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"'The men came from across America, with little in common beyond a strong desire to save their nation. Their personal accounts of valor in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds offer a window into a defining baffle in our nation's history.' - Vern Clark, Admiral, USN
By October 1944, Japan's once-mighty naval power was almost extinguished. But during the American invasion of the Philippines, the Japanese gathered and combined their forces in one last desperate bid for victory. Against them stood the Pacific Fleet of the United States Navy.
With more ships engaged than even in the gargantuan World War I Battle of Jutland - and two hundred thousand men fighting on the sea and in the air - the Battle of Leyte Gulf was a hellish cacophony of cannon fire, murderous strafing airplanes, and deadly explosions. By no means was victory certain, with the Japanese devising and executing a daring strategy that very nearly pierced the heart of America's war machine until they were finally defeated by their relentless and determined foe.
Here, in the words of the men who were there, are dramatic accounts of what really happened at Leyte. Though often overshadowed by other Pacific War engagements, such as Midway or Guadalcanal, the Battle of Leyte Gulf was, and remains, the largest battle in the history of naval warfare."

New York, N.Y., Penguin/New American Library:2005, ISBN 978-0-451-22132-2 (trade paperback)

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"This is a most comprehensive handbook on the United States naval forces in World War II. It is not a history - although naturally it contains much of interest to the historian - it is rather a complete and detailed survey of all the major ships and most support vessels of both the US Navy and Coast Guard. The American fleet during World War II was large and varied ranging from heavy battleships and aircraft carriers to auxiliary craft such as submarine tenders and attack cargo ships. All types and classes have been included in this profusely illustrated reference book.
For each of the ships covered the author lists and describes such details as its specifications, armament, complement, builder, launch date, official naval number and ultimate fate. Wartime alterations and individual war histories of the major ships are given in concise but informative special notes.
The photographs - nearly 400 in total - have been chosen from the extensive official US Navy archive and illustrate a book that has become a standard reference work. The author is a member of the US Naval Institute the World Ship Society (honorary) and the Belgian Nautical Research Association."

Annapolis, Maryland, Naval Institute Press:1965, ISBN 0-87021-773-9 (hardcover) courtesy San Antonio Public Library

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"During World War II the United States built three types of aircraft carriers, the Essex class heavy fleet carriers (CVs), the Independence class light carriers converted from cruisers (CVLs), and escort carriers, converted from merchant or tanker hulls (CVEs). The 24 ships of the Essex class were not remarkable for any great design innovation, but essentially for being in the right place at the right time, and for doing well the task history gave them."

Carrollton, Texas, Squadron/Signal:1997, ISBN 0-89747-373-6 (softcover) Provided by a gift from Jim and Allison Garner

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"Over a thousand pages, embellished with eighteen pages of battle maps and 142 photographs from the National Archives, this is a superb narrative history of mammoth conflict on and in the oceans of the globe. Himself a Navy veteran, S. E. Smith has read prodigiously in the literature of World War II; and, with the complete cooperation of the Navy Department and celebrated contributing authors, he has selected for this book only those illuminating pieces - many of them eyewitness - which preserve for all time the essence of an action or a campaign. More than that, he has so arranged his material, so oredered it with his own succinct, knowledgable introductions and continuity that the work is a unified, free-flowing whole, balanced and comprehensive.
Here, indeed, it all is: Pearl Harbor to the Malay Barrier (Wake Island, the Philippines, the Battle of the Java Sea); the War in the Atlantic (the U-Boats and the Murmansk Run); Doolittle's Raid to the Battle of Midway; Guadalcanal and the Northward Drive; The Mediterranean and France, with victory in Europe; The Aleutians to the Marianas; and, finally, Leyte Gulf, Okinawa and the end of an empire. This is a unique volume, a treasury - and a treasure."

New York, N.Y., William Morrow & Company:1966

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"The Big E was the greatest and best-loved fighting ship in American history. In the years between Pearl Harbor and Okinawa, the USS Enterprise fought in 20 out of 22 major Pacific battles. Her battle scars included Santa Cruz, Kwajalein, Philippine Sea, Leyte Gulf, Iwo Jima, Okinawa and many others. The Big E was officially credited with downing 911 enemy planes, sinking 71 ships, and damaging almost 200 others."

New York, N. Y., Dell:1962 (paperback)

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"Leyte Gulf was the last of the great naval battles - not only of World War II, but of history. The three-day battle (October 23-25, 1944) resulted in the destruction of the Japanese fleet as an effective fighting force and prepared the way for the American invasion and recapture of the Philippines. Its outcome was in doubt almost until the very end.
The largest naval battle in scale, Leyte Gulf was also the most varied. Every type of military vessel and aircraft took part in the conflict, including powerful battleships and aircraft carriers, cruisers, destroyers, submarines, interceptor fighters, and "suicide planes". From this decisive battle, the world's navies would discover the vital importance of the aircraft carrier, ending the dominance of the battleship as the major weapon at sea.
In this dramatic and detailed account of the Battle of Leyte Gulf, Adrian Stewart examines the differing aims and outlooks of the American and Japanese commanders, as well as the crucial decisions made on both sides. He focuses on the battle's intriguing puzzles and makes the reader feel a part of an important episode in naval history."

New York, N.Y., Charles Scribner's Sons:1980 (hardcover)

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