Coutelier

1994 · 42380 — New York: HarperCollins Publishers 1994. First Edition Stated First Printing Stated. Hardcover. Very good/Very good. Paul Pugliese Maps. xvii 3 343 5 pages. Maps. Illustrations. Footnotes. Source notes. Bibliography. Index. Thomas Joshua Cutler is a retired United States naval officer naval historian author and editor. He is "one of the most prolific authors in the history of the Naval Institute Press in terms of sold books." Cutler enlisted in the United States Navy in 1965 and rose to become a Gunner's Mate Second Class. Commissioned an ensign in 1969 he rose through the officer grades until he was commissioned a lieutenant commander in 1979 remaining on active duty until 1990. His active duty included an in-country combat tour in Vietnam during the Vietnam War command of small craft service in two aircraft carriers three destroyers and a guided-missile cruiser. While at the United States Naval Academy he was awarded the William P. Clements Award for Excellence in Education military teacher of the year. In 1981 he became an associate editor of the U.S. Naval Institute and rose to become the Institute's Director of Professional Publishing and currently holds the Gordon England Chair of Professional Naval Literature. This book has been called the best account of the Battle of Leyte Gulf ever written. Published on the battle's fiftieth anniversary in 1994 and drawing on materials not previously available it blends history with human drama to give a real sense of what happened--despite the mammoth scope of the battle. Every facet of naval warfare was involved in the struggle that engaged some two hundred thousand men and 282 American Japanese and Australian ships over more than a hundred thousand square miles of sea. The award-winning author saw combat service aboard many types of ships during his naval career and as a historian and professor of strategy and policy at the Naval War College he has studied the battle for many years. Cutler captures the milieu analyzes the strategy and tactics employed and re-creates the experiences of the participants--from seaman to admiral both Japanese and American. It is a story replete with awe-inspiring heroism failed intelligence flawed strategy brilliant deception great controversies and a cast of characters with names like Halsey Nimitz Ozawa and MacArthur. Such an exciting and revealing account of the battle is unlikely to be equaled by future writers. HarperCollins Publishers hardcover