World War II at Sea

Reviews / Votes

Well-written and often original narrative... a very accessible operational and strategic history. * Eric Grove, The Times Literary Supplement * Any reader, whether general or specialist, can pick it up, become immersed in its flowing narrative and energetic prose, and come away with a good general understanding of the war at sea, and the central importance of the maritime dimension to the Anglo-American victory in the West. * Nick Hewitt, Military History * This truly monumental work really does what it says on the label ... A military work of the first order. * Steve Craggs, Northern Echo * Craig L. Symonds has produced a magisterial volume covering the conflict at sea... The multi-award winning Professor Symonds has shown why he is one of the world's leading naval historians in this book... Highly recommended for those who want to know why the sea was so important from 1939 to 1945 and to undertstand the mechanics behind naval operations. * Paul Donnelley * In World War II at Sea, Mr. Symonds does for the naval struggle what Martin Gilbert did for the conflict on land in his The Second World War. A thoroughly enjoyable read, World War II at Sea sweeps its glass across the worlds oceans and deftly recounts battles that shaped the course of history's greatest war. * Wall Street Journal * Craig Symonds is a seaman and historian of the first order. His telling of this Navy Saga is as vast as the oceans themselves and as gloriously detailed as were the battles for them. * Tom Hanks * A scholarly yet extremely accessible work that will be of value to anyone interested in World War II; this will likely be a new standard on the topic. * Library Journal * Sweeping, majestic, and brilliant are the words that come to mind reading World War II at Sea by distinguished naval historian Craig Symonds. This will be the definitive single volume treatment of the enormously critical naval contributions to winning World War II. * Admiral James Stavridis, USN (Ret), Supreme Allied Commander at NATO 2009-2013, Dean of The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University * World War II at Sea somehow manages to distill this entire naval history into a single volume without missing a beat. How Craig Symonds accomplished this while keeping the story interesting and the narrative engaging is a fine feat. This book is a treat! * John Prados, author of Islands of Destiny: The Solomons Campaign and the Eclipse of the Rising Sun * Craig L. Symonds's World War at Sea is a wonderfully ample and invaluable single-volume naval history of the all-hands-on-deck 1939 to 1945 global conflict. All major naval engagements are concisely and brilliantly recounted here. And there are fine assessments of military leaders like Ernest King and Isoroku Yamamoto. My admiration for this book is boundless! * Douglas Brinkley, Professor of History, Rice University, co-author of Driven Patriot: The Life and Times of James Forrestal * Readers will welcome this fine account from a highly qualified guide... A solid storyteller and naval scholar, Symonds mixes politics, strategy, sea battle fireworks, technical details, and personal anecdotes to deliver one of the better single-volume histories of the naval portion of WWII. * Kirkus * World War II at Sea is an effective, well-written account of the war above, on, and below the oceans that draws on both classic and very recent writing to synthesize a single narrative of the entire conflictno small feat. Even experienced readers will find valuable insights about participants, such as Finland and Italy, that are generally neglected. For anyone seeking a one-stop-shop, up-to-date naval history of the period, World War II at Sea is the book to read. * America in WWII *