The Longest Battle: The War at Sea 1939-1945

For those who fought at sea in World War II, the battle never ceased. Danger lurked twenty-four hours a day; the threat from the skies, from beneath the ocean and from the more traditional warship’s gun was always present. It was a war that demanded more of its sailors than any other war in history, in endurance and the unremitting need to face danger—danger from increasingly lethal weapons and an ever increasing need for vigilance by night and day. The battles themselves proved to be the most grueling in naval history. Written by a highly qualified naval historian, The Longest Battle is a succinct and lively one volume history of the strategies and the actions in which the navies of the Allied and Axis powers were involved in World War II. Presented as a continuous, world-embracing narrative, it includes every category of naval conflict and views the war in personal, individual terms as experienced by those who planned and participated in the naval actions. Covering all the major confrontations fought on every ocean on earth as well as many lesser-known but important battles, including U-boat warfare in the Atlantic and bitter sea battles in the Mediterranean, The Longest Battle provides new insights into these engagements from German and Japanese records. With special emphasis placed upon the United States Navy and its significance in the global strategy of the war at sea, The Longest Battle is sure to appeal to American sailors as well as historians and all those interested in naval history and World War II. A lively one-volume history of the strategies and actions in which the navies of the Allied and Axis powers were involved in World War II, covering every category of naval conflict and presenting views of the war that will help veterans understand the meaning of campaigns in which they served. 32 pages of black-and-white photographs.