The Big E: The Story of the USS Enterprise, Illustrated Edition

by Edward P. Stafford, Paul Stillwell (Introduction)

"Her admirers will by grateful to Commander Stafford for preserving so much of her so well." -- "New York Times"
"The unbelievable career of the bravest and most effective warship America ever built, excitingly recorded." -- "Life"


"An action-packed drama of living men in a ship with a soul." -- "San Francisco Examiner"


"After reading Commander Stafford's lovingly detailed saga, you may well wonder: Why didn't they preserve the Big E for posterity, just as they did Old Ironsides." -- "Arizona Republic"


A lasting tribute to the USS "Enterprise," this heavily illustrated, new edition tells the classic tale of the carrier that contributed more than any other warship to the naval victory in the Pacific. The original book, published in 1962, has remained one of the most celebrated World War II stories for more than four decades.


The Big E participated in nearly every major engagement of the war against Japan and earned a total of twenty battle stars. The Halsey-Doolittle Raid; the Battles of Midway, Santa Cruz, Guadalcanal, the Philippine Sea, and Leyte Gulf; and the invasions of Iwo Jima and Okinawa are all faithfully recorded from the viewpoint of the men who served her so well.


This superb study of a great ship, her crew, and the action they saw has been called one of the finest pieces of naval writing to emerge from the war. Author Edward Stafford mined genuine nuggets from the mountain of research and lengthy interviews he conducted to write this book. He answers questions such as: What was it like to be inside the cockpit of a Dauntless dive bomber as it bored in on its target or what kind effort was required to unstick the ship's huge rudder when it was damaged by a bomb? Literate and scholarly as well as highly dramatic, the book will appeal to historians and the general public alike.

Genres: History, World War II, Military Fiction, Nonfiction, Military History, War, Naval History

576 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1962

Reviews

[Jeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had read this book while in middle school. When I heard that a new printing of the book was made, I wanted to read it again as it had left an impression on me so many years before. I was not disappointed. The author does a superb job describing the actions of the USS Enterprise (CV-6) in World War II. The main actions such as the Battle of Midway are described but what I found more fascinating was the smaller actions. These are various raids and secondary actions which played a roll in the Allied victory. Men died, some simply disappearing, in those actions which are little more than footnotes in most history books. But the actions have all the drama, tension, and danger of the more well known battles.

The air and sea battles are described with flair and are riveting. Even the descriptions of the downtimes in port are interesting, describing a life and time that few of us will experience.

The book is not perfect. It could use more maps detailing the locations better. The author mentions quite a few names without going into detail with the majority. One could say that to do so would make the book too long. Nevertheless, simply to mention a pilots name and say he died over some obscure island does not seem sufficient.

Despite the faults it is a good book and will be a proud addition to my collection.

[J.M. Schneider · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a descriptive story! This book follows the USS Enterprise through WWII. If it was possible to care about a ship, this book made me do it. To this day, I am still sad that she was scrapped, although I did make a trip to River Vale, NJ to see the name plate from the stern of the ship.

[Will · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book and read multiple times as a kid

[Monika · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not my usual genre. I got it because my mother told me we had a family member who was stationed on this boat during WW2. Very descriptive, lots of detail.

[Jonathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

If there is any one ship that symbolizes the efforts, trials and victories of the US Navy in the war against Japan in the Pacific Ocean during the Second World War, it is the USS Enterprise, and this book tells the wartime story of the ship and her crew. Commissioned in 1938, the "Big E" was in almost constant combat until May 1945, when a kamikaze knocked her out of the war. After her gunners and pilots downed 911 enemy planes and sank 71 enemy ships, and after the ship itself earned twenty battle stars, including the Doolittle Raid, Midway and Leyte Gulf, the Big E was finally retired and ignominiously scrapped. All of the actions and slow bits are lovingly recorded in this fine readable account from the point of view of the crew, including those members of the air groups that flew off her. The author himself was a Navy Pilot, and it shows in this skillfully crafted work of military history that everyone with an interest in WWII in the Pacific should have on his shelf. A naval classic indeed.

[Bill V · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an OK book. Much of the strategic matter is dated and in some instances incorrect. There were a few puzzling mistakes such as in part of the book, he'll write that six Japanese carriers attacked Pearl Harbor, which is correct but later on in the book he'll write there were 5. A chapter later it would be six and later still it would be five again.
The best parts of the book are the individual stories of sailors and the recounting of flight deck accidents and accidental deaths occurring due to friendly antiaircraft fire. This is something I don't normally read in most histories.

[Greg Gates · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading Incredible Victory in grade school, I came across this book in my Junior High School library. This is when I fell in love with CV-6 USS Enterprise. Wow! What a ship! What a war-record!
If you ever have wondered why the name "Enterprise" was used in Star Trek, or why the first nuclear powered aircraft carrier or first Space Shuttle was named Enterprise, then read this book and you'll begin understand...

[Ralph Echtinaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

More than just the story of the pilots and planes that flew from the Enterprise. There are plenty of stories about the rest of the crew, including one man who worked aloft to repair the air search radar during an attack. I first read The Big E decades ago and still have a paperback version. However, the print is small, making the book a chore to read, and there are no photos. So I ordered the Naval Institute's reissued hardcover version from the Alibris web site.

[Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

This on one of those book you stumble across as a rare treasure in a stack of mediocre print. It has a single topic and it stays on topic throughout. Well-written, very informative, carefully crafted, and complete. It was sad to finish such a great read about such a pivotal ship in America's greatest moment.

[Patrick Barnum · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you ever want to know why the generation that lived, worked, and fought in WWII will always be considered one of if not the best we have ever produced this is one of the books you need to read. What they went through was absolutely astounding.

[Alex Bergman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. Beside Unbroken, this is my favorite World War II novel. For those people who enjoy history, or military history I recommend this book, it is very descriptive about the "life" of the Enterprise.

[Andrew McBurney · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the best and most riveting naval histories written. It helps give a feel for what day-to-day operations were like on one of America's capital ships in the Pacific War.

[Kee]

Found this book in a Thrift Dime Store in Chula Vista, CA, last week... and thought it might be a good read...

[Joe · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this as a kid. I recall I enjoyed it then as I was very much into WWII Naval history. I'd like to read it again as a refresher on this greatest ship of the line.

[Patrick Macke · Rating 4 out of 5]

seemingly everywhere during wwii ... the battle record is unsurpassed

[Nick Mosey · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you like Historical fiction, I highly recommend this book for you.