Neptune’s Inferno: The U.S. Navy at Guadalcanal - James D. Hornfischer

Written by James D. Hornfischer
Read by Robertson Dean
Format: MP3
Bitrate: 64 Kbps

Publisher: Books on Tape
Release date: January 25, 2011
Duration: 18:38:44

Neptune’s Inferno is at once the most epic and the most intimate account ever written of the contest for control of the seaways of the Solomon Islands, America’s first concerted offensive against the Imperial Japanese juggernaut and the true turning point of the Pacific conflict. This grim, protracted campaign has long been heralded as a Marine victory. Now, with his powerful portrait of the Navy’s sacrifice—three sailors died at sea for every man lost ashore—Hornfischer tells for the first time the full story of the men who fought in destroyers, cruisers, and battleships in the narrow, deadly waters of “Iron bottom Sound.” Here, in brilliant cinematic detail, are the seven major naval actions that began in August of 1942, a time when the war seemed un-winnable and America fought on a shoestring, with the outcome always in doubt. But at Guadalcanal the U.S. proved it had the implacable will to match the Imperial war machine blow for violent blow.

Working from new interviews with survivors, unpublished eyewitness accounts, and newly available documents, Hornfischer paints a vivid picture of the officers and enlisted men who took on the Japanese in America’s hour of need: Vice Admiral William “Bull” Halsey, who took command of the faltering South Pacific Area from his aloof, overwhelmed predecessor and became a national hero; the brilliant Rear Admiral Norman Scott, who died even as he showed his command how to fight and win; Rear Admiral Daniel Callaghan, the folksy and genteel “Uncle Dan,” lost in the strobe-lit chaos of his burning flagship; Rear Admiral Willis Lee, who took vengeance two nights later in a legendary showdown with the Japanese battleship Kirishima; the five Sullivan brothers, all killed in the shocking destruction of the Juneau; and many others, all vividly brought to life.

This is a thrilling achievement from a master historian at the very top of his game.

Narrator Robertson Dean makes the story as interesting as a mystery even though we know the outcome. His voice is assured and authoritative, and his deep, rich baritone conveys the urgency of the mission without becoming frenetic or hurried. As is his style, Dean stays away from overt character voices but provides enough subtle differentiation that we know when someone is speaking. Further, his diction and pacing propel the action forward. R.I.G. (c) AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine