BOOK REVIEW | The United States Navy in World War II: From Pearl Harbor to Okinawa

Mark Stille is a former officer in the United States Navy who has since become a very energetic and prolific academic historian. He also thinks deeply about the subjects of his books and is unafraid to take views that are contrary to conventional wisdom.

Stille teams well with his publisher, the Anglo-American house Osprey Publishing. They support his first-rate content with excellent presentation, especially brilliant illustrations and outstandingly clear and informative maps.

His histories, particularly this one, are widely encompassing and, being big books, they still contain masses of useful and interesting detail. His contrarian views come through in his thoughtful but objective criticism of the strengths and weaknesses of the various fleet components and their weaponry. He carefully examines the various classes of ships that served the US Navy and bravely judges their efficacy.

This fine book provides a really good analysis of the larger American vessels from submarines and destroyers to aircraft carriers and battleships. It would be wonderful if the author could be persuaded to produce a similarly detailed overview of America’s small combatants from destroyer escorts down to PT Boats and landing craft.

Author: Mark E. Stille

Available from Osprey Publishing, Oxford, UK.

Web: www.ospreypublishing.com.