“For forty years Ernest King prepared himself for the supreme test. From 1901 to 1941 he moved through the grades from ensign to admiral; he saw service in battleships, destroyers, submarines, supply ships, and aircraft carriers, in Europe, Asia, and the Caribbean; he served in engineering, on the staff of the commander of the Atlantic fleet in World War I, on the General Board, in the Bureau of Navigation and as chief of the Bureau of Aeronautics; he taught at the Naval Academy and studied at the Naval War College where he worked on problems of Pacific strategy; and he commanded important units of the fleet. When the Japanese struck at Pearl Harbor, King was supervising convoy operations to Europe as commander of the Atlantic fleet. Within two weeks he was made Cominch, United States fleet, and three months later replaced Admiral Stark as chief of Naval Operations. No man in the United States navy was better equipped by training and experience to direct the global responsibilities of the navy in World War II; no man could have performed the job with greater success... The volume is a notable contribution to the history of the war... The amount of information on every aspect of the war — plans, operations, and logistics — is overwhelming. The European and Pacific phases are neatly interwoven. There are penetrating observations on leading personalities (of both world wars).” — The Mississippi Valley Historical Review “[A]n extremely important book... Fleet Admiral King is an important book because it enables us to appreciate the greatness of King. We get some idea of his logical mind, exceptional intellect, integrity, capacity for work, and wide range of professional knowledge. Without doubt this devoted public servant was the right man in the right place when the nation faced the greatest crisis in its history.” — Pacific Historical Review “The memoirs of Fleet Adm. Ernest J. King... have been eagerly awaited for many years. The Admiral was counted on to furnish a bluntly outspoken record of his stewardship, and in this respect his book comes up to expectations... they reward careful reading as the record of one of the most effective and successful war leaders in the history of our country. This book will undoubtedly take its place among the classic military documents in the war annals of the United States.” — Ordnance “Admiral King’s memoirs have been worth waiting for. As it stands, this book is one of the most useful contributions to American naval history.” — The American Historical Review “[An] important book... the best and most comprehensive discussion of the inner workings of the Joint and Combined Chiefs of Staff that has appeared... Fleet Admiral King is really two books in one: a skilfully drawn biographical study of the individual and, as a frank personal report of the highest United States naval commander in the war, a significant contribution to the history of World War II.” — The New England Quarterly “[A] valuable book.” — The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science “[T]his record of Fleet Admiral King’s naval career is essentially autobiographical. The latter half of the... narrative deals with the Second World War and is naturally of the greatest interest. It authoritatively presents the Navy’s position on a number of strategic controversies, and adds to our factual knowledge of certain key events, such as the Casablanca, Yalta, Quebec and Potsdam conferences.” — Foreign Affairs “The outstanding naval biography of the year, as well as the outstanding book.” — US Naval Institute Proceedings

How history's only five-star admirals triumphed in World War II and made the United States the world's dominant sea power. Only four men in American history have been promoted to the five-star rank of Admiral of the Fleet: William Leahy, Ernest King, Chester Nimitz, and William Halsey. These four men were the best and the brightest the navy produced, and together they led the U.S. navy to victory in World War II, establishing the United States as the world's greatest fleet. In The Admirals, award-winning historian Walter R. Borneman tells their story in full detail for the first time. Drawing upon journals, ship logs, and other primary sources, he brings an incredible historical moment to life, showing us how the four admirals revolutionized naval warfare forever with submarines and aircraft carriers, and how these men -- who were both friends and rivals -- worked together to ensure that the Axis fleets lay destroyed on the ocean floor at the end of World War II.

This meticulous study is a concentrated look at naval admiral Chester W. Nimitz and his subordinate leaders—military men under stress—and the relationship of fighting admirals to their top leaders and one another. Bull Halsey, “the Patton of the Pacific,” could win a battle; ascetic and cultivated Raymond Spruance could win a campaign; but Chester W. Nimitz, the quiet but dauntless battler from the banks of the Pedernales River, could win a war. And the way he did win that war in the Pacific is the center of this excellent and absorbing biography of naval operations and of men in command relationships. How They Won the War in the Pacific covers many leaders, including the top fighting ones afloat and ashore, and it shows Admiral Nimitz as history will record him—as the wise, calm tower of strength in adversity and success, the principal architect of victory in the Pacific during World War II.

