The Fleet at Flood Tide

America at Total War in the Pacific, 1944-1945

By: James D. Hornfischer

Narrated by: Pete Larkin

Length: 23 hrs and 15 mins

Publisher's summary

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER •

The extraordinary story of the World War II air, land, and sea campaign that brought the U.S. Navy to the apex of its strength and marked the rise of the United States as a global superpower

Winner, Commodore John Barry Book Award, Navy League of the United States • Winner, John Lehman Distinguished Naval Historian Award, Naval Order of the United States

With its thunderous assault on the Mariana Islands in June 1944, the United States crossed the threshold of total war. In this tour de force of dramatic storytelling, distilled from extensive research in newly discovered primary sources, James D. Hornfischer brings to life the campaign that was the fulcrum of the drive to compel Tokyo to surrender—and that forever changed the art of modern war.

With a close focus on high commanders, front-line combatants, and ordinary people, American and Japanese alike, Hornfischer tells the story of the climactic end of the Pacific War as has never been done before. Here are the epic seaborne invasions of Saipan, Tinian, and Guam, the stunning aerial battles of the Great Marianas Turkey Shoot, the first large-scale use of Navy underwater demolition teams, the largest banzai attack of the war, and the daring combat operations large and small that made possible the strategic bombing offensive culminating in the atomic strikes on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. From the seas of the Central Pacific to the shores of Japan itself, The Fleet at Flood Tide is a stirring, authoritative, and cinematic portrayal of World War II’s world-changing finale.

Illustrated with original maps and more than 120 dramatic photographs

“Quite simply, popular and scholarly military history at its best.”—Victor Davis Hanson, author of Carnage and Culture

“The dean of World War II naval history . . . In his capable hands, the story races along like an intense thriller. . . . Narrative nonfiction at its finest—a book simply not to be missed.”—James M. Scott, Charleston Post and Courier

“An impressively lucid account . . . admirable, fascinating.”—The Wall Street Journal

“An extraordinary memorial to the courageous—and a cautionary note to a world that remains unstable and turbulent today.”—Admiral James Stavridis, former Supreme Allied Commander, NATO, author of Sea Power

“A masterful, fresh account . . . ably expands on the prior offerings of such classic naval historians as Samuel Eliot Morison.”—The Dallas Morning News

©2016 James D. Hornfischer (P)2016 Random House Audio

The Rest of the Story

I am the son of a WWII Ace and twice escaped POW TURNED SAC wing commander, as well as a Vietnam veteran. As such, my interest in the war has never faded. I’ve lost count of the histories and “I was there” books. This fills in the blanks in a very engaging and personal way.
A must read.

Excellent detail

I had no idea just how excellent of a commander Admiral Spruance was. Through this book I gained a new appreciation for his genius and grasp of Leadership in command.

Perfection.

Absolutely wonderful. The narrator is perfect for the story and exposits the emotion and direction of the writing extremely well

Good, not great

Not as good as his previous books but solid. I didn't feel much emotion while listening to this one as i did Neptune's Inferno or Last Stand Of The Tin Can Sailors

Outstanding history

An excellent and comprehensive history of some of the most brutal conflict this country has ever know. A marvelous biography of two well known figures (Spruance and Tibbets) and two lesser known Naval heroes (Kaufman and Turner). I highly recommend.

Well worth the time to listen and learn .

loved it. narrator was informationally correct and knew the pronunciation of the names of the Pacific islands.

Entertaining, if biased

Very pro-American. If you know that going in, it’s very good for what it is.

Superbly written history.

I bought this book immediately after finishing "Neptune's Inferno" also by Hornfisher because that was such an excellent read, this one exceeds it. What I love most about this book is how it can tell personal stories of great variety, from Admirals to fighter pilots to Japanese soldiers to Civilians, while seamlessly telling the greater story of these final years of the pacific war. I burned through this book as fast as I could. Even someone with an extensive knowledge of the Pacific war has a lot to learn from this captivating book.

Stunning!

It's incredibly difficult to comprehend how the world appeared in 1944 and 1945. I had no idea....

A great read for all mature audiences

This book tells the story of American dominance in WWII better than no other...mainly because it is a well told story. With great and accurate detail, Hornfischer's style allows the reader to best understand what the war like at the time it was fought. If you're interested in WWII Pacific history, you must read this book. The Audible version is very well spoken with great performance. So far, of a great many books read, this is among my favorite. It opened up new interests for me. Highly, highly recommended. Note: Some descriptions and language are probably best left for mature readers.