World War II: Carrier War

by Stephen W. Sears

At dusk on December 8, 1941, the carrier Enterprise and her escort of cruisers and destroyers entered Pearl Harbor. Officers and men lined the rails, watching in stunned silence. The twisted, smoldering superstructure of the Arizona was still aflame, and there was a stench of charred wood and fuel oil in the air.

"Morale went to nothing just about then," said an officer on one of the escorting cruisers. "We were sick and shocked. We couldn't believe that this had happened to us." Through the night, the crew of the Enterprise, under the command of Admiral William "Bull" Halsey, took on fuel, provisions, and ammunition. Before dawn it was back at sea.

The Enterprise was just one of the carriers that won the war in the Pacific. Here is the extraordinary story of the men and ships that turned the tide of the war.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Audiobook, Military History, World War II

184 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 19, 2015

About the author

Stephen Ward Sears is an American historian specializing in the American Civil War.

A graduate of Lakewood High School and Oberlin College, Sears attended a journalism seminar at Radcliffe-Harvard. As an author he has concentrated on the military history of the American Civil War, primarily the battles and leaders of the Army of the Potomac. He was employed as editor of the Educational Department at the American Heritage Publishing Company.

Sears resides in Norwalk, Connecticut.

Reviews

[Dj · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is an odd thing to read a book about War and the word that pops into your mind when you think of a description for it is...cute.

This book is an introduction type book about Carrier Warfare in the Pacific during WWII. It is an extremely one sided view of the affair, dealing almost exclusively with the US viewpoint. The British aren't even mentioned until the end of the book when they send four carriers to help the US around Okinawa.

Yep that is right, no mention of the Japanese raid in the Indian Ocean.

All in all a book that might be a good starter, but doesn't really hold any surprises for those that have read on the topic for years. A short easy read that would be good to use as a first time offer for someone interested and new to the subject, but otherwise best left sitting on the shelf.

[Necessittee · Rating 4 out of 5]

History can be a bit of a dry topic. The author didn’t tell the history of the carrier war in a captivating or interesting way, but they were still informative. I know a lot more about the European theatre in World War II than I do the Pacific one so it’s nice getting perspective on that. An informative book.

[Meg Rice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dad was a carrier pilot who went to sea for 6 months at a time. Stationed at Pearl Harbor at the end of the Korean War, he didn't see combat but made sure we children understood the loss of life, planes, and ships that occurred when Pearl was attacked. There was no fancy memorial building there in the mid to late 50's but we could stand at the edge of the harbor and watch the oil bubble up from the underwater wreckage. It made a strong impression on me to witness this watery gravesite and hear sailors retelling the events of that attack.
This book details the strategies and eye witness accounts of commanders and soldiers on both sides of the battles in the Pacific. I found the accounts fascinating, at times emotional, and clarifying for my understandings of the history of that portion of the war with Japan.

[Les · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another interesting an informative book from this author, this is the second World War Two subject title pf his that I've read. Sears does a great job incorporating the guts of the World War Two Pacific aircraft carrier war, as well as many snippets of interesting information and anecdotes, into a brief(ish) sort of book which is quite a rapid read without missing key historical points. I wholly recommend this to people looking for an outline of the intense and horrific battles that made up this aspect of World War Two.

[Stephen F. Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked this book a lot. It is a realistic account of US and Japanese carrier war starting with Pearl Harbor and continuing to the end of the Pacific war. I learned a lot about the different types of aircraft carriers and their uses. I didn't know there were that many types. I'd like to learn more about the war at sea in the 1940's. I highly recommend this book.

[Richard F. Underwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

The way it

The key to victory in WWII in Asia is clearly ,concisely and expertly state in easy and attention grabbing language. I am a WWII vet and buff so I learned few specific facts but grasped the overall strategy much better than I had understood it before. Well worth it for fascinating reading and cohesive professional coverage

[Rita L Houser · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Naval Story

A comprehensive story of carrier forces during WWII. Tales of the sacrifices of so many men in the air and on their ships. Our mistakes and our victories that brought an end to the war at sea.

[Al Lock · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fairly quick and well-written overview of the carrier war in the Pacific, covering the attack on Pearl Harbor, the various raids on Japanese possessions, the Battle of the Coral Sea and the Eastern Solomons, Midway, the Marianas Turkey Shoot and the Battle of the Philippine Sea.

[Dan A. Foster · Rating 4 out of 5]

Carrier Ear

A concise account of the U.S. and Japanese naval conflict of World War II. The book is a fast, but superficial treatise of this portion of the war. Well written and a good read for those who want a quick understanding of the naval War in the Pacific.

[Jeff Pinnock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read

Very good book obviously meant mainly at the U S market but then they did produce the largest fleet of carriers

[Alexandre · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting and quick read.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick read. Great summary of all Pacific theater carrier actions. dates, facts, number. No analysis.

[Joshua Chipchase · Rating 5 out of 5]

Solid story of the American carrier war against Japan in WWII. Fact based, but with a good story feel. Also the perfect length.

[Huxley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book. It was nice because it put a candle light on the past and lit the path of what was forgotten in time.

[Doug · Rating 2 out of 5]

A standard history of the Pacific War from a US perspective that whets the appetite but doesn’t completely satisfy.

[Jason Godfrey · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is short and attempts to cover the role of US carriers in the Pacific theater of World War II. Probably by necessity this leads to the book basically providing cliff notes versions of the major battles of the war. I think increasing the length, or diving deeper into a handful of battles to illustrate changes in carrier warfare through the war would have created a more compelling read.

[Patti Merz · Rating 5 out of 5]

great warriors

I never understood the importance of the Navy in WW-II, I was shocked to read about the all the ships and sailors that were lost, God Bless all those who spend a part or give their lives defending this Great Nation.

[Betsy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A concise look at the role played by aircraft carriers in WWII. From the tragedy of Pearl Harbor to great triumph at Leyte Gulf, these ships and their planes led the way to victory.

[Mark Murray · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good quick overview, nice not ground breaking.

[James Trulove · Rating 5 out of 5]

very informative, want to know why we won war in Pacific, read this