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War at Sea: A Naval History of World War II Paperback – January 30, 1997

by Nathan Miller (Author)
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 44 ratings
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History records few more gripping dramas than the naval history of World War II. It was the last great sea war, but in the half century since the final battles of that struggle, the conflict has receded into the past. Narvik, the Battle of the Atlantic, Midway, and the Philippine Sea are to the current generation as remote as Waterloo and Gettysburg. In War at Sea, Nathan Miller brings the story of these monumental events--and the achievements, suffering, and heroism of those who served at sea during World War II--to the attention of readers who have only a nodding acquaintance with it. In doing so, he illuminates in dramatic fashion the costly mistakes and the blunders, the great skill and courage of the Allied commanders, tactical leaders, and enlisted men that denied the Axis powers victory.
From the sinking of the British passenger liner Athenia on September 3, 1939, by a German U-boat (against orders), to the Japanese surrender on board the Missouri, on September 2, 1945, War at Sea covers every major naval battle of World War II in one fascinating volume. In gripping detail, Miller recounts the major operations of the British, German, American, Japanese, Italian, Canadian, and Russian navies. Based on recently released Ultra intelligence information the Allies procured from their deciphering of coded messages passed by their enemies, ship logs, official reports, interviews with surviving servicemen, and personal accounts and anecdotes from the men who manned the ships and the aircraft, Miller gives a human face to the daily routine of life at sea--from being torpedoed to living in the confines of a submarine for weeks at a time. Miller also details the political and historical backgrounds of each navy and analyzes the strategies of the combatants. He goes on to show how new technology, such as aircraft carriers and submarines, pushed aside the battleship and changed the course of the war and modern warfare.
Too often today, war is viewed as a bloodless computer game complete with "smart" bombs, guided missiles, and "surgical strikes." In reality, war is about death. It is a mixture of boredom, exhaustion, and sudden and terrifying moments of horror. This is particularly true of war at sea. One minute a ship can be steaming peacefully on a calm ocean; in the next it can be ripped apart by torpedoes with its crew fighting for their lives in a cauldron of flaming oil or scalding steam. War at Sea tells the true story of naval warfare during World War II, capturing the drama, suspense, and narrow triumph of the Allied forces in the great battle to secure the seas.
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Previous page
  1. Print length
    608 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Oxford University Press
  4. Publication date
    January 30, 1997
  5. Dimensions
    9.22 x 1.11 x 6.11 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0195110382
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0195110388
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Lively, informative, and richly textured....Well-researched and well-written, this is both an excellent reference volume and an engaging naval history that is a pleasure to read."--Sea Power

"Finally, a one-volume naval history of World War II that does justice to the enormous scope and detail of the subject. Entertaining, insightful, and a damn good read."--James F. Dunnigan, author of A Quick and Dirty Guide to War and How to Make War

"The general reader and specialist alike should set aside Samuel Eliot Morison and all the others and just devour Nathan Miller's classic tale of the navies of World War II."--Kenneth J. Hagan, U.S. Naval Academy and author of This People's Navy: The Making of American Sea Power

"This excellent naval history of WWII proves that it hasn't all been said....The book is remarkably alive and brings out in dramatic relief the problems that confronted commanders at sea on both sides in this conflict to dominate the world's oceans. And miller illustrates these problems with vivid on-deck reporting, drawing on the experiences of the men who were there."--Sea History

"A book that is as captivating and intriguing as a novel."--Library Journal

"With authoritative analysis, and in one volume, Miller majestically relates the history of the last great sea war for the general reader....Sweeping....Compelling."--Publishers Weekly

"Nathan Miller's long-awaited War at Sea does what no other book has done--it captures the worldwide ocean conflict in one sweeping narrative. This book puts the reader in the action, from the dank, interiors of U-boats tracking convoys in the Atlantic to the cockpits of divebombers closing in on Japan. Miller ties it all together with authoritative analysis; not only what the admirals did, but why, and what their decisions meant. This is the best single-volume naval history I have ever read."--Ernest B. Furgurson, author of Chancellorsville: 1863

