Storm Over Leyte: The Philippine Invasion and the Destruction of the Japanese Navy by John Prados | eBook

The story of the Battle of Leyte Gulf in World War II—the greatest naval battle in history.

As Allied ships prepared for the invasion of the Philippine island of Leyte, every available warship, submarine and airplane was placed on alert while Japanese admiral Kurita Takeo stalked Admiral William F. Halsey’s unwitting American armada. It was the beginning of the epic Battle of Leyte Gulf—the greatest naval battle in history.

In Storm Over Leyte, acclaimed historian John Prados gives readers an unprecedented look at both sides of this titanic naval clash, demonstrating that, despite the Americans’ overwhelming superiority in firepower and supplies, the Japanese achieved their goal, inflicting grave damage on U.S. forces. And for the first time, readers will have access to the naval intelligence reports that influenced key strategic decisions on both sides.

Drawing upon a wealth of untapped sources—U.S. and Japanese military records, diaries, declassified intelligence reports and postwar interrogation transcripts—Prados offers up a masterful narrative of naval conflict on an epic scale.

Publishers Weekly

05/09/2016
In this well-researched and detailed account, Prados (Islands of Destiny), an experienced historian and professional intelligence analyst, examines the Battle of Leyte Gulf, the largest naval battle of WWII, which resulted in the destruction of the Japanese fleet as an effective combat force. Prados writes through the prism of an intelligence professional and focuses two thirds of the work on the battle’s strategic setting as the opposing sides analyzed intelligence and attempted to interpret each other’s intentions. The opening sections can be difficult reading, but in the fast-paced final third, Prados paints a clear and exciting picture of the major naval engagements themselves. The strongest part of the book is Prados’s description of the U.S. intelligence apparatus that meticulously tracked the Japanese military’s communications, leveraging a small army of brilliant linguists, radio operators, cryptologists, and analysts. The work is exceedingly balanced and provides detailed portraits of the personalities of the Japanese commanders, their understanding of events, and their decision-making processes. This is not a book for the casual reader of WWII or naval history; its nuanced approach and new facts and analysis will be of greatest interest to serious naval historians. Agent: Michael Congdon, Don Congdon Associates. (July)

From the Publisher

Praise for Storm Over Leyte

“A book every serious World War II student will want.”—Kirkus

“The strongest part of the book is Prados’s description of the U.S. intelligence apparatus that meticulously tracked the Japanese military’s communications, leveraging a small army of brilliant linguists, radio operators, cryptologists, and analysts. The work is exceedingly balanced and provides detailed portraits of the personalities of the Japanese commanders, their understanding of events, and their decision-making processes.”—Publishers Weekly

“A narrative filled with new information, Storm Over Leyte clears new ground, reminding us that there were two sides in the Pacific War. John Prados shows us how U.S. and Japanese intelligence decisions influenced the Battle of Leyte Gulf, allowing the Japanese to accomplish their naval goals. Burrowing into hitherto unknown intelligence reports, Prados has provided readers with an unprecedented look at the war within the war in the Pacific Campaign. This is a must read.”—Mark Perry, Author of The Most Dangerous Man in America: The Making of Douglas MacArthur

“Aircraft on suicide missions, ignoring intelligence, unreliable sources—9/11? No, the battle of Leyte, history’s greatest naval fight. In Storm Over Leyte, premiere military historian John Prados, armed with reams of newly uncovered documents, provides a box-seat view of both sides of the infamous conflict. And along the way, he also shows that intelligence failures began long before 9/11.”—James Bamford, Author of The Shadow Factory: The Ultra-Secret NSA from 9/11 to the Eavesdropping on America

“Once again, John Prados has given us an essential study of events we thought we knew well, blending dynamic narration with insight and fine analysis to create the best study of this critical battle yet.”—Theodore F. Cook, PhD, Coauthor of Japan at War: An Oral History

“Prados constructs battle narratives that are fluid, dramatic, and engaging.”—Naval History

Kirkus Reviews

2016-05-08
An in-depth study of the clash of the Japanese and Allied navies in Leyte Gulf, possibly the greatest naval battle of the 20th century.Veteran military historian Prados (The U.S. Special Forces: What Everyone Needs to Know, 2015, etc.) has researched both U.S. and Japanese intelligence reports from the era, giving unusual insight into the decision-making on both sides. The Philippine invasion was a key step in the Allied strategy of securing bases for what was expected to be an invasion of the Japanese homeland. It was also one of Gen. Douglas MacArthur's cherished goals, recapturing territory he had lost to the Japanese after Pearl Harbor. Meanwhile, the Japanese, reeling from a series of defeats by U.S. forces, decided to throw everything into a decisive naval battle, hoping to lay the ground for a negotiated peace. Prados goes into great detail on the buildup and planning on both sides, with particularly close looks at the intelligence reports available to the planners. The Japanese plans were practically "an open book to the U.S." On the other hand, the Japanese knew enough to avoid being caught off guard, though they were hampered by having to protect several likely targets. Prados points to mistakes on both sides, notably U.S. Adm. William Halsey's taking the bait of a Japanese decoy maneuver that lured his carriers away from the main battle. In the end, while both navies took substantial damage, the Japanese navy was all but obliterated. Some readers may find the author's buildup to the battle itself a bit long; it's nearly halfway through the book before the first ship-to-ship combat, submarine attacks that sank two Japanese cruisers on the way to Leyte. Other readers may wish for a list of key personnel, especially on the Japanese side, early in the book. While casual readers may be put off, this is still a valuable resource, with a wealth of detail on all aspects of the battle. A book every serious World War II student will want.

Storm Over Leyte: The Philippine Invasion and the Destruction of the Japanese Navy

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