This is a story about men. I usually prefer high-level, big picture histories that give you the strategic view, but this book did not let me off with that. It forced me into the berths and battle stations of the men of escort carriers and destroyers, the second string of the second string of the US Navy who were forced to bear the terrible onslaught of the first string of the Japanese navy.

The first part discusses the background and training of the men of Taffy 3. Many were just reservists, all were ordinary men. The second part, taking up the lion’s share of the narrative, involves these men’s “crowded hour.” Six grueling hours off Samar, in which a Japanese battleship task force engaged an American escort group in a running battle. Metaphorically, it was as if a giant were swinging a sledgehammer to kill a group of gnats. The gnats are fast and light, but heaven help them if the sledgehammer makes contact.

Ironically though, armor-piercing shells are not the best means of sinking unarmored “tin cans”, the affectionate name for destroyers. Most of the 14, 16, and 18 inch shells passed directly through Johnston, Hoel, and Samuel Roberts. But even a non-fatal hit on paper can be devastating for the men at battle stations. History doesn’t record in detail the fates of men scalded to death in an instant by super-heated steam and boiler water, or men so badly burned their flesh flakes off in the hands of their shipmates at hand to rescue them.

This is a story about men. Men at the 5 inch guns still plinking away at the enemy even when all their electronics and communications go dead. Men at the anti-aircraft guns later to be recognized only by their sopping bits of flesh hanging from the gun tubs. Men in the engine rooms and fire rooms below decks, who pushed away all thoughts of their own safety and served their posts until their world was drenched in burning oil and seawater and everlasting night.

The ones who dive into the sea when their ship is no more than a burning hulk, shuffling beneath the waves, their ordeal is not over. This is the third part of the narrative, the story of men who, after facing the most harrowing of modern naval combat, must fend off sharks and madness in the briny deep. Most of them are rescued… after two days.

The fourth part of the narrative describes the quiet lives of men who lived through more horror in 48 hours than most of us will experience in all our lives. This part is short, terse, fitting the humble stature of WWII veterans, the generation of dusty old men who are now all but extinguished. The ones who remain all seem to be mechanics and truck drivers, but they were the peers and equals of men of iron nerves and humility.

James Hornfischer, the late and great, as always displays his florid pen in what is probably his best book. Highly recommended.

The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors is a story about extraordinary bravery in a bleak situation. Due to misunderstandings and personal pride the American Navy had opened up a big gap in their lines at Leyte during the invasion of the Philippines. This let the last remains of Japan's Imperial Navy, including the world's largest battleships, attack a group of Escort Carriers (budget carriers) and their weak escort outside the island of Samar. Instead of running, the escort Destroyers (and Destroyer Escorts; budget Destroyers) counter-attacked to win some time at a very high personal cost.

This book describes the battle from a number of angles letting you see many different aspects of the encounter and after reading this book, you are probably able to understand what happened much better than before.

Still, there is a number of weaknesses in the narrative that makes me stay at 3 out of 5 stars. It's an interesting book, but if feels incomplete, and it seems based too heavily on a few people's stories (which after all this time will be flawed due to human nature and imperfection).

The major gap in the story is the Japanese side. What did the Japanese ships see and do? Why did they do so much? Why did they keep missing? Did they keep missing? A lot of interesting questions that are barely touched, or analyzed. The first mention of this topic was at the very end where the author says it would be interesting to have more Japanese sources. Yes, it would.

Without "the other side" this book becomes too one-sided. There is too little contrast to weigh the extraordinary against, when everything is described as extraordinary. You can read it as a hero story, but I expected more. Less "we were so good", more "this guy really did something special, as you can see when you compare with these other guys that did differently".

There is also a long-time question about how come Admiral Halsey could leave Admiral Kinkaid's northern flank unprotected. The topic is touched in the book but there are no conclusions, and in general I think the author isn't interested in poking too deep in that failure, and any author that leaves out the failures exposes his full production to doubt.

My father was on a destroyer escort at the end of World War II, thankfully after the fighting was over. In his nineties now, with dementia, he can still remember the name and number: J.D. Blackwood DE-219. I wanted to read this book to see what life aboard ship had been like.

The first part of the book shifted from ship to ship and covered different men on each one. At times, it was hard to keep up. But once the battle against a superior Japanese fleet began, the action and strategy were engrossing. And heartbreaking. Told from accounts from survivors, the men did all they could to help their fellow sailors, even when their ship was sinking, even if their fellow sailors were gravely injured. The days and nights spent in the water, prior to rescue, with delirium setting in, and sharks in the water were especially harrowing. As were the details of one of the first Japanese kamikaze planes hitting and sinking a Naval vessel.

