The dramatic account of two American warships in the South Pacific, this book follows the USS Astoria (CA-34) and USS Chicago (CA-29) during the late summer of 1942, when both participated in the early days of the critical battle for Guadalcanal. Drawing on a variety of firsthand accounts, some previously unpublished, the book tells the story from the perspective of the men aboard each ship, transporting readers inside the gun turrets, behind the lookout binoculars, and below deck as the battle rages. Individual stories of heroism, sacrifice and survival unfold as both vessels meet their...

The early morning hours of July 6, 1943, found the USS Helena off the Solomon Islands in what would later be known as the Battle of Kula Gulf. But the ship s participation in the battle came to a swift end when three Japanese torpedoes suddenly struck. One hundred and sixty-eight sailors went down with the ship, many never surviving the initial torpedo hits. As the last of the Helena disappeared below the ocean s surface, the remaining crewmen s struggle for survival had only just begun.Sunk in Kula Gulf tells the epic story of the Helena s survivors. Two...

The true story behind the exploits of the unit that was immortalized in the blockbuster 1945 movie They Were Expendable.

During the opening days of World War II in the Pacific, a small group of American sailors in the Philippines were propelled into the forefront of the fighting. They were manned with six small wooden torpedo (PT) boats and led by a courageous, larger-than-life character in Lieutenant John D. Bulkeley. The men of Torpedo Boat Squadron 3 faced insurmountable odds as they conducted a series of heroic operations against the navy and air power of Imperial...