I recently finished my read of Mark Stille's "Leyte Gulf: A New History of the World's Largest Sea Battle" from an ARC provided to me by Osprey Publishing. Many of you will be aware that this particular naval battle was a kind of last throw of the dice by the IJN (Imperial Japanese Navy) that has a good deal of controversy surrounding it to this day. In some sense Stille's scholarship sheds a lot of light on what he identifies as the "mythology" that has come to cloud the conventional interpretations of the battle since the war's conclusion. The author breaks the battle collectively known as "The Battle of Leyte Gulf" into four constituent parts. This approach opens things up to a fresh perspective on the complex events surrounding both Japanese strategy and American reactions to it. For example, most western approaches to the battle focus on how close the Japanese came to winning. This author however asserts pretty clearly that under the best possible circumstances, a significant victory for the Japanese forces committed was never a real possibility, and many of the Japanese leaders knew it. Stille is quick to point out that this revised perspective does nothing to detract from the courage and drama inherent in a naval clash of this size, but it does throw new light on Japanese motivations in pursuing a contest that could have no real consequence except in a kind of spiritual sense of redeeming the navy's honor. The author sets this up as an attack on the traditional narrative because it tends to choose drama over an objective analysis of the comparative strengths of the combatants engaged. It is true that the Japanese forces managed to come near to achieving a concentration of forces on their chosen pressure point (largely through American failures like Admiral Halsey's pursuit of the sacrificial fleet carriers offered up for this very purpose), but most narratives examining this seem to just blithely accept the Japanese willingness to virtually tolerate the sacrifice of what was left of Japanese striking power in the Pacific as a mere diversion to allow outdated battleships to make a rather pointless assault on a landing point for American forces attacking in the Philippines. When you begin to think of it this way, a lot of factors become much clearer, and that is, I think, precisely the author's point. The writing is superb, and the analysis is compelling. I strongly recommend this book.

Congratulations to Mark Stille for setting out an eminently readable account of a battle that has already been the subject of countless books and documentaries. To offer a slightly different perspective the author challenges some of what he calls the myths surrounding the battle and, to a very significant degree, he succeeds.

For readers new to this crucial series of engagements this reviewer would recommend spending a little time viewing the animations of the battle on YouTube, since it can be a challenge to comprehend the series of manoeuvres and engagements without an overview of this kind. That said, Mark Stille provides a clear account of the various encounters between elements of the US and the Imperial Japanese forces.

From the comfort of the United Kingdom, in my case, in the first quarter of the twenty first century it is hard to get into the mind of the young sailors and airmen, particularly in the case of the US forces with no particular martial tradition, who pressed home their attacks. Whether on the wrecked decks of a US destroyer attempting to prevent the destruction of Taffy3, or in the lonely cockpit of a Hellcat fighter these young men displayed outstanding bravery. This book stands as a testament to their courage and steadfastness.

Great read. The author did a good job at breaking down the various aspects of the battle and how it developed. I would have liked a more thorough description of the various leaders involved.

I am grateful to Netgalley and Osprey Publishing for being given an ARC. I am normally an avid reader of books about the Pacific war in WWII. While technically complete and informative about the battles in Leyte Gulf, I found this book to be lacking in the kind of human detail that good history usually contains. Quotes from the diaries or writings of those involved, more about their lives prior to this time would have added spice to what turned out to be a very bland diet of events and military strategy.

In addition, Stille's prose was filled with the type of jargon likely found war plans or other military documents. For instance "vector" is used when "went" or "traveled" would have sufficed, likewise "transitted" instead of "sailed". This is not a book for the general public.

There is something to be said for an author with a clear point of view who takes a stand. In the case of Mark Stille, his book Leyte Gulf contains multiple stands. It's refreshing and makes for an eminently readable story. Stille takes a deep dive into the actions of both the U.S. and Japanese navies as they converge on the Philippines. The result (I do not consider this a spoiler because, come on, this was 80 years ago and we know how it ended) was a significant defeat for the Japanese Navy.

This is not to say there wasn't a lot of controversy. In fact, Stille takes each one head on while giving a full accounting of the battles and the decisions made by various naval leaders. I am not educated enough on naval battle in World War II to comment on Stille's conclusions. However, at the very least the author makes his interpretations clear and direct. That said, this writing choice means some things seem to be repeated numerous times throughout the book. This is a minor quibble. I believe anyone interested in this battle will find a lot to love in Stille's style.

(This book was provided as an advance copy by Netgalley and Osprey Publishing.)

A fairly detailed review of the massive and very complex sea battle. Author Stille analyzes the underlying plans, the outcomes, the commanders, and the actual war fighting effectiveness of the two sides. Well done, although I would have preferred a bit more detailed context leading up to the battle. I found that the conclusions made sense, though there was nothing too startling. Stille asserts several times that Leyte Gulf was not an American defeat; I have never, ever heard it described as such!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free advanced reading copy.

A well-done historical look at the events surrounding the naval battle at Leyte Gulf in WW2. The use of first-hand accounts adds to the story and provides a "you were there" point of view. The author also brings to light the political and economic ramifications and impact on the battle. A great informative read for the history fan.

Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.