A memoir by William H. Whyte. The battle for control of Guadalcanal in 1942 and what the Americans learned from it forms the heart of the book. The battle was the first real test of land combat between the United States and Japan.

For centuries Western military theory and practice focused on wars conducted in Europe among Europeans. Wars between the European powers and other peoples were thought to be unimportant by students of military affairs, and wars between non-Europeans were viewed as distant and irrelevant. Attention was focused on Great Power confrontations, and the many "little" wars fought throughout the globe were ignored or given short attention.
As the twenty-first century approaches and the threat of war between the superpowers declines, our attention is drawn to conflicts between nations or ethnic...

This superb collection of biographical essays tells the story of the U.S. Navy through the lives of the officers who forged its traditions.