What do you think?
Rate this book
Down to the Sea: An Epic Story of Naval Disaster and Heroism in World War II
“World War II produced so many compelling stories that even students of that momentous conflict are apt to discover we’ve missed whole vital episodes. Down to the Sea, about a devastating 1944 Pacific typhoon that sank three destroyers and cost 756 American sailors their lives, is just such an eye-opener.” — New York Post
From the New York Times bestselling author of Sons and Soldiers, an epic story opening at the hour the Greatest Generation went to war on December 7, 1941, and following four U.S. Navy ships and their crews in the Pacific until their day of reckoning three years later with a far different a deadly typhoon.
In December 1944, while supporting General MacArthur’s invasion of the Philippines, Admiral William “Bull” Halsey neglected the Law of Storms—the unofficial bible of all seamen since the days of sail—placing the mighty U.S. Third Fleet in harm’s way. One of the most powerful fighting fleets ever assembled under any flag, the Third Fleet sailed directly into the largest storm the U.S. Navy had ever encountered—a maelstrom of 90-foot seas and 160-mph winds. More men were lost and ships sunk and damaged than in most combat engagements in the Pacific. The final 3 ships sunk, 28 ships damaged, 146 aircraft destroyed, and 756 men lost at sea.
In all, 92 survivors from the three sunken ships (each carrying a crew of about 300) were rescued, some after spending up to 80 hours in the water. Scores more had made it off their sinking ships only to perish in the monstrous seas; some from injuries and exhaustion, others snatched away by circling sharks before their horrified shipmates. In the farflung rescue operations Bruce Henderson finds some of the story’s truest heroes, exhibiting selflessness, courage, and even defiance. One badly damaged ship, whose Naval Reserve skipper disobeyed an admiral’s orders to abandon the search, singlehandedly saved 55 lives.
Drawing on extensive interviews with nearly every living survivor and rescuer, many families of lost sailors, transcripts and other records from two naval courts of inquiry, ships’ logs and action reports, personal letters, and diaries, Bruce Henderson offers the most thorough and riveting account to date of one of the greatest naval dramas of World War II.
From the New York Times bestselling author of Sons and Soldiers, an epic story opening at the hour the Greatest Generation went to war on December 7, 1941, and following four U.S. Navy ships and their crews in the Pacific until their day of reckoning three years later with a far different a deadly typhoon.
In December 1944, while supporting General MacArthur’s invasion of the Philippines, Admiral William “Bull” Halsey neglected the Law of Storms—the unofficial bible of all seamen since the days of sail—placing the mighty U.S. Third Fleet in harm’s way. One of the most powerful fighting fleets ever assembled under any flag, the Third Fleet sailed directly into the largest storm the U.S. Navy had ever encountered—a maelstrom of 90-foot seas and 160-mph winds. More men were lost and ships sunk and damaged than in most combat engagements in the Pacific. The final 3 ships sunk, 28 ships damaged, 146 aircraft destroyed, and 756 men lost at sea.
In all, 92 survivors from the three sunken ships (each carrying a crew of about 300) were rescued, some after spending up to 80 hours in the water. Scores more had made it off their sinking ships only to perish in the monstrous seas; some from injuries and exhaustion, others snatched away by circling sharks before their horrified shipmates. In the farflung rescue operations Bruce Henderson finds some of the story’s truest heroes, exhibiting selflessness, courage, and even defiance. One badly damaged ship, whose Naval Reserve skipper disobeyed an admiral’s orders to abandon the search, singlehandedly saved 55 lives.
Drawing on extensive interviews with nearly every living survivor and rescuer, many families of lost sailors, transcripts and other records from two naval courts of inquiry, ships’ logs and action reports, personal letters, and diaries, Bruce Henderson offers the most thorough and riveting account to date of one of the greatest naval dramas of World War II.