But in the end, it was the Navy's finest hour, thanks to the brave sailors who survived and the ones who gave their life for their country.

I wanted to give this book five stars but I will get into why I had to give four. I really reserve the 5 star rating for the best books I have ever read. The last half of this book fits this description but the first half falls short.

What I mean by this is the level of detail and the number of people described in the first half of the book, before the battle scenes. I found myself struggling to remember all the names because I knew I would want to remember them when the battles were described. I really wish the author would have developed the people when they were in action. I found it to be very difficult to remember the characters' previous development when the real action of this unbelievable story was described.

One more gripe...I feel I have to describe these gripes because the story is really incredible and I want whoever reads this to understand why I didn't give the book 5 stars. There are many awesome pictures in the book. Some of them are of people who don't figure in the story, or at least I couldn't remember where they were. I mention this because Bud Walton's picture is featured. I thought 'whoa I've missed something about him' but I couldn't find the detail. You see, Bud Walton is a huge figure where I'm from. The basketball arena here (for the Arkansaa Razorbacks) is named Bud Walton Arena and he was also the brother of Sam Walton (founder of Walmart).

Anyway, let me get into what is so incredible about this book. The sailors who put their lives on the line against seemingly insurmountable odds were all heroes. I wonder if men comparable to them exist today. Would men charge into battle knowing they would probably die? We live in different times now but we should not ever forget the great sacrifices that the greatest generation gave in defense of our nation.

For many years the battle described in this book (the Battle off Samar) was not mentioned by the Navy. The author gets into these details and sheds a different light on some of the admirals who were perceived to be great, but may not deserve the accolades they received.

The book is incredible. I really liked it. I recommend it to any WWII buff like me or to anybody who wants to read about inspirational sacrifice and men who realized a sense of duty for their country.

Hornfischer writes of the little-known Battle off Samar, a smaller clash in the larger Battle of Leyte Gulf, in which the US Navy destroyed the Japanese Navy for good.

This book personifies the notion that truth is more exciting than fiction. As Admiral "Bull" Halsey's Third Fleet was drawn off to the north by a Japanese diversionary tactic, and as Admiral Jesse Oldendorf's Third Fleet was destroying the main force in the Battle of Surigao Strait, Admiral Clifton Sprague's Task Unit 77.4.3 ('Taffy 3') was caught completely by surprise by a vastly superior Japanese Force.

In the best traditions of the Naval Service, Sprague's destroyers and destroyer escorts pointed their bows at the enemy and engaged in repeated torpedo runs at the enemy force (even after their torpedoes were depleted), drawing fire from the cruisers and battleships, and buying time for the fleet carriers to withdraw to safety. Taking heavy casualties from the better-armored foe, Taffy 3 remained undeterred, and eventually drove the force away.

In the best traditions of Naval literature, Hornfischer pens an unforgettable classic, gripping and inspiring throughout. You don't have to be a Navy officer to appreciate this magnificent work!

tWhat a great story! I’ve read a few accounts of this battle but nothing like this. Hornsfischer puts you onboard the Hoel, Johnston and Samuel B. Roberts like no one else has.
tOn October 24th, the men of these ships and others, awoke to another day of protecting MacArthur’s landing troops in Leyte Gulf. They received the normal morning general alarm drill to keep them sharp. They were told to stand down and went about their daily chores until the klaxon sounded again. A little annoyed, irritated and confused they went back to battle stations. But this was no drill. On the horizon the definitive shape of pagoda masts was approaching fast. Outgunned and overmatched the destroyers and destroyer escorts had two options: run or fight. They were responsible for five jeep or escort carriers. They knew they were no match for what appeared to be the heart of the IJN’s battleship/heavy cruiser force. They did what they had to do and turned into the teeth of the fire breathing dragons, knowing this could be the last sunrise any of them ever witnessed again.
t The first ship to recognize the danger and take actions was the Samuel B. Roberts, the smallest ship in the fray. Lt. Commander Copeland turned his ship towards the massive fleet, without orders, and went out to meet the enemy, hoping to launch his torpedoes and at least shake up the Japs. Soon after, Hole Johnston and Heerman, Fletcher class Destroyers would line up and press their attacks. They had to protect their escort carriers. No one dwelled on the fact, how did they get past Halsey and the 3rd Fleet; that would come later.
tFor the next two hours these ships and the planes from the escorts would fire, damage and harass the massive enemy vessels. The author’s description of what happened on each ship is not for the feint of heart. Hollywood could never create the vivid scenes of carnage and heroism described. It is fast paced and will leave you breathless as you try and clamor out of a fire room with broken, boiling steams lines cooking the unfortunate, alive. And that is just a small taste of what is to come.
tHistorians can argue back and forth about what went wrong and how it should have never happened. But that is not the heart of the tale; it’s the gallantry, bravado, courage and bravery these men showed in the face of overwhelming odds. They didn’t shirk their duty, they embraced it and did the job they were chosen to do-defend their carriers to the last man. Sadly, for many, that would be the case. Davy Jones’ locker would have a lot of names to add to the docket.
tI cannot recommend this book enough if you are a fan/student of World War Two and the last major naval combat where ships went toe-to-toe.
tThe only issue I had was there was a lot of repetition when switching from ship-to-ship but it does not detract from this excellent account of heroism.

