Tin Can Titans, John Wukovits
Tin Can Titans, John Wukovits
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Tin Can Titans
The Heroic Men and Ships of World War II’s Most Decorated Navy Destroyer Squadron

Author: John Wukovits

Narrator: Robertson Dean

Unabridged: 10 hr 47 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 08/15/2017


Synopsis

When Admiral William Halsey selected Destroyer Squadron 21 to lead his victorious ships into Tokyo Bay to accept the Japanese surrender, it was the most battle-hardened US naval squadron of the war.But it was not the squadron of ships that had accumulated such an inspiring résumé; it was the people serving aboard them. Sailors, not metallic superstructures and hulls, had won the battles and become the stuff of legend. Men like Commander Donald MacDonald, skipper of the USS O’Bannon, who became the most decorated naval officer of the Pacific war; Lieutenant Hugh Barr Miller, who survived his ship’s sinking and waged a one-man battle against the enemy while stranded on a Japanese-occupied island; and Doctor Dow “Doc” Ransom, the beloved physician of the USS La Vallette, who combined a mixture of humor and medical expertise to treat his patients at sea, epitomize the sacrifices made by all the men and women of World War II.Through diaries, personal interviews with survivors, and letters written to and by the crews during the war, preeminent historian of the Pacific theater John Wukovits brings to life the human story of the squadron and its men, who bested the Japanese in the Pacific and helped take the war to Tokyo.

About John Wukovits

John Wukovits, a military expert specializing in the Pacific theater of World War II, is the author of many books, including Eisenhower: A Biography.

About Robertson Dean

Robertson Dean has recorded hundreds of audiobooks in most every genre. He's been nominated for several Audie Awards, won eight Earphones Awards, and was named one of AudioFile magazine's Best Voices of 2010. He lives in Los Angeles, where he records books and acts in film, TV, and (especially) on stage.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Jean on September 23, 2017

So much has been written about World War II that anyone writing about it must come up with a different angle. Wukovits chose to write about the destroyers (Tin Cans) which he says were the workhorse of the war in the Pacific. Wukovits describes the story of Destroyer Squadron 21 (DesRon21). He follo......more

Goodreads review by David on March 05, 2018

I have been working my way through quite a few World War II memoirs. One of my favorites was Tameichi Hara's Japanese Destroyer Captain. The title is pretty self-explanatory — Hara was the captain of a Japanese destroyer who saw some of the fiercest battles of the war. Hara's memoir is referenced fr......more

Goodreads review by Michael on September 30, 2020

Destroyers are the workhorses of the fleets. While carriers might have the glory, battleships the honor, and cruisers a sleek elegance, destroyers get the job done where bigger ships are too expensive to risk. With 5" guns, torpedoes, and a potent mix of anti-aircraft and anti-submarine weapons, des......more


Quotes

“Wukovits has ferreted out deeply personal stories of the officers and enlisted men who experienced hell aboard these destroyers.” Wall Street Journal

“Sure to stir the imaginations of many veterans and well worth the time of adventure-loving civilians.” Roanoke (VA) Times

“One of the preeminent writers on the history of US Navy operations in the Pacific theater…Well presented and poignantly human.” New York Journal of Books

“A detailed account…revealing the naval aspect of the Pacific war through the eyes and ears of those who fought it. Highly recommended.” Midwest Book Review

“[Wukovits] draws overdue attention to the heroism, dedication, and courage of the young destroyer sailors…[He] does a masterful job capturing the day-to-day boredom, excitement, and fear ordinary tin can sailors experienced on routine patrols at the height of the Pacific war. He expertly weaves together monthly war diaries, action reports, and ships’ histories, as well as interviews and oral histories from the officers and sailors that lived, fought, and often died together…He gives the men that fought in the squadron their due.” America in WWII