386 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2007
53 people are currently reading
241 people want to read
About the author
Bruce Henderson
20 books188 followersBruce Henderson is the author of more than twenty nonfiction books, including a #1 New York Times that was made into a highly-rated network miniseries. His books have been published in more than two dozen countries. His latest book is Midnight Flyboys: The American Bomber Crews and Allied Secret Agents Who Aided the French Resistance in World War II. He is also the author of Sons and Soldiers: The Untold Story of the Jews Who Escaped the Nazis and Returned with the U.S. Army to Fight Hitler, the NYT bestseller about "The Ritchie Boys" being developed for a feature film. He won the coveted 2023 Gilder Lehrman Military History Prize in recognition of the best English language book published in the field of American military history for Bridge to the Sun: The Secret Role of the Japanese Americans Who Fought in the Pacific in World War II. Henderson has taught reporting at USC School of Journalism and nonfiction writing at Stanford University. He lives in Menlo Park, California.
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Bruce-Henderson...
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Bruce-Henderson...
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
April 3, 2019
A good book for readers that enjoy WWII naval stories.
November 18, 2017
Absolutely incredible read. Often, when reading history, I do not draw a strong connection to the people involved because I already know the outcome. While I was not familiar with all of the intricacies of this particular piece of history, I was dreading finishing this book because the author ability to convey the hopes and dreams of these young Sailors.
April 6, 2015
A solid and informative recounting of the active duty and unfortunate sinking of three U.S. destroyers, with huge loss of life, by a strong typhoon off of the Philippines near the end of WWII. Some very good anectdotes and personal interest material. Made me reassess my view of Halsey. My father and brother both served part of their naval service in destroyers and frigates. My old man said going through a cyclone is one of the scariest things aboard a small ship. Sadly, many more men could have been saved had the higher ups made better decisions concerning superstructure additions that unbalanced the boats, listened to the staff meterologists, or chosen better-qualified officers (in one case) to captain the destroyers.
January 28, 2016
This book is almost good. What is amazing is some of the vignettes in this well researched books of extreme bravery, resilience and honor exhibited by most of the participants in this storm driven debacle.
I did not like the organization of first half of the book though. The author talks for a page or two about maybe a hundred different people and ships which all blend together. Unfortunately he also skips around chronologically so you don't get any feel for the actual historical flow of the War in the Pacific which I personally find fascinating. The result is kind of a jumble that after 150 pages made me consider dumping the book.
At the same time, I knew I wanted to read about the actual Typhoon and resultant damage to the destroyers which foundered. The last half of the book was much better as it got down to the actual events of the day of the storm, probable reasons for disaster, what might have been done, actions of heroism and it's opposite. Halsey comes out more clearly for what he really was which was an excellent commander during a fight (except for Leyte Gulf) and an arrogant sub par ship handler who butchers decisions on the safety of his fleet.
I did not like the organization of first half of the book though. The author talks for a page or two about maybe a hundred different people and ships which all blend together. Unfortunately he also skips around chronologically so you don't get any feel for the actual historical flow of the War in the Pacific which I personally find fascinating. The result is kind of a jumble that after 150 pages made me consider dumping the book.
At the same time, I knew I wanted to read about the actual Typhoon and resultant damage to the destroyers which foundered. The last half of the book was much better as it got down to the actual events of the day of the storm, probable reasons for disaster, what might have been done, actions of heroism and it's opposite. Halsey comes out more clearly for what he really was which was an excellent commander during a fight (except for Leyte Gulf) and an arrogant sub par ship handler who butchers decisions on the safety of his fleet.
September 16, 2010
Apparently not the first book about Halsey's fleet and the typhoons in 1944. Amazing combination of bad decisions and assumptions lead to man-vs-nature confrontation in the middle of a war. This book apparently uses survivor stories not available to earlier researchers or the investigation board. I found it too heavy on the individual life stories prior to the storm, but after that it was intense.
July 14, 2020
I gave this book five stars because it is so thoroughly researched and well written. Bit of a slog in the beginning where the author is laying the groundwork and historical facts for what followed. Sad, sad, sad. The Navy doesn’t come out looking too good. Talk about hidebound! The Navy gives new meaning to good old boys network”. What an avoidable tragedy.
Personally, I think the phrase naval intelligence is an oxymoron......heavy emphasis on moron.
Personally, I think the phrase naval intelligence is an oxymoron......heavy emphasis on moron.
August 27, 2025
This is the 3rd book I've read from Henderson. He's a good writer. The words flow easily and the prose is easy to read and follow. Spoilers ahead. This book is about 3 USN destroyers that sank during a typhoon in WW2.
