{"product_id":"the-last-stand-of-the-tin-can-sailors-the-extraordinary-world-war-ii-story-of-the-u-s-navys-finest-hour","title":"The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors: The Extraordinary World War II Story of the U.S. Navy's Finest Hour","description":"\u003cb\u003e\"This will be a fight against overwhelming odds from which survival cannot be expected. We will do what damage we can.\"\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e With these words, Lieutenant Commander Robert W. Copeland addressed the crew of the destroyer escort USS \u003ci\u003eSamuel B. Roberts\u003c\/i\u003e on the morning of October 25, 1944, off the Philippine Island of Samar. On the horizon loomed the mightiest ships of the Japanese navy, a massive fleet that represented the last hope of a staggering empire. All that stood between it and Douglas MacArthur' s vulnerable invasion force were the \u003ci\u003eRoberts\u003c\/i\u003e and the other small ships of a tiny American flotilla poised to charge into history. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e In the tradition of the #1 \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestseller\u003ci\u003e Flags of Our Fathers, \u003c\/i\u003eJames D. Hornfischer paints an unprecedented portrait of the Battle of Samar, a naval engagement unlike any other in U.S. history--and captures with unforgettable intensity the men, the strategies, and the sacrifices that turned certain defeat into a legendary victory. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003ePraise for\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"One of the finest WWII naval action narratives in recent years, this book follows in the footsteps of \u003ci\u003eFlags of Our Fathers\u003c\/i\u003e. . . . Exalting American sailors and pilots as they richly deserve. . . . Reads like a very good action novel.\"\u003cb\u003e--\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"Reads as fresh as tomorrow's headlines. . . . Hornfischer's captivating narrative uses previously classified documents to reconstruct the epic battle and eyewitness accounts to bring the officers and sailors to life.\"\u003cb\u003e--\u003ci\u003eTexas Monthly\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"Hornfischer is a powerful stylist whose explanations are clear as well as memorable. . . . A dire survival-at-sea saga.\"\u003cb\u003e--\u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eDenver Post\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/i\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"In \u003ci\u003eThe Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors, \u003c\/i\u003e James Hornfischer drops you right into the middle of this raging battle, with 5-inch guns blazing, torpedoes detonating and Navy fliers dive-bombing. . . . The overall story of the battle is one of American guts, glory and heroic sacrifice.\"\u003cb\u003e--\u003ci\u003eOmaha World Herald\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eJames D. Hornfischer\u003c\/b\u003e was a writer, literary agent, and book editor. He was the author of the \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestsellers \u003ci\u003eNeptune's Inferno, The Last Stand of the Tin Can Soldiers\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eShip of Ghosts, \u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eThe Fleet at Flood Tide\u003c\/i\u003e, all widely acclaimed accounts of the U.S. Navy in the Pacific during World War II, as well as the upcoming \u003ci\u003eWho Can Hold the Sea\u003c\/i\u003e. His books have received numerous awards, including the Samuel Eliot Morison Award for Distinguished Service and the Naval Historical Foundation Distinguished Service Award. James D. Hornfischer died in 2021.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Bantam","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50606991376658,"sku":"9780553381481","price":17.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_33d7a89a-4a26-4d70-9882-d8570db32bb4.jpg?v=1732302502","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/the-last-stand-of-the-tin-can-sailors-the-extraordinary-world-war-ii-story-of-the-u-s-navys-finest-hour","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}