CANR
WORK TITLE: DOGFIGHT OVER TOKYO
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S): Wukovits, John
BIRTHDATE: 11/3/1944
WEBSITE: http://www.johnwukovits.com/
CITY: Trenton
STATE: MI
COUNTRY:
NATIONALITY: American
LAST VOLUME: CANR 304
http://us.macmillan.com/forcrewandcountry/JohnWukovits
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Born November 3, 1944, in Akron, OH; children: Amy, Julie, Karen.
EDUCATION:Attended Sacred Heart Seminary, Detroit, MI; University of Notre Dame, B.A., 1967; Michigan State University, M.A., 1968.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Military scholar, historian, and educator. Junior high school teacher, 1968-2005. Instytut Historii, Polska Akademia Nauk, Warsaw, Poland, IREX fellow, 1992-95; Centre Nationale des Recherches Scientifiques, Paris, France, fellow, 1994-95; Institut fur die Wissenschaften vom Menschen, Vienna, Austria, fellow, 1996, 2004-05; Harvard University Olin Institute for Strategic Studies, fellow, 1997; Harvard University Center for International Affairs, Academy Scholar, 1998-2001; American Council of Learned Societies, postdoctoral fellow.
MEMBER:Organization of American Historians, Society for Military History, Golf Writers’ Association of America.
AWARDS:Marshall Scholarship, government of the United Kingdom, 1991-94; Oskar Halecki Prize, Polish Institute of Arts and Sciences, 1998, for Nationalism, Marxism, and Modern Central Europe; George Louis Beer Prize, American Historical Association, 2003, and awards from the American Historical Association, American Association for Ukrainian Studies, Przeglad Wschodni, and Marie Curie-Sklodowska University, all for The Reconstruction of Nations; Pro Historia Polonorum Award, 2005, for Sketches from a Secret War; named among Top Young Historians, George Mason University, History News Network, 2005; Institut für die Wissenschaften vom Menschen, multiple winner.
WRITINGS
Contributor to periodicals, including Golf, WWII History, Military Heritage, Naval History, and Michigan Golfer.
SIDELIGHTS
John F. Wukovits is a military scholar, historian, and educator. He taught history at the junior high school level for thirty-seven years while writing dozens of biographies and military history books. After retiring from the school system, he continued writing books and contributed to several golf magazines. In an interview on his home page, Wukovits explained his interest in writing by saying: “I have always enjoyed writing, but I did not seriously look into it until the early 1980s. I read many magazine articles that I thought could have been better written, so I decided to try myself.”
Wukovits published The Encyclopedia of the Winter Olympics in 2001. The book, published in advance of the Winter Games in Salt Lake City, Utah, gives a history of the Olympic sports held in the winter, strategies for the different races, and facts about equipment design and how the different designs affect the performance of the athlete. Wukovits includes quotes from and controversies about certain athletes competing in the games. He also profiles twenty-seven athletes.
Michael McCullough, writing in School Library Journal, commented that “the full-color action photographs, colorful headings and subheadings,” as well as the interesting facts found in the sidebars “are an added bonus and make this book immensely readable and informative.”
In 2003 Wukovits published Oskar Schindler. Wukovits outlines how Oskar Schindler changed from being a greedy businessman into a humanitarian during Nazi Germany’s persecution of the Jews. He also describes Schindler’s connection to Amon Goeth and the Nazi Party and about the making of the Hollywood movie Schindler’s List.
In a School Library Journal review, Leslie Barban described the book as “a good addition to most collections,” noting in particular its “well-placed” photographs in black and white and a text that is both “thorough” and “well-written.”
In 2006 Wukovits published Eisenhower, with a foreword by Wesley K. Clark. Here Wukovits details the life of Dwight D. Eisenhower, the American military general who later became president. He starts from the early years when Eisenhower grew up in extreme poverty. He entered West Point Academy and joined the military but had a difficult time being given command of his own unit. Wukovits explains that Eisenhower’s superiors always recruited him into their units as he was highly respected for his organizational skills. Eisenhower did advance in rank, however, eventually becoming head of the Allied forces of the European front during World War II, NATO supreme commander, and president of the United States.
Brian DeLuca, writing in Library Journal, commented that, despite the abundance of Eisenhower biographies, Wukovits wrote “an accessible if narrowly focused work that will likely inspire readers to find additional works on Eisenhower’s military career.” Booklist contributor Roland Green called the book “a sound introduction” to Eisenhower’s life. Green commented, however, that “some may feel Wukovits falls short in assessing Eisenhower’s strategic gifts.” Rick Baillergeon, writing in History: Review of New Books, called this account an “ideal book for readers desiring to learn the basics on one of history’s most prominent soldiers and leaders,” adding that “it is fast paced and provides novices with just enough pertinent information on Eisenhower that they possess a fundamental knowledge” of the war hero and diplomat. A contributor to Kirkus Reviews remarked that Wukovits “efficiently distilled Eisenhower’s life as a soldier” in this “tightly focused” book. The same critic commented that the book is appropriate “for the general reader looking for a handy guide to Eisenhower’s long, important, and event-filled life in the armed forces.”