The story starts of with the human angle focusing on various sailors and officers from the 3 ships, where they came from, how they got into the navy and into their ship, etc. Then it talks about life on the ship and how they got into the storm. A comparatively small part is on the storm and the sinking of the ships. It ends with the sailors drifting in the ocean, the rescue and finally the court inquiry. The last part is an epilogue of afterwards.
The book pulls no punches on who's to blame, basically the admiral (Halsey) for not taking the storm serious and continuing to sail into it and ignoring warnings. On one of the ships, it was the bad handling of the captain (the most hated officer on the ship). And finally it was the design (top heavy) of the destroyers with too much additional equipment, lack of ballast/fuel due to faulty planning. It seemed to me that the tragedy could have been largely avoided with more judicious planning and if the sailors' lives were more important to the admiral.
Back to the book, it seemed that the story was dragged out too long from too little material. I also didn't like that the stories of the 3 ships took turns. I think it would have been better for each ship's story to be told sequentially. However overall, it was a good if sad read of another untold WW2 story. This should be required or recommended reading at our naval academies.
The story starts of with the human angle focusing on various sailors and officers from the 3 ships, where they came from, how they got into the navy and into their ship, etc. Then it talks about life on the ship and how they got into the storm. A comparatively small part is on the storm and the sinking of the ships. It ends with the sailors drifting in the ocean, the rescue and finally the court inquiry. The last part is an epilogue of afterwards.
The book pulls no punches on who's to blame, basically the admiral (Halsey) for not taking the storm serious and continuing to sail into it and ignoring warnings. On one of the ships, it was the bad handling of the captain (the most hated officer on the ship). And finally it was the design (top heavy) of the destroyers with too much additional equipment, lack of ballast/fuel due to faulty planning. It seemed to me that the tragedy could have been largely avoided with more judicious planning and if the sailors' lives were more important to the admiral.
Back to the book, it seemed that the story was dragged out too long from too little material. I also didn't like that the stories of the 3 ships took turns. I think it would have been better for each ship's story to be told sequentially. However overall, it was a good if sad read of another untold WW2 story. This should be required or recommended reading at our naval academies.
July 1, 2021
“For the men of the sea who served and died,
For the loved ones they left behind,
And for the children they never knew.”
This dedication begins Bruce Henderson’s Down to the Sea, the gripping and tragic story of American Navy Ships caught in a typhoon in December 1944 that would lead to the sinking of three ships and the loss of over 700 U.S. sailors.
Henderson’s research is thorough. He takes what could be just a number – 700 men lost – and makes the men into individuals. By the time the typhoon hits, we know about their wives, what they did before the war, where they went to school, what they hope to do when the war ends. We know who is soon to become a father, who wants to operate a bowling alley when he gets home, who aspires to become a lifer in the service, and who regrets not asking his hometown sweetheart to marry him when he was last home on leave. Sadly, only seventy men from these three ships would ever have a chance to pursue their post-war dreams. Henderson’s dedication to research and history ensures that these men will not be forgotten. He told their story, and now these men live on in the minds of readers and historians.
For the loved ones they left behind,
And for the children they never knew.”
This dedication begins Bruce Henderson’s Down to the Sea, the gripping and tragic story of American Navy Ships caught in a typhoon in December 1944 that would lead to the sinking of three ships and the loss of over 700 U.S. sailors.
Henderson’s research is thorough. He takes what could be just a number – 700 men lost – and makes the men into individuals. By the time the typhoon hits, we know about their wives, what they did before the war, where they went to school, what they hope to do when the war ends. We know who is soon to become a father, who wants to operate a bowling alley when he gets home, who aspires to become a lifer in the service, and who regrets not asking his hometown sweetheart to marry him when he was last home on leave. Sadly, only seventy men from these three ships would ever have a chance to pursue their post-war dreams. Henderson’s dedication to research and history ensures that these men will not be forgotten. He told their story, and now these men live on in the minds of readers and historians.