"Fifty years after the last torpedo was fired, we finally have a history worth of the men who fought, suffered, and died in the greatest sea war history will ever know. The general reader and specialist alike should set aside Samuel Eliot Morison and all the others and just devour Nathan Miller's classic tale of the navies of World War II. It's all here; grand strategies, warring personalities, conflicting tactics, imperfect technologies, U-boats, convoys, battleships and amphibians."--Kenneth J. Hagan, U.S. Naval Academy and author of This People's Navy: The Making of American Sea Power

"Nathan Miller has completed a very difficult task, that of compressing the naval history of World War II into a single volume. His research is extensive and impecable, and all of the details of the story of each component of the war are carefully integrated. In addition many personal incidents and viewpoints have been inserted to make this history very readable. This is a first-rate work and is the best history of its kind yet written."--Vice Admiral William P. Mack, USN (Ret.), author of The Naval Officers Guide and Pursuit of the Seawolf

"Finally, a one-volume naval history of World War II that does justice to the enormous scope and detail of the subject. A personal account portrayed against a vast canvas. Entertaining, insightful, and a damn good read."--James F. Dunnigan, author of A Quick and Dirty Guide to War and How to Make War

"Nathan Miller's War at Sea is superb: comprehensive and balanced in scope, fair and measured in judgement, and full of colorful and textured detail to bring alive the tale of the greatest sea conflict in history. This should become the standard popular history of World War II."--Richard B. Frank, author of Guadalcanal: The Definitive Account of the Landmark Battle

"War at Sea is history at its most entertaining and informative, and its fresh details will be a welcome surprise to naval history buffs who think they know the full story. Naval operations are fitted neatly into the overall story of World War II. The book is so comprehensive yet so finely crafted that it reminds me of a beautiful model of a ship of the line."--Vice Admiral George P. Steele (Ret.), former Commander of the Seventh Fleet, U.S. Navy

"Excellent, well-written--just the right amount of detail. Readable and informative."--Arthur L. Johnson, SUNY-Potsdam

Book Description

"As captivating and intriguing as a novel."--Library Journal

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Oxford University Press; Reprint edition (January 30, 1997)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 608 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0195110382
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0195110388
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.83 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 9.22 x 1.11 x 6.11 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 44 ratings

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Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3 out of 5
44 global ratings
Came marked and broken binding
1 Star
Came marked and broken binding
This book was supposed to be new but came with a marker mark on bottom pages and broken binding. Very disappointed. Too much trouble to have to go take to be returned and cost half the cost of book to have picked up for a return that will be destroyed anyway. Waste.
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Top reviews from the United States

