"The Epic Tale of the U.S. Special Forces Raid on Hell's Island During World War II: Stephen L. Moore"

Kindle Customer: Very interesting, in-depth book of the early Navy build-up and action. The author used his research to be able to write the book in a first person type account. I took much longer to read the book because there was so detail that I had not found in other books on this subject.

United States on Nov 10, 2023

Donald P Quillman: As a kid, I inherited my father’s cousins aircraft identification book that dated from the early forties.I spent hours memorizing the silhouettes of American and Japanese planes. This book helped revive those memories and filled in with details what my young imagination lacked so many years ago. A great read about the ships, planes and men who fought our nations war during desperate times. I’ll probably read it again! Thank you Stephen Moore!

United States on Jun 11, 2023

Manach christian: Histoire très bien détaillée qui montre le vrai héroïsme de cette petite poignée d' aviateurs qui malgré des conditions de vie quelquefois à la limite ont arrêté l avance japonaise dans le Pacifique et à Guadalcanal.

France on Mar 31, 2022

Marc L. Tavasci: After reading the author's book on Midway, I was excited to hear this one was coming out as I found his Midway book to be really excellent. This one didn't live up to that standard for me, unfortunately. Way, way too many names to keep track of as he provided the name of each and every pilot and gunner for somewhere in the neighborhood of 200 American dive bombers. After awhile, the names all became a jumbled glob in my brain and I just sort of passed over them as I read.

I think the idea for this story is a good one, but by limiting it to just the dive bombers I feel a good portion of the story is lost. Speaking of the story, it takes almost half the book before we get to Hell's Island, aka Guadalcanal. Way too much time spent on the early part of the war since the book is marketed as a book on Guadalcanal, but the author was trying to set up some background. Just wish he hadn't taken so long to get to the main part of the book because I was beginning to get fatigued by all the names and the mad jumble of units which are mentioned in the narrative.

For those of you who like oral history, this book is full of personal quotes and stories from many of the aviators...

United States on Nov 21, 2017

K.Liscum: arrived yesterday

Canada on Oct 01, 2017

Terrell Dempsey: I would have rated this book higher, but I felt that the author included a little too much information. I frankly wasn't interested in full rosters of the navy units involved and would have stuck them in the back of the book. The excessive detail got in the way of the story and I couldn't keep up with all of the names the author tosses about. It reads like a Civil War unit history published in the 1890s for sale to survivors of those units. I would consider it a supplementary read and suggest you have a pretty strong background on Guadalcanal and the war in the Pacific before you pick this up. If your father or grandfather flew with these guys it would be delightful to see his name in print and you should buy a copy.

United States on Sep 28, 2017

Jeffrey T. Munson: In June, 1942, the American Navy had defeated a superior Japanese force at the Battle of Midway, sinking four of Japan's front-line aircraft carriers. Now, in August, 1942, the Japanese had begun construction of an airfield on the island of Guadalcanal in the Solomon islands. If this airfield was completed, the Japanese would be able to harass American supply lines to Australia and the surrounding areas.

On August 7, 1942, American forces invaded the island in their first amphibious campaign of the war. The unfinished airfield was captured and named Henderson field in honor of a Marine pilot killed at Midway. Soon, American planes began operating from Henderson field.

These fliers became known as the Cactus Air Force. Often flying against superior forces, these pilots helped their Marine brethren on the ground. Many of these pilots were displaced from American aircraft carriers. During the course of the six-month-long battle, these fearless pilots destroyed scores of Japanese planes and helped sink numerous Japanese ships. Without the heroic action of these pilots, Guadalcanal might very well have been won by the Japanese.

Author Stephen L. Moore has written...

United States on Dec 15, 2015