May 4, 2024
A well written, interesting story of the Pacific war seen mostly from the perspective of destroyer and destroyer escorts, the smallest combat ships in the Third Fleet, and their unique stability problems in rough seas . The author tells the early years of the war for the USS Monahgan, Spence and Hull and their personnel, and their loss in a typhoon. To tell the story, time is spent on Admiral Halsey and his staff and operations of the Third Fleet.
Admiral Halsey had at least two major questions concerning his leadership; first with his actions at the Battle of Leyte Gulf and second with his actions concerning dealing with a typhoon.
The author is a talented writer that keeps the reader engaged. His writings even seem to indicate some personal knowledge of serving on the sea. He spends a lot o the latter pages of the book on the Court of Inquiry concerning the loss of the three vessels.
As an infantry officer, I recommend for those with little or no experience at sea.
Admiral Halsey had at least two major questions concerning his leadership; first with his actions at the Battle of Leyte Gulf and second with his actions concerning dealing with a typhoon.
The author is a talented writer that keeps the reader engaged. His writings even seem to indicate some personal knowledge of serving on the sea. He spends a lot o the latter pages of the book on the Court of Inquiry concerning the loss of the three vessels.
As an infantry officer, I recommend for those with little or no experience at sea.
May 15, 2021
Down to the Sea briefly covers the Dec 7th attack on Pearl Harbor and continues with some of the crew of three destroyers that sink in a typhoon. These three ships are part of Admiral Halsey's fleet. Dec 17-18th, 1945 are the severe days of the typhoon and this section of the historic retelling is gripping.
Author Henderson was a Navy Weatherman on a Carrier in the Vietnam conflict. Weather is an obvious focus on how Halsey's fleet found themselves stuck in the middle of a typhoon which loses ships, planes and lives. As the story unfolds we learn of the numerous errors from the command line that greatly contributed to this great loss, which is the sad part of this history.
Well written history which I'm thankful to have learned from this book.
Author Henderson was a Navy Weatherman on a Carrier in the Vietnam conflict. Weather is an obvious focus on how Halsey's fleet found themselves stuck in the middle of a typhoon which loses ships, planes and lives. As the story unfolds we learn of the numerous errors from the command line that greatly contributed to this great loss, which is the sad part of this history.
Well written history which I'm thankful to have learned from this book.
August 9, 2024
Excellent companion to Halsey's Typhoon: The True Story Of A Fighting Admiral, an Epic Storm and an Untold Rescue. This one focuses on the individuals and is a great story of human endurance.
August 3, 2022
A deep look at how weather can have on a ballet force and the worst part about it is Adm Halsey led his ships into two typhoons during WWII. The research and writing of this text makes it an easy read well worth the time investment.
January 8, 2022
This book is about a naval disaster in December 1944. It is well researched and very well written. I particularly liked the first-hand accounts of survivors.
November 10, 2022
Great recount with lots of amazing details. My dad would have loved this book.
November 25, 2021
The mini-biography of Bruce Henderson, the author of this book, says it all: "Henderson, who teaches writing at Stanford University,..." He brings his education skills to his writing. I'm sure many readers of this book have enjoyed watching movies about World War II naval battles, be they in the Atlantic or Pacific. I learned so much from Henderson's book that I know will enhance my enjoyment of those films. For example, how often do we hear the term flank speed? Henderson teaches us what flank speed is, in addition to other navigational commands. My advise to readers is to not skip the footnotes.
I would have appreciated a few maps and drawings, visual aids, in explaining the geography of the Pacific and the layout of a destroyer. Nevertheless, this is a book filled with tragedy and triumph, a military and human drama played out on the largest stage in the world, the Pacific Theater.
Four stars strongly waxing
I would have appreciated a few maps and drawings, visual aids, in explaining the geography of the Pacific and the layout of a destroyer. Nevertheless, this is a book filled with tragedy and triumph, a military and human drama played out on the largest stage in the world, the Pacific Theater.
Four stars strongly waxing
April 13, 2016
On December 17, 1944, an army meteorologist warned the navy of a typhoon in the path of a one hundred ship task force that was at sea to refuel. “We don’t believe you,” was the reply the navy sent back. Then, a naval weatherman on the battleship New Jersey also refused to believe his own eyes as he watched the barometer drop and saw destroyers bounce off sixty-foot wave tops in whirling winds. Inevitably, the fleet bounced into the eye of Typhoon Cobra. Three of its destroyers sank, with 790 lives lost. Eighteen other ships, including carriers and battleships, were severely damaged, with the loss of 146 planes on board. Using naval records, ship logs, and survivor interviewers, Henderson has written a magnificent and very readable history of this tragedy.
