The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors

The Extraordinary World War II Story of the U.S. Navy's Finest Hour

By: James D. Hornfischer

Narrated by: Grover Gardner

Length: 6 hrs and 7 mins

Publisher's summary

Told from the point of view of the men who waged this steel-shattering battle, The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors captures Navy pilots attacking enemy battleships with makeshift weapons and sacrificial valor, a veteran commander improvising tactics never taught in Annapolis, and young crews from across America rising to an impossible challenge. It takes us into the heart and mind of an iron-willed, self-made executive officer leading his men throughout a sea of carnage and two hellish days and nights clinging to survival amid oil, blood, sharks, and madness. And it dramatizes how the overmatched U.S. force, enduring the loss of five gallant ships and nearly a thousand brave men, turned a certain crashing defeat into a momentous victory that would lead to the final surrender of America's ruthless imperial foe.

Filled with riveting detail and based on the author's extensive interviews and correspondence with veterans, unpublished eyewitness accounts, declassified documents, and rare Japanese sources, this is war at sea as it has seldom been presented before. It is an unforgettable narrative that captures the essence of heroism, the power of loyalty, and the way in which the unadorned truth is more stirring than legend itself.

Also, this audio program contains excerpts of exclusive interviews with Navy veterans conducted by the author.

©2004 James Hornfischer (P)2004 Random House, Inc., Random House Audio, a division of Random House, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Readable from beginning to end, this popular history magnificently brings to life men and times that may seem almost as remote as Trafalgar to many in the early twenty-first century....One of the finest World War II volumes to appear in years." (Booklist)
"One of the finest WWII naval action narratives in recent years....reads like a very good action novel." (Publishers Weekly)
"Hornfischer is a powerful stylist whose explanations are clear as well as memorable....a dire survival-at-sea saga." (Denver Post)

Greatest Navel Battle

This is an excellent account of a little know battle. The Sailors and Commanders do an impossible task with next to nothing. They really are the greatest heros ever born. The reader is great.

Outstanding

This book contains an exceptional detailed account of the Battle of Leyte Gulf, focusing on the engagement off the coast of Somar. This battle should be taught to school children in order to demonstrate the resilience of America's finest generation. The book is well written conclusion to a lot of hard work and research. I encourage any one with an interest in Naval history to give it a chance.

The reader does a great job.

Desperate times desperate measures

What not to do in war...

Keep it simple, do not count on the other guy surrendering

Disappointed by the Audio Book

This is an outstanding book that tells a very compelling story. I was disappointed to learn the audio version is abridged. It felt off while listening to it and checking the description confirmed my suspicions. While it is absolutely worth listening to, like a movie, it just doesn't compare with the book.

Detailed but Lacking

Although well-researched and compelling, this reads more like a list of events or after-action report rather than a narrative. The story behind the story is missing. I'm still glad I took the time to read it.

Missing paragraphs

Loved it overall, but I was reading along and noticed seemingly random paragraphs were missing.

An amazing narrative

The mind-boggling heroism displayed by the sailors in this battle is amazing. The story is very well-told and is very hard to put down (or to stop listening to). Almost as interesting is how the magnitude of the loss of life may have been totally avoidable, and the aftermath of this realization among senior Navy staff.

Wow!

This book came highly recommended in the World of Warship community. Within the few a minutes the narrator brought the book to life. The writing was amazing and the story and accounts were captivating. For me the balance of historical facts and the human elements was so well done. Heard historical details followed by notes written by the crew brought the events to life.

Simply an amazing book. Amazing narrator. And an amazing group of men. This is a must buy plain and simple.

Riviting!

Makes one appreciate the courage and determination of our navy men under such overwhelming odds.

Excellent!

This is a riveting story, a David and Goliath tale- except that it is an historical fact! For 6+ hours, I was glued to my seat listening to the story unfold about the courage and sacrifice of our Pacific Fleet. Wonderful!