"The life of legendary fleet admiral Chester W. Nimitz and how his command shaped the course of World War II in the Pacific"--Jacket.

*Includes pictures *Includes a bibliography for further reading "It is the function of the Navy to carry the war to the enemy so that it is not fought on U.S. soil." - Admiral Nimitz All Americans are familiar with the "day that will live in infamy." At 9:30 a.m. on Sunday, December 7, 1941, Pearl Harbor, the advanced base of the United States Navy's Pacific Fleet, was ablaze. It had been smashed by aircraft launched by the carriers of the Imperial Japanese Navy. All eight battleships had been sunk or badly damaged, 350 aircraft had been knocked out, and over 2,000 Americans lay dead. Indelible images of the USS Arizona exploding and the USS Oklahoma capsizing and floating upside down have been ingrained in the American conscience ever since. In less than an hour and a half the Japanese had almost wiped out America's entire naval presence in the Pacific. Despite fighting in North Africa and the Atlantic, the United States still had the resources and manpower to fight the Japanese in the Pacific. Though the Japanese had crippled the American fleet at Pearl Harbor, its distance from Japan made an invasion of Pearl Harbor impossible, and Japan had not severely damaged important infrastructure. Thus, the United States was able to quickly rebuild a fleet, still stationed at Pearl Harbor right in the heart of the Pacific. This forward location allowed the United States to immediately push deeply into the Pacific Theater. The Americans would eventually push the Japanese back across the Pacific, and one of the most instrumental leaders in the effort was Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, who commanded the U.S. Pacific Fleet and helped coordinate joint operations with the legendary General Douglas MacArthur, the Supreme Commander, Southwest Pacific Area. The ensuing strategies would lead to decisive operations at places like Midway, Iwo Jima, Okinawa, and others before the use of the atomic bombs compelled Japan's surrender in August 1945. Admiral Chester W. Nimitz: The Life and Legacy of the U.S. Pacific Fleet's Commander in Chief during World War II chronicles Nimitz's life and examines the decisions he made during history's deadliest war. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about Admiral Nimitz like never before.

*Includes pictures *Includes a bibliography for further reading "It is the function of the Navy to carry the war to the enemy so that it is not fought on U.S. soil." - Admiral Nimitz All Americans are familiar with the "day that will live in infamy." At 9:30 a.m. on Sunday, December 7, 1941, Pearl Harbor, the advanced base of the United States Navy's Pacific Fleet, was ablaze. It had been smashed by aircraft launched by the carriers of the Imperial Japanese Navy. All eight battleships had been sunk or badly damaged, 350 aircraft had been knocked out, and over 2,000 Americans lay dead. Indelible images of the USS Arizona exploding and the USS Oklahoma capsizing and floating upside down have been ingrained in the American conscience ever since. In less than an hour and a half the Japanese had almost wiped out America's entire naval presence in the Pacific. Despite fighting in North Africa and the Atlantic, the United States still had the resources and manpower to fight the Japanese in the Pacific. Though the Japanese had crippled the American fleet at Pearl Harbor, its distance from Japan made an invasion of Pearl Harbor impossible, and Japan had not severely damaged important infrastructure. Thus, the United States was able to quickly rebuild a fleet, still stationed at Pearl Harbor right in the heart of the Pacific. This forward location allowed the United States to immediately push deeply into the Pacific Theater. The Americans would eventually push the Japanese back across the Pacific, and one of the most instrumental leaders in the effort was Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, who commanded the U.S. Pacific Fleet and helped coordinate joint operations with the legendary General Douglas MacArthur, the Supreme Commander, Southwest Pacific Area. The ensuing strategies would lead to decisive operations at places like Midway, Iwo Jima, Okinawa, and others before the use of the atomic bombs compelled Japan's surrender in August 1945. Admiral Chester W. Nimitz: The Life and Legacy of the U.S. Pacific Fleet's Commander in Chief during World War II chronicles Nimitz's life and examines the decisions he made during history's deadliest war. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about Admiral Nimitz like never before.