( 5 reviews )
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( 5 of 5 found this review helpful ) Posted: Mar 20 2007
As a WWII history buff, I have noticed striking differences in emphasis between the services (Army and Navy) in how they recorded their respective histories. The Army created an agency to record its official history (the big green books if you have seen them), while the Navy created no official history (Samuel Eliot Morison wrote an unofficial, less exhaustive history albeit still useful). Similarly, there is a great amount of good biographies, histories, and studies in command of the Generals of WWII (think of Eisenhower, Marshall, MacArthur, and Patton), while similar works of Naval leadership are few and far between. Potter's "Nimitz" is the only biography of that great leader. Spruance also received short shrift in the way of bigraphies (in fairness, neither Nimitz or Spruance would consent to an "official" biography - and both were written after their deaths). Buell's work is the only one studying the leader of the Battle of Midway. Those desiring to advance their knowledge of WWII history will definitely get something out of "The Quiet Warrior," but the book is written primarily for the military professional by a military professional (Buell was a student at the Naval War College when he began "Warrior"). As such, this book is strongest when it delves into the planning of campaigns that Spruance's Fifth Fleet conducted and weakest when it attempts to recount the making of the Admiral. I most enjoyed the chapters discussing Spruance as Chief of Staff for Nimitz, Planning and execution of the Gilberts and Marshalls operations, and that of the Battle of the Philippine Sea. I felt that Buell came up short in his examination of the Naval Academy years, his early shipboard life and lessons that he took from that time, and how he ran his ships. This information is most valuable to the Naval Officer. Also, I felt that "The Quiet Warrior" failed to capture Spruance's thoughts on events of significance in the Pacific Theater that did not directly affect the Admiral. An example is the Typhoon that battered Halsey's Third Fleet after the Battle of Leyte Gulf. We know from Potter's "Nimitz" that the CINC reprimanded Halsey for poor decisions that resulted in the loss of several ships during the Typhoon. Buell makes little mention of the event, that must have been a topic of discussion for Spruance and staff. In this instance, it appears that Buell opted for an incomplete history rather than the possibility of inciting a controversy. I wish that he had pulled the string a bit harder in this case. All told, "The Quiet Warrior" is a great read. It is expecially valuable as a lens for examining the U.S. Navy during the first half of the Twentieth Century and one that I recommend without reservation.
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( 5 of 5 found this review helpful ) Posted: Feb 5 2007
Admiral Raymond Spruance was one of the major naval leaders in the Pacific Theater during World War II, ranking with Halsey in that regard. He was given command of the Fifth Fleet after having served some time as Admiral Chester Nimitz' chief of staff. He was happy to be released from that position and able to serve at sea once more. Spruance is perhaps best known for his role at the Battle of Midway. Halsey came down ill and Spruance was designated as his replacement--even though he had never commanded an aircraft carrier nor had any background in naval aviation. There is some controversy over his decision-making, but, overall, the volume represents him as a sound commander under a greatly ambiguous situation. Later, he also suffered some criticism for his decision making during the Battle of the Philippine Sea. The author of the Introduction notes that (page ix): "Spruance was largely unfamiliar with the intricacies of naval aviation, and carrier operations in particular. Whether or not this lack of specialized experience was detrimental to his handling of a carrier task force in battle is debatable." Overall, the book examines Spruance fairly sympathetically, although Buell, the author, is willing to suggest where difficulties lay, too. The treatment of Spruance after the War is well done, including his stint as Ambassador to the Philippines and President of the Naval War College. All in all, a serviceable biography of one of the more important leaders in the Pacific Theater.
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( 2 of 10 found this review helpful ) Posted: Jul 3 2004
I was always interested in WWII in Pacific, and especially fascinating person for me was Admiral Raymond Spruance. He was almost a mystical figure, cold-blooded, closed genius. This book is first that gave me a bit more light to this person, and picture is a bit less fascinating. Anyway, this book leaves almost no open questions. Spruance was as he was, nothnig more, nothnig less, and Buell doesn't intend to change this.