Five Stars

This is not normally a book I would choose to read because I’m not particularly a fan of naval battle details and statistics. However, the book is invariably on lists of best books on WWII in the Pacific and remains on the Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Professional Reading Program list. A number of the books on that list I would leave for others, i.e. A Brief Guide to Maritime Strategy by James Holmes. Each to their own.

As Hornfischer says in The Last of the Tin Can Soldiers, this was a battle of firsts and lasts. The action took place off Samar in the Philippines and was a part of the greater battle of Leyte Gulf. A map of the area would be helpful to keep handy. Very briefly, American forces were there to support MacArthur’s return to the area. The Japanese, although clearly losing the larger war, still needed oil and rubber from Malaysia and Indonesia and needed to keep the Americans at bay.

The Japanese under Admiral Kurita were pursuing their part of the battle plan in enormous battleships and heavy destroyers when they came upon American aircraft carriers supported by lighter ships, the “tin cans” of the title. The tin cans appeared to have a suicide mission, distracting the overwhelming Japanese force, laying smoke and generally harassing the giant. In the end, the book describes their heroic efforts, many individual stories and their scrappiness that saved the all important carriers (one lost). Why Admiral Kurita didn’t press his overwhelming advantage isn’t clear.

The book is probably not read as a strategy book unless it is for historical reasons. Hornfischer’s lasts: last lined up ship to ship battle shoot out and the last use of battleships. The firsts: an American carrier sunk by surface engagement and the first ship sunk by a kamikaze. Heroism definitely. Waste, yes. Halsey is barely mentioned although the obvious skunk here. By choosing to chase after a decoy, he abandoned the vulnerable off Samar and there was a huge loss of life.

Good book. A little long. Slow start for me.

4.5 Stars.

The battle recounted in this book had been downplayed for decades because no one wanted to diminish the usefulness of Admiral Halsey to the U.S. Navy. As a result, the brave men who fought in this battle did not receive the recognition they so absolutely deserved. I read a lot of WWII history and was very glad to come across the book.

The tale told within is harrowing, exciting, amazing, and heartbreaking. The author does an excellent job of relating the various aspects of the battle and the unflinching bravery of the men. My only complaint about the book is that the first 100 pages are packed with the names and backgrounds of numerous men, and with details of the ships and weapons involved. As a result, the book was slow to engage, and placing so much information at the beginning made keeping individuals straight more difficult. Even so, when the action started, the writing was well done and Hornfischer brought the battle to life.

To dry. To many dates and people.
If they had expounded on the people longer, it may have been more interesting to me.
I did not finish reading the book.

I expected more action and fewer names and dates.

Solid retelling of a particular battle between U.S. and Japanese ships in WWII off the coast of the Philippines. Lots of interesting background coupled with short, brisk battle sequences. My only real complaint is the book seemed too long for the events described (along with my ignorance of nautical terms which is nobody’s fault but my own).

Great Navy WWII book. The only challenge was keeping up with all of the American and Japanese ship names, along with who was on what ship.
Many battles seem to be won by the side with the most firepower or available resources. However, this is a great battle where one side is outnumbered and fighting with inferior equipment and still comes out on top. Incredible bravery and skill shown by pilots and sailors that prevented a devestating loss of the American fleet and ultimately saving lives.

Imagine playing 1942 on your original Nintendo and your A button does not work. Imagine playing Battleship against Yoko Ono or another worthy Japanese foe (maybe Tom Cruise in the Last Samurai) and you have to plug up 200 holes while your opponent only has to fill up four holes. These are very real and stressful examples of Navy warfare, as seen in this compelling book.