alex wilson
5.0 out of 5 stars Best yet
Reviewed in the United States on August 27, 2013
Verified Purchase
I have been a WW II buff for ~ 40 years and have read lots of reports of battles and leaders but this one-volumn survey covered and tied together the whole sweep of naval events (with timeline references to on-land events). Many influences revealed as well as lesser known clashes, especially in the Pacific. The personalities and their motives for resource allocations brought light to many whys and whens of events. It helped put some nominal heros under illumation for ego and bias decisions that were not in the interest of the overall goals of defeating Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan (may I mention MacArthur and Churchill here?) and elevated some leaders to more appropriate status (Adms. King and Nimitz). I am grateful to Nathan Miller for this book.
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Craig MACKINNON
4.0 out of 5 stars Easy reading, good coverage for a 1-volume history
Reviewed in the United States on October 8, 2001
Verified Purchase
As a 1-volume history of the naval war in all theatres in WWII, this book can by no means be complete or in-depth. However, if you read this book as an introduction to naval warfare, or as a look at the "big picture", this volume does the job very well. It is easy to read, informative, touches on virtually all the important events, and keeps up a good pace. Of course, certain events are relegated to mere footnotes, including the Dieppe raid and the loss of USS Indianapolis (where most of the deaths were from sharks and exposure, not enemy activity) in the interest of timing and length. However, Miller usually points the way to further readings in such cases, if the reader wants to know more. There is an extensive notes section at the end of the book divided by chapter, listing many primary sources, which gives the book a good deal of credibility.
His analysis is generally brief as well, which is ideal for a book of this type, where pace important. This doesn't mean it's any less insightful, however. He convincingly argues that the use of the atomic bomb was a strategic, war-ending measure, not just an attempt to scare the Soviet Union; that the refusal of the Japanese to withdraw skilled pilots to train the next generation was a fatal error; and that the industrial might of the combined allies was too much for the Axis - they had to win in the first couple of years or be ultimately worn out. Another important point in praise of this book is the way Miller is careful to point out the involvement of the so-called minor allies. For example, by 1945, Canada had the 3rd largest navy in the world, but because the RCN primarily participated in the Battle of the Atlantic, they get ignored by historians who get caught up in Big Events storytelling. Miller is always very careful to point out these countries' contributions.
Unfortunately, there are a few quibbling points that drop the book to 4 stars. First, the maps are conveniently located together at the back of the book, but are never referred to in the text, and are often of too large an area to be useful. For example, a lot of space is devoted to amphibious operations on Guadalcanal, Okinawa, etc., but these islands are merely dots on a "Pacific theatre" map. Even a 1/4 page sketch per island would have been very helpful. Secondly, Miller seems to have a vendetta against Winston Churchill - he is always quick to ridicule Churchill's wild ideas, but never to give credit to his good ones, instead saying, "The British wanted ...." Finally, there's an occasional confusion, such as mixing up the British cruisers Dorsetshire (that sunk the Bismark) and Devonshire.
These quibbles do not really detract from the overall enjoyment of the book, however, and it's recommended for any armchair historian interested in the naval aspects of World War II.
19 people found this helpful
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Texas Tuit
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Naval History
Reviewed in the United States on November 6, 2012
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The War at Sea is an excellent book that give you a thumb nail view of the entire naval action of WW-II without getting bogged down with detailed tactical issues. I enjoyed the many stories and comments from individuals who were part of the action. The only complain I have is the sorry excuse of the maps used as a reference. Great, easy to read overview of WW-II Naval action.
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Chuck
5.0 out of 5 stars A+++
Reviewed in the United States on January 11, 2019
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This book is very informative and well written. The perfect history textbook on the history of one of the toughest times in American history. A+.
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Randen
4.0 out of 5 stars Good book for its purpose
Reviewed in the United States on December 18, 2019
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Great book for its purpose, does tend to be a bit wordy at times, however, that can be overlooked as the information is of great depth.
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Kevin
5.0 out of 5 stars Well worth the read
Reviewed in the United States on March 15, 2013
Verified Purchase
An excellent book. I owned and read a copy some decades ago, but recently wanted to reacquaint myself with the data and the history. Particularly how tumultuous were the relationships between the commanders and how this had a very disastrous affect on the men under them.
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Chuck Davis
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent overview of WWII War at Sea
Reviewed in the United States on December 4, 2018
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Hard to put down the book, excellent overview laced with military strategy.
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KT
1.0 out of 5 stars Came marked and broken binding
Reviewed in the United States on December 24, 2023
Verified Purchase
This book was supposed to be new but came with a marker mark on bottom pages and broken binding. Very disappointed. Too much trouble to have to go take to be returned and cost half the cost of book to have picked up for a return that will be destroyed anyway. Waste.
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KT
1.0 out of 5 stars Came marked and broken binding
Reviewed in the United States on December 24, 2023
This book was supposed to be new but came with a marker mark on bottom pages and broken binding. Very disappointed. Too much trouble to have to go take to be returned and cost half the cost of book to have picked up for a return that will be destroyed anyway. Waste.
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Top reviews from other countries

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Lindsay Brown
5.0 out of 5 stars Well researched read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 28, 2020
Verified Purchase
Well written and informative read. There has clearly been some very good research done. I’ve read a number of books on this topic and this is one of the best. His inclusion of little footnotes with pieces of information makes it an enjoyable read.
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A. Rambal
4.0 out of 5 stars Good
Reviewed in Spain on March 13, 2018
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Too many battles and plenty of information. Some times interesting, other ones tiresome. Readable and enjoyable if you are fond of war ships.
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Steve P
5.0 out of 5 stars he really loved it.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 17, 2016
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Bought this for an old sailor , he really loved it.
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