 1,500-ton destroyers taking on 60,000-ton battleships – and forced the Japanese into a disorganized retreat.  The courage, determination, and self-sacrifice of the crews of the destroyers and destroyer escorts – the “Tin Can Sailors” of… show more.