Wukovits published Jackie Robinson and the Integration of Baseball that same year. Wukovits highlights the segregation of American baseball at the time and how Jackie Robinson, one of the sport’s most acclaimed players, led the way for a breakdown of the racial barriers in the sport and the country in general. Wukovits covers Robinson’s military career and his performance in the Negro Leagues before being drafted by the Brooklyn Dodgers, and he looks at the discrimination Robinson and his family faced upon the integration of the major leagues.
Marilyn Taniguchi, writing in School Library Journal, remarked that the author does “a credible job of adding historical perspective to a straightforward account of Robinson’s” many accomplishments throughout his life.
Wukovits published a third book in 2006, called One Square Mile of Hell: The Battle for Tarawa. The account tells of a battle of World War II where the American marines fought against the Japanese military on the island of Tarawa. Wukovits explains how the three-day battle was a nearly constant firefight, with the marines acquiring a number of their modern-day amphibious tactics during this battle. He outlines how the Japanese fortifications impressed the Americans and were a major factor in the number of deaths accrued on the American side. Wukovits uses stories and accounts from family members of those Americans who did not survive the battle.
Booklist contributor Green noted that the author provides an “emotional punch with accounts of marines who did not survive.” Green concluded that the book is “a worthwhile battle monograph.”
In 2010, Admiral “Bull” Halsey: The Life and Wars of the Navy’s Most Controversial Commander was published. Halsey was a career navy officer who came from a family of distinguished sea captains. He rose quickly through the navy after the Teddy Roosevelt expansion in the early 1900s, worked with destroyers in World War I, and became the commander of all Pacific aircraft carriers during World War II. He and Admiral Chester Nimitz are largely credited with the major Pacific victories that led to the defeat of the Japanese. In the book, Wukovits chronicles the controversial rise of Halsey and the sea battles he led in military history fashion in the 304-page book.
A contributor to Publishers Weekly opined that Wukovits “fully justifies ‘Bull’ Halsey’s place among America’s greatest admirals.” A Kirkus Reviews contributor related that Admiral “Bull” Halsey is “a workmanlike, solid biography of a significant American military leader.” Green, in a Booklist review, concluded: “Exhaustively researched though not exhausting to read, this is another winner for Wukovits.”
Black Sheep: The Life of Pappy Boyington is a military history in the form of biography. Wukovits’s subject, Gregory “Pappy” Boyington, was the most active and successful U.S. Marine fighter pilot in the Pacific theater during World War II, and Wukovits explores Boyington’s exceptional accomplishments. The author also comments on Boyington’s childhood abuse. His later work with the Flying Tigers in Burma and China and as a Corsair pilot in the South Pacific are outlined as well. According to Wukovits, Boyington did not fit in with the Flying Tigers, but he did well as the head of the Black Sheep Squadron.
Assessing Black Sheep in Word War II, Alex Kershaw stated: “This new biography … is less entertaining than his subject’s own ripping yarn … but it will appeal to serious Marine aviation fans. Wukovits expertly sifts fact from myth and shows why Boyington inspired and infuriated in equal measure.” Green, writing once more in Booklist, was far more impressed, calling the book “a balanced portrait of a not entirely sympathetic protagonist that is certain to engage … the reader’s interest.” As Steven Agoratus pointed out in Air Power History, “the book is comprehensively sourced from original unit records and histories,” and “as a military biography, it joins the ranks of those works that plumb the complex factors that produce great combat leaders.”
With the 2015 military history Hell from the Heavens: The Epic Story of the USS Laffey and World War II’s Greatest Kamikaze Attack, Wukovits explores the role of the military ship USS Laffey in World War II, as well as the general use of naval destroyers. The author offers interviews and profiles of members of the surviving crew, many of whom were teenagers during their service. Through their accounts, Wukovits details the ins and outs of ship routines and naval warfare. From there, the author explains how Japanese pilots would attempt attacks on the ship by flying themselves and their planes into it. The USS Laffey faced such an attack off the coast of Okinawa, when twenty-two planes descended. Six hit the ship, one glanced off it, and five dropped bombs. The ship barely stayed afloat, but only thirty-two men of the 300-plus crew were killed. Wukovits relates the skirmish as well as the aftermath.
Several reviewers praised Hell from the Heavens, and online Open Letters Monthly correspondent Steve Donoghue remarked: “One of Wukovits’ many strengths as a narrative military historian is his easy ability to let his many interviewee’s memories weave into his story, filling it with little details that might get lost in much larger-canvas accounts.” Donoghue went on to note: “The USS Laffey … was finally decommissioned in 1975. She’s now a museum ship in Charleston, North Carolina, where the old men who were once her invincible young gunners tell the story of those amazing eighty minutes to new generations. Those new generations now have this first-rate book as well.” A Kirkus Reviews critic was also impressed, asserting that the book is “for WWII buffs, surely, but also for general readers looking to understand the damage inflicted and the terror inspired by the Japanese suicide squadrons.” Offering further applause on the New York Journal of Books website, Thomas McClung observed: “With many of the Greatest Generation gone now (fewer than thirty of Laffey’s crew survive), it is wise and necessary that these stories be told so that current and future generations can understand the sacrifices that were made in World War II and pay tribute to those who answered the call of duty. … For a well-written story of a truly epic World War II fight, one should not hesitate with this volume. It is highly recommended.”
