USN Cruiser vs IJN Cruiser: Guadalcanal 1942

(Paperback)

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Description

Although the war in the Pacific is usually considered a carrier war, it was the cruisers that dominated the early fighting. This thrilling duel presents the cruiser clashes during the battles for Guadacanal , highlighting the Battle of Savo Island and the Battle of Cape Esperance. The first was a Japanese victory that resulted in the loss of four Allied cruisers. However, in the latter, the Americans managed to turn the tables despite the battle being fought throughout the night. This book presents a view of the design and development of the opposing weapons systems, illustrated with newly commissioned digital artwork. It uses firsthand accounts to bring the battles to life and explain why the Americans suffered early on, but eventually had their revenge.

Reviews

"This book does not disappoint in detailed descriptions and contemporary black and white photos of the various classes of these scouts for the fleet. There are also several beautifully rendered color plates of artist's depictions at various stages of the covered battles. The illustrators are the well known Howard Gerrard and Paul Wright. From this modeler's perspective, I recommend this book." --Ned Ricks, IPMS/USA (December 2009)

"These cruisers were what is known as 'Treaty Ships' developed at a time when it was felt that a limit on the size and number of ships would prevent an all out spiraling of weapons costs amongst those nations who were involved. It is with these ships that the US and Japan went to war. In this edition, author Mark Stille looks at the design and development of these ships on both sides... It is a book that I thoroughly enjoyed reading and is one that I know you will find a delight as well." --Scott Van Aken, Modeling Madness, www.modelingmadness.com (October 2009)

"A solid pick for such [military history] collections... Mark Stille's USN Cruiser vs IJN Cruiser: Guadalcanal 1942, telling of the US Navy's first major amphibious offensive." --The Bookwatch (January 2010)

"...fully illustrated with original artwork and rare photographs." --Wonderpedia

Author Bio

Mark E. Stille (Commander, United States Navy, retired) received his BA in history from the University of Maryland and also holds an MA from the Naval War College. He has worked in the intelligence community for 30 years including tours on the faculty of the Naval War College, on the Joint Staff and on US Navy ships. He is currently a senior analyst working in the Washington DC area. He is the author of numerous Osprey titles, focusing on naval history in the Pacific. He is also the author of several wargames. Howard Gerrard studied at the Wallasey School of Art and has been a freelance designer and illustrator for over 20 years. He has worked for a number of publishers and is an associate member of the Guild of Aviation Artists. He has won both the Society of British Aerospace Companies Award and the Wilkinson Sword Trophy and has illustrated a number of books for Osprey including Campaign 69: Nagashino 1575 and Campaign 72: Jutland 1916. Howard lives and works in Kent, and completed the battlescene and cover artwork for this volume. Paul Wright has painted ships of all kinds for most of his career, specialising in steel and steam warships from the late 19th century to the present day. Pauls art has illustrated the works of Patrick OBrien, Dudley Pope and C.S. Forester amongst others, and hangs in many corporate and private collections all over the world. An Associate Member of the Royal Society of Marine Artists, Paul lives and works in Surrey, and completed the gunsight views for this volume.