Leyte Gulf: A New History of the World's Largest Sea Battle: Mark Stille: Osprey Publishing

Leyte Gulf

A New History of the World's Largest Sea Battle

Leyte Gulf

A New History of the World's Largest Sea Battle

Description

'A worthy addition to any bookshelf.', The Naval Review

A fascinating re-examination of the battle of Leyte Gulf, the largest naval encounter in history and probably the most decisive naval battle of the entire Pacific War.

Leyte was a huge and complex action, actually consisting of four major battles, each of which are broken down in detail in this book, using original sources. The plans of both sides, and how they dictated the events that followed, are also examined critically.

So much of the accepted wisdom of the battle has developed from the many myths that surround it, myths that have become more firmly established over time. In this new study, Pacific War expert Mark Stille examines the key aspects of this complex battle with new and insightful analysis and dismantles the myths surrounding the respective actions and overall performances of the two most important commanders in the battle, and the “lost victory” of the Japanese advance into Leyte Gulf that never happened.

Introduction: The Myths of Leyte Gulf
Chapter 1: The Road to Leyte Gulf
Chapter 2: The Japanese Plan: Another Decisive Battle
Chapter 3: Two Navies, Two Different Directions
Chapter 4: MacArthur Returns
Chapter 5: The Adventure of the Center Force
Chapter 6: A Naval Execution: The Battle of Surigao Strait
Chapter 7: The Myth of Samar
Chapter 8: Kurita's Brave Decision
Chapter 9: Halsey's Race to the North – Folly or Justified?
Chapter 10: The Final Actions
Chapter 11: The Reckoning
Index

Product details

Published	02 Jan 2025
Format	Paperback
Edition	1st
Extent	320
ISBN	9781472851765
Imprint	Osprey Publishing
Illustrations	16-page plate section in black and white.
Dimensions	234 x 153 mm
Series	General Military
Short code	GNM
Publisher	Bloomsbury Publishing

Author

Mark Stille

Mark Stille is the author of numerous Osprey title…

This work rises smartly above the massive literature on the Battle of Leyte Gulf with its concise yet very sophisticated narrative and above all analysis.… I can think of no other work that is at once so accessible and so comprehensive in probing the endless complexities of this titanic clash.

Richard B. Frank, author of 'Downfall: The End of the Imperial Japanese Empire'
Incorporating revelations of the latest published works and nautical archaeology, this is the most up to date and likely to be lasting overall study of the Leyte Gulf actions in one accessible account.

Anthony P. Tully, co-author of 'Shattered Sword: The Untold Story of the Battle of Midway'
Masterful. Mark Stille debunks many of the myths still surrounding history's largest naval battle.… A worthy read for any naval historian.

Jon Parshall, co-author of 'Shattered Sword: The Untold Story of the Battle of Midway'
A concise but utterly gripping and revelatory account.

The Armourer
While some may have thought the story of Leyte Gulf had been told and the proverbial book closed, Stille presents a fresh perspective of the epic battle, a look that's worthy of praise both for taking on the immense topic to begin with and also for the resulting book, which is a triumph.

History of War
For those interested in the sea battles between the USN and the IJN or decision-making under stress, this is a must-read. For the rest of us, it's a great book about a fascinating element of the Pacific War.

Army Rumour Service