In 2017 Wukovits published Tin Can Titans: The Heroic Men and Ships of World War II’s Most Decorated Navy Destroyer Squadron. The book highlights the successes of Desron 21 while also chronicling the high price it paid through the personal accounts of the sailors who served in it. Writing in America in WWII, Guy Nasuti mentioned that “Wukovits makes no claim that DesRon 21 single-handedly won the war, but he gives the men that fought in the squadron their due. And despite the grave mistakes Bull Halsey made, putting his faith in the tin can sailors was not one of them.” A contributor to Internet Bookwatch said that the book is “highly recommended … for public and college library nautical and military history collections.” Writing in New York Journal of Books, Thomas McClung stated: “It has been said before, and bears repeating, there are a million stories extant that have yet to see the light of day. Thanks should go not only to those veterans who want their story told before they’re gone but as well to those like John Wukovits who do the telling in a well presented and poignantly human written manner.” Reviewing the book in the Naval History website, Charles Bogart found that “overall, the book is well-written and pulls the reader into the story told. It is interesting to follow the twists and turns of the war as the destroyers of DesRon 21 shift their focus from ship-to-ship action to defense against air attack.” Reviewing Tin Can Titans on the Curled Up with a Good Book website, Barbara Bamberger Scott concluded that “Tin Can Titans is history with humanity, and should be of interest to any current student of Americana, and to any of the fading generations who still have close ties to our last great war.”
Wukovits published Dogfight over Tokyo: The Final Air Battle of the Pacific and the Last Four Men to Die in World War II in 2019. The account recounts the final moments of World War II as a group of twenty Japanese fighters attacked U.S. forces just shortly after Japan officially surrendered. Wukovits highlights the life and service of the last four American men to have lost their lives in this conflict. A contributor to Kirkus Reviews labeled it “an expertly researched addition to the military history/biography genre.” The reviewer insisted that “military buffs will be grateful” for Wukovits’s efforts.
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Air Power History, June 22, 2012, Steven Agoratus, review of Black Sheep: The Life of Pappy Boyington.
America in WWII, April 1, 2017, Guy Nasuti, review of Tin Can Titans: The Heroic Men and Ships of World War It’s Most Decorated Navy Destroyer Squadron, p. 60.
American History, June 1, 2007, Jon Guttman, review of Eisenhower and One Square Mile of Hell: The Battle for Tarawa, p. 70.
Army, July 1, 2007, Cole C. Kingseed, review of Eisenhower, p. 86.
Booklist, August 1, 2006, Roland Green, review of One Square Mile of Hell, p. 35; November 15, 2006, Roland Green, review of Eisenhower, p. 22; June 1, 2009, Roland Green, review of American Commando: Evans Carlson, His WWII Marine Raiders, and America’s First Special Forces Mission, p. 20; June 1, 2010, Roland Green, review of Admiral “Bull” Halsey: The Life and Wars of the Navy’s Most Controversial Commander, p. 20; May 1, 2011, Roland Green, review of Black Sheep, p. 62.
History: Review of New Books, September 22, 2006, Rick Baillergeon, review of Eisenhower.
Journal of American History, December 1, 1996, Bernard D. Cole, review of Devotion to Duty: A Biography of Admiral Clifton A.F. Sprague, p. 1069.
Journal of Military History, April 1, 1998, Eric C. Rust, review of Devotion to Duty, p. 437; October 1, 2004, Robert J. Cressman, review of Pacific Alamo: The Battle for Wake Island, p. 1286.
Kirkus Reviews, September 1, 2006, review of Eisenhower, p. 897; May 1, 2010, review of Admiral “Bull” Halsey; November 15, 2012, review of For Crew and Country: The Inspirational True Story of Bravery and Sacrifice aboard the USS Samuel B. Roberts; February 15, 2015, review of Hell from the Heavens: The Epic Story of the USS Laffey and World War II’s Greatest Kamikaze Attack; June 15, 2019, review of Dogfight over Tokyo: The Final Air Battle of the Pacific and the Last Four Men to Die in World War II.
Library Journal, September 15, 2003, review of Pacific Alamo, p. 72; October 15, 2006, Brian DeLuca, review of Eisenhower, p. 70.
Marine Corps Gazette, December 1, 2003, Keith F. Kopets, review of Pacific Alamo, p. 45.
Publishers Weekly, May 3, 2010, review of Admiral “Bull” Halsey, p. 40; November 19, 2012, review of For Crew and Country, p. 48.
Reference & Research Book News, February 1, 2004, review of Pacific Alamo, p. 29.
School Library Journal, November 1, 2001, Michael McCullough, review of The Encyclopedia of the Winter Olympics, p. 190; March 1, 2003, Leslie Barban, review of Oskar Schindler, p. 258; March 1, 2007, Marilyn Taniguchