Neptune's Inferno

[Oddball-CAF]

  Okay, so...... About a year ago I discovered that my local library is part of a "network" of libraries with
an online presence. And, from this network (CLEVNET in my case) I can download e-books, audiobooks,
and even magazines.
  I've always been fascinated with WW2 era naval warfare and came across a -great- audiobook:
"Neptune's Inferno". It is a book that concerns itself with the naval battles around Guadalcanal
in the area known as "The Slot".
  The nastiest of these, and the author does a magnificent job of recounting them from a first
person perspective in many cases, occur during night.
  Flares, searchlights and radar (in the case of some American ships) are used to aid the
gunnery. Major combatant surface vessels swapping spit at ranges as short as 500 yards
in some cases. It was horrific stuff.
  Anyway, if you're looking for something with "some action" in it to listen to, this is something
you might want to scope out.
 
Regards,
     Oddball (The CAF one)   

[Brooke]

I love that book (and listened to it as an audiobook as well).  Great recommendation.  It is definitely one of the very best. 

Hornfischer is a great WWII historian/author.  Other books of his that I thought were great include "Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors" and "Ship of Ghosts".

[mbailey]

Great book....I got to ask Hornfisher questions about it when he was at the Pritzger Military Library, heck of a guy to say the least

I swear after reading it I could smell fuel oil and scorched metal in the room it was written that well. 

[skydud]

This one has a few episodes the on The Slot, see episodes 3-5.

I recommend watching all the episodes starting with the 1st one.

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdKcwrFSzUrQQN9iPssQ_0JDOEE2K1c_D

[Widewing]

Jim Hornfisher is not only a great writer, he a great guy as well...

Say hi to Jim on Facebook...
https://www.facebook.com/jim.hornfischer?fref=ts

[MrRiplEy[H]]

I tried listening to audiobooks but for me personally they're too distracting. I get at least 50% more out of a book if I read it myself.

For anyone interested, librivox has hundreds of free audiobooks available. https://librivox.org/

[mbailey]

I tried listening to audiobooks but for me personally they're too distracting. I get at least 50% more out of a book if I read it myself.

For anyone interested, librivox has hundreds of free audiobooks available. https://librivox.org/

Great site.....Im in the middle of listening to Gibbons Decline and fall of the Roman Empire on there (already read all 7 volumes) But LOVE audio books and podcasts as i do alot of driving for work, and am flat out sick of music on the radio.....

[Brooke]

Im in the middle of listening to Gibbons Decline and fall of the Roman Empire on there (already read all 7 volumes) But LOVE audio books and podcasts as i do alot of driving for work, and am flat out sick of music on the radio.....

I liked that one a lot.

[Gman]

Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors is one of my favorite books regarding the entire 2nd World War.  His description of everything makes the reader feel very involved - the 5" gun system and it's directing system, which was one of the first real fire control computers, was fantastic, especially the blurb about the gunnery officer targeting a single Japanese Officer waving his sword on a beach a few miles off, and the first salvo from all 5 guns hitting him.  

From his perch in the gun director, Hagen spied a Japanese officer on the beach, waving a saber, rallying his troops to the fight, and thought, Why not? He put the officer in the sights of his slewing device. The fire-control computer clicked and whirred and zipped coordinates to the Johnston’s five main gun turrets. When Hagen closed the firing key, they all barked as one. The technology lived up to its brutal promise. The five-shell salvo obliterated the man.

“Mr. Hagen, that was very good shooting,” called Captain Evans from the bridge. “But in the future, try not to waste so much ammunition on one individual.”

Like I said, very descriptive, anyone who hasn't read this book should make it their next purchase. 

[Brooke]

Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors is one of my favorite books regarding the entire 2nd World War.  His description of everything makes the reader feel very involved - the 5" gun system and it's directing system, which was one of the first real fire control computers, was fantastic, especially the blurb about the gunnery officer targeting a single Japanese Officer waving his sword on a beach a few miles off, and the first salvo from all 5 guns hitting him.  
 

Like I said, very descriptive, anyone who hasn't read this book should make it their next purchase. 

Another book with similar detail, written by Maxwell Taylor Kennedy (son of Robert Kennedy), is "Danger's Hour: The Story of the USS Bunker Hill and the Kamikaze Pilot Who Crippled Her".  If you like Last Stand, I think that you'll like this one.

[mthrockmor]

The Battle of Savo Island...

I have a small collection of WW2 newspapers and magazines. One of which is a Time Life from 1944. In reading through it they have an ad, much as you might see an ad from Boeing, or Lockheed Martin. I could pull it up but off the top of my head I don't remember the defense firm. What was surprising about this ad was the reference to Savo Island.

It noted that 'this technology helped the US Navy defeat the Japs, just like they defeated them at Savo Island.' Of course, the Japanese Navy sank 4 or 5 US cruisers and 1 Australian cruiser at Savo Island. They crushed us that night, and yet in 1944 they still spoke of that battle is a big US Navy win.

The amount of propaganda by both sides is shocking. When I read that I immediately wondered of how that was messaged to the American people circa 1942, and to the families of the thousand plus that died that night. Did they not report the sinking of the ships then, but sent a notice a few months later, and acted as though the ship was lost in a storm? Did they not report the sinking at all, just that their family member had been lost at sea? Did they report the ships sunk but claimed a far higher number of Japanese ships were sunk?

Really interesting.

boo

[Brooke]

When I read that I immediately wondered of how that was messaged to the American people circa 1942, and to the families of the thousand plus that died that night.

In some circumstances, they just were misinformed, and survivors of the battle were confined to base with no outside contact.  That (according to some books I've read) happened a time or two in the US.

[mbailey]

I also believe the did it early in the war so as not to let the Japanese know what assets were lost due to the state of the Navy after Pearl

I collect WWII newspapers and have a few gems. Battle of Midway, sinking of the HMS Hood, Coral Sea,Nattle of Samar Island......and a Sunday extra Dec 7 1941.......to name a few.  They are really neat to read for sure

[Gman]

Another book with similar detail, written by Maxwell Taylor Kennedy (son of Robert Kennedy), is "Danger's Hour: The Story of the USS Bunker Hill and the Kamikaze Pilot Who Crippled Her".  If you like Last Stand, I think that you'll like this one

Thanks Brooke, I love getting recommendations from all the WW2 experten here.  I ordered a hardcover copy today.  God I love the Amazon used hardcopy gig that's going on right now - found a good one for .01, one cent, plus 3$ shipping (typical pricing).  I've gone back to purchasing many of my non fiction books in hardcover/real book form, instead of the hundreds I buy in epub format.  I recommend to anyone into military history books to check this option out on Amazon if you haven't already.  I found a 3 volume set of Foote's Civil War commentaries for 5$ the other week, with 5$ shipping, and it's almost like new. 

Anyhow, I look forward to this one when it gets here.