The WWII Pacific Theater Explodes In My Lazy Chair

The book was engaging . . . no, riveting! I'd wager most Americans have heard of Guadalcanal. I know I had, I saw The Guadalcanal Diary, my father notched 10 war patrols aboard the submarine USS Sailfish in the Pacific, however he was not near iron bottom sound during the epic battle. This exceptional offering was as if I was hearing about this island for the first time.

For me, ANY book is better than a movie on the same subject. Also, a history book needs to be crafted very carefully so as to not end up dry. Hornfischer made it come alive! I enjoy detail, but others may not. Inferno was rich in detail as well as an honest effort to cover all aspects of the battle even when unsettling or negative. I had been mistaken, or had forgotten, that this was more than a Marine show. The Navy suffered immense losses and bad luck there, and also resounding success and good fortune. I found myself in awe of the graphic descriptions of naval battle in all its horrific action. I was shocked at the errors in tactics that caused some of the US losses. I was equally thrilled with the equally brilliant changes on the fly by some commanders which went against all previous schooling in surface warfare.

I found myself being taught history without knowing it was happening. The author remained fluid and readable from beginning to end, which I feel is very rare in this genre. Most lose ends were tied up at the end in a very satisfying manor. Hornfischer's word pictures were so vivid that I would have to stop the audio at times to let them play in my mind for a few minutes.

If you wish to learn more about Tom Brokaw's Greatest Generation, this epic book will satisfy! Be brave as this story may not be for the faint of heart. I found myself saying "unbelievable" under my breath many times. I choose not to give up much story detail here, but rather to convince anyone who might be considering Neptune's Inferno to buckle up and immerse yourself in a very meaningful book!

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22 people found this helpful

Hornfischer does it again.

Just like The Last Stand Of The Tin Can Sailors, Hornfischer draws me into a sometimes chaotic battle, and this one far greater in scope and length than the previous, giving me just enough detail without losing the big picture. His descriptions aren't cumbersome or tedious but paint an epic of heroes, monstrous destructive machines and the struggles of men just like you and I. I've read several books on the Guadalcanal Campaign and Neptune's Inferno with ease, reveals the desperate situation the USA as well as the USN grappled with in the Summer of 1942. He made me yearn to hear more of the plight of the Marines and Cactus Airforce but gave enough to round out the telling and still stay focused. Perhaps in another book?

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21 people found this helpful

Desperate battles, well told

What was one of the most memorable moments of Neptune's Inferno?

The moments of the first battle

Have you listened to any of Robertson Dean’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Dean did an excellent job. He is the right narrator for this book. Spot on.

Any additional comments?

For anyone that has a passing interest in naval history you must get this book. This was a pivotal moment in the Pacific. Not many people know about these battles and Hornfischer does an excellent job of telling them. This was where the navy blees more than the army or marines did. These were cutthroat battles at ranges that were pointblank. Two admirals were killed in combat during them. This is the battle where Halsey did his best work of the war.

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14 people found this helpful

five stars for military history buffs

The challenge for a writer of popular military history is to show both the forest and the trees (and occasionally even the moss, daisies and thistles) without ending up with a tedious mishmash. Hornfischer succeeds brilliantly. He establishes a fairly extensive and comprehensible overview and refreshes it regularly and effectively. At the same time he provides us with a wealth of human detail and tour de force descriptive writing which brings harrowing moments to vivid, even excruciating, life. As a result we witness the battles in a way which even the participants could not in that we observe with a much more comprehensive understanding of what we are seeing. It is like watching a game played out on a chessboard during which we watch the shocking details of the death of every sacrificed pawn or knight.

I particularly like the way the author gives individuals at all levels their due while never glossing over their human errors and frailties.

The narration is understated and sure handed. A fitting match for the style and subject matter of the book.

I found it particularly useful to refer to online maps and alternative descriptions of the battles in questions as I listened to this book. Just a suggestion.

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10 people found this helpful

Think you know all about the Pacific Theater ?

I'll bet you a wooden nickel you will know more about the Pacific Theater in World War II after you read this one. It's a great story, well told. Hornfischer does an outstanding job of laying out the facts and lets the facts speak for themselves. Robert Dean does his usual fine job as well reading the story.

I was surprised at how close a thing it really was. There is no doubt in my mind now that had the Japanese been more confident and willing to go belly to belly after the initial sparing matches the US forces might easily have been kicked off Guadalcanal, allowing the Japanese to focus on the campaigns to the south and thus prolonging the war.

I heartily recommend this book to anyone interested in the nuts and bolts of the battles surrounding the "Iron Bottom Sound".

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9 people found this helpful

One Not to Miss!

As a very interested WWll Hobbyist this Book was a true eye opener. This is the 1st Book I have ever seen that portrayed the valliant actions of our Sailors in "Ship Surface action & I have read many WWll Books. Any WWll History buff would do no better than yo give this Book a listen. Great reading helps do justice to the subject matter. I had always believed Ship Surface actions to have been trumped by Fast Carriers. I was sure wrong. As an exMarine I tip my hat to the author, the reader & escecially the Sailors, Brave Men all! Don't miss this one! John T. Wagner, Ohio

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9 people found this helpful

A must-read for WWII buffs

Hornfischer answers the question that Guadalcanal Marines have been asking since 1942: "Where was the Navy?"

While compelling and interesting (to me), Hornfischer is so thourough that at times it can be a little overwhelming. I love that kind of detail, and count Hornfischer as one of my favorite history authors, but it can take some slogging to get through it all, as he doesn't want to leave anyone out of the narrative.

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6 people found this helpful

Exceptional History by a Gifted Writer

I'm a history buff chose titles based on what I find interesting at the time. I hadn't spent a lot of time on the naval war in the Pacific, after Coral Sea/Midway. From a distance, everything just looks inevitable. This title was chosen by my book club, and they found a real winner.

Inevitable is clearly in the eye of the beholder. Hornfischer makes a compelling case that the Imperial Navy still had a lot of arrows to loose, and the USN was still had a lot of catching up to do in its forced transition from a peacetime navy to the dominant force on the water it would become.

This would make a fine history on its own, but Hornfischer's writing is a real treat as well. I'd read his writing if the history of 1960's macrame were the topic.

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3 people found this helpful

Compelling Discussion of the "Real" Turning Point

Hornfischer is one of the best naval writers of our time. In Neptune's Inferno he discusses the naval battle for Guadalcanal as the real turning point of the Pacific war-- rather than Midway. He thoroughly discusses U.S. Marine Corps mythology disparaging the Navy's abandonment of Marine forces on Guadalcanal-- mythology which is partially true due to Naval strategy, pre-determined and agreed to before the landing was ever made. He also thoroughly examines the subsequent decision by the Navy to commit everything to the overall success of the operation leading to a 3:1 casualty ratio, Navy to Marine Corps, which ultimately led to the defeat of the Japanese.

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Superb In Every Way

A little known aspect of a greatly known battle, the naval conflict at Guadalcanal far outranked the land struggles in terms of importance, for without the U.S. Navy's involvement, the troops on Guadalcanal would, as the author points out, been left in the same position the troops on the Bataan Peninsula found themselves.
In a larger sense, the story of the naval action changed the lives of the individuals and nations who fought during it. The U.S. Navy learned the rest of the lessons that The Coral Sea and Midway battles presented, and the Imperial Japanese Navy ( and the military mind set of Japan overall) were permanently chastened by their defeat at Guadalcanal. That is not to say that Japan's fighting spirit left but in a sense after that, the Japanese realized that "spirit" was all they had left. Eventually, no amount of spirit would be able to withstand the might of the strength of U.S. fighting forces.
I knew nothing of the naval battle at Guadalcanal. I always thought that the real naval story began and ended with Midway. In a real sense to me, Guadalcanal, on another but almost equal level, proved to be just as pivotal.
The writing is absolutely superb and engaging. Mr. Dean, the narrator, was the perfect choice. I've lived every one of his narration so far.

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