February 14, 2014
If you are a Naval History buff then this is a must read. Everyone expects a ship to be destroyed in a battle during wartime but not to be destroyed by a weather event. This is the story of a Pacific typhoon and its effect on the US. Third Fleet under Admiral Halsey's command. How the men handle this disaster, from the captains to the seamen on board the three ships, USS Hull, USS Spence and USS Monaghan, is the center of this story. Also added to this story is that of the USS Tabberer whose Captain Plage refused to leave the area while under orders to do so until all possible survivors were found. What heroes all these men were!
October 11, 2011
This is a story of Naval disaster in the middle of WWII by one our greatest WWII Admirals, Admiral Willam "Bull" Halsey; who lead his Third Fleet, because of his bullheadedness straight into the center of a typhoon. It turned out to be one of the largest in history. He would not listen to anyone. He lost three destroyers, over a thousand men and many more damaged vessels. He was not court martialed nor was he repremanded. That was very much a shame because after the war in 1946 he did the same thing; this time he was lucky, he lost a few men but din't lose any ships.
July 4, 2011
This book is similar to "Halsey's Typhoon" with a more extensive background of the officers and men of the three destroyers sunk in the December 1944 Typhoon, USS Spence (DD-512), USS Monaghan (DD-354( and USS Hull (DD-350). It also goes into the Court of Inquiry in reference to the incident. The book offers insights of the tragi sinking of these three ships with the loss of over 700 lives. A must for any Naval History Buff.
July 5, 2012
Great book. Henderson follows three destroyers and a destroyer escort along with their crews from the early days of World War II until the disaster of "Halsey's Typhoon." The destroyers were sunk in the typhoon and the destroyer escort was the primary ship involved in the rescue of the crews. The subtitle ("A Tale of Heroism and Disaster...") is completely apropos. This book portrays ordinary men doing great things to save their comrades. I strongly suggest that everyone read this book.
May 6, 2010
Interesting, but the author's choice of the way to tell the stories of 4 different ships and certain of their crewmembers made it very difficult to follow as he shifted back and forth among the four ships. He found himself forced to reintroduce characters to the reader over and over so that the reader could re-establish continuity. Made the reading choppy.
March 5, 2013
Politics and troop morale seem to be why Hasley wasn't busted after his gross incompetence led to the loss of 700+ sailors and three ships in the Dec 18th, 1944 typhoon(and this just months of his having the 3rd fleet chasing decoys 300 miles from where he was supposed to be guarding the San Bernadino straight in the battle of of Leyte Gulf.
March 30, 2015
You have to be a serious lover of all things nautical and warlike to get into this book. I didn't get very far. One battle after another, I saw as I skimmed. The first battle, with the names and backgrounds of the significant crew members was okay. But I can't endure this kind of thing over and over. It's probably very good if you have a very deep interest in these matters.
April 30, 2010
If you like WW II history, you will enjoy this book. Well-researched, with interesting stories of the men who lived through naval battles and disasters. Includes a lot of information on the ships caught in the typhoon of 1944.
March 21, 2015
Enjoyed the book. Henderson aquatints you with thee characters of the book and the develops the story. It was a history lesson that I never learned until now Halsey should have been court marshaled along with Marks.
August 6, 2015
Good recounting of the events leading up to the typhoon disaster as well as a fairly good war history of each ship and selected crewmembers. Admiral Halsey doesn't come out looking very good and this after he screwed up at Leyte Gulf.
February 15, 2025
Exceptional read of naval disaster, typhoon and bad decision in the Pacific upon closing months of WW2. Gut wrenching and the storm waves washed over me and my reading chair throughout the book. Recommend it.
December 28, 2010
Well written book based primarily upon accounts and testimony from the survivors. This book documents some of the bad decisions bad in dealing with the typhoon.
March 13, 2011
Fabulous read. Of course, I was in the Navy. Truly interesting and captivating story. Highly recommend.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews