Storm Over Leyte: The Philippine Invasion and the Destruction of the Japanese Navy

by John Prados

Overview

The story of the Battle of Leyte Gulf in World War II—the greatest naval battle in history.  
 
As Allied ships prepared for the invasion of the Philippine island of Leyte, every available warship, submarine and airplane was placed on alert while Japanese admiral Kurita Takeo stalked Admiral William F. Halsey’s unwitting American armada. It was the beginning of the epic Battle of Leyte Gulf—the greatest naval battle in history.
 
In Storm Over Leyte, acclaimed historian John Prados gives readers an unprecedented look at both sides of this titanic naval clash, demonstrating that, despite the Americans’ overwhelming superiority in firepower and supplies, the Japanese achieved their goal, inflicting grave damage on U.S. forces. And for the first time, readers will have access to the naval intelligence reports that influenced key strategic decisions on both sides.
 
Drawing upon a wealth of untapped sources—U.S. and Japanese military records, diaries, declassified intelligence reports and postwar interrogation transcripts—Prados offers up a masterful narrative of naval conflict on an epic scale.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780698185760
Publisher:	Penguin Publishing Group
Publication date:	07/05/2016
Sold by:	Penguin Group
Format:	eBook
Pages:	400
Sales rank:	835,734
File size:	29 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Dr. John Prados was a Senior Research Fellow on national security, including foreign affairs, intelligence, and military subjects, at the National Security Archive. He directed the Archive's Iraq Documentation Project, as well as its Vietnam Project. He held a Ph.D. in International Relations from Columbia University. His books Unwinnable War, Keepers of the Keys (on the National Security Council) and Combined Fleet Decoded (on intelligence in the Pacific in World War II) were each nominated for the Pulitzer Prize. He published articles with Vanity Fair, The Journal of American History, Scientific American, MHQ: The Quarterly Journal of Military History, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post,  and The Boston Globe.

Editorial Reviews

YA Four novels published between 1977 and 1982. In Rage , a high-school student goes berserk in the classroom, killing the teacher and holding the class hostage. Set in a militaristic ultra-conservative America, The Long Walk pits 100 teenagers against each other in a grueling 450-mile marathon walk in which the penalty is death. Roadwork is a novel of societal conflict, man vs. progress. The first three thrillers, while entertaining and gripping, occasionally suffer from unfocused and uneven writing. Unresolved questions cause them to be somewhat unsatisfying. However the fourth novel, The Running Man , in the tradition of Philip K. Dick's Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (NAL, 1968; o.p.), is an action-packed futuristic romp. Protagonist Ben Richards bets his life on a TV show in order to win the money to save the life of his deathly ill daughter. The story combines social commentary, adventure and science fiction, set against the backdrop of a decaying society. This one novel is well worth the price of the book. The name Stephen King, plus the four-novels-in-one packaging guarantees this volume's success. Bet you can't buy just one copy! John Lawson, Fairfax County Public Lib., Va.

School Library Journal

05/09/2016
In this well-researched and detailed account, Prados (Islands of Destiny), an experienced historian and professional intelligence analyst, examines the Battle of Leyte Gulf, the largest naval battle of WWII, which resulted in the destruction of the Japanese fleet as an effective combat force. Prados writes through the prism of an intelligence professional and focuses two thirds of the work on the battle’s strategic setting as the opposing sides analyzed intelligence and attempted to interpret each other’s intentions. The opening sections can be difficult reading, but in the fast-paced final third, Prados paints a clear and exciting picture of the major naval engagements themselves. The strongest part of the book is Prados’s description of the U.S. intelligence apparatus that meticulously tracked the Japanese military’s communications, leveraging a small army of brilliant linguists, radio operators, cryptologists, and analysts. The work is exceedingly balanced and provides detailed portraits of the personalities of the Japanese commanders, their understanding of events, and their decision-making processes. This is not a book for the casual reader of WWII or naval history; its nuanced approach and new facts and analysis will be of greatest interest to serious naval historians. Agent: Michael Congdon, Don Congdon Associates. (July)

Publishers Weekly

Praise for Storm Over Leyte

“A book every serious World War II student will want.”—Kirkus

“The strongest part of the book is Prados’s description of the U.S. intelligence apparatus that meticulously tracked the Japanese military’s communications, leveraging a small army of brilliant linguists, radio operators, cryptologists, and analysts. The work is exceedingly balanced and provides detailed portraits of the personalities of the Japanese commanders, their understanding of events, and their decision-making processes.”—Publishers Weekly

“A narrative filled with new information, Storm Over Leyte clears new ground, reminding us that there were two sides in the Pacific War. John Prados shows us how U.S. and Japanese intelligence decisions influenced the Battle of Leyte Gulf, allowing the Japanese to accomplish their naval goals. Burrowing into hitherto unknown intelligence reports, Prados has provided readers with an unprecedented look at the war within the war in the Pacific Campaign. This is a must read.”—Mark Perry, Author of The Most Dangerous Man in America: The Making of Douglas MacArthur

“Aircraft on suicide missions, ignoring intelligence, unreliable sources—9/11?  No, the battle of Leyte, history’s greatest naval fight. In Storm Over Leyte, premiere military historian John Prados, armed with reams of newly uncovered documents, provides a box-seat view of both sides of the infamous conflict. And along the way, he also shows that intelligence failures began long before 9/11.”—James Bamford, Author of The Shadow Factory: The Ultra-Secret NSA from 9/11 to the Eavesdropping on America
 
“Once again, John Prados has given us an essential study of events we thought we knew well, blending dynamic narration with insight and fine analysis to create the best study of this critical battle yet.”—Theodore F. Cook, PhD, Coauthor of Japan at War: An Oral History

“Prados constructs battle narratives that are fluid, dramatic, and engaging.”—Naval History

From the Publisher

2016-05-08
An in-depth study of the clash of the Japanese and Allied navies in Leyte Gulf, possibly the greatest naval battle of the 20th century.Veteran military historian Prados (The U.S. Special Forces: What Everyone Needs to Know, 2015, etc.) has researched both U.S. and Japanese intelligence reports from the era, giving unusual insight into the decision-making on both sides. The Philippine invasion was a key step in the Allied strategy of securing bases for what was expected to be an invasion of the Japanese homeland. It was also one of Gen. Douglas MacArthur's cherished goals, recapturing territory he had lost to the Japanese after Pearl Harbor. Meanwhile, the Japanese, reeling from a series of defeats by U.S. forces, decided to throw everything into a decisive naval battle, hoping to lay the ground for a negotiated peace. Prados goes into great detail on the buildup and planning on both sides, with particularly close looks at the intelligence reports available to the planners. The Japanese plans were practically "an open book to the U.S." On the other hand, the Japanese knew enough to avoid being caught off guard, though they were hampered by having to protect several likely targets. Prados points to mistakes on both sides, notably U.S. Adm. William Halsey's taking the bait of a Japanese decoy maneuver that lured his carriers away from the main battle. In the end, while both navies took substantial damage, the Japanese navy was all but obliterated. Some readers may find the author's buildup to the battle itself a bit long; it's nearly halfway through the book before the first ship-to-ship combat, submarine attacks that sank two Japanese cruisers on the way to Leyte. Other readers may wish for a list of key personnel, especially on the Japanese side, early in the book. While casual readers may be put off, this is still a valuable resource, with a wealth of detail on all aspects of the battle. A book every serious World War II student will want.

Kirkus Reviews