3 Review(s)

* Paperback edition of this extremely popular book*Thoroughly researched and eminently readable *Contains much previously unpublished materialThis groundbreaking account of the Battle of Samar in the Philippines was hugely successful on its hardback release. Combining rigorous research with a compelling narrative, it was written with an eye to the strategic picture and a keen ear for the experience of the`ordinary' sailor. `This will be a fight against overwhelming odds from which survival cannot be expected. We will do what damage we can.'These were the words of Lieutenant Commander Robert W. Copeland of the USS Samuel B. Roberts on the morning of 25 October 1944, which was positioned off the Philippine island of Samar. The Roberts, along with a handful of other small ships, formed a tiny American flotilla which was the only obstacle between Douglas MacArthur's vulnerable invasion force and a huge Japanese fleet.With the cards stacked against them, the American sailors remarkably beat the odds and secured a hard-won victory. Filled with riveting detail and based on the author's extensive interviews and correspondence with veterans, unpublished eyewitness accounts, declassified documents, and rare Japanese sources, The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors is both an inspiring portrait of the US navy man's indomitable spirit and an unforgettable tale of heroism and sacrifice in the face of near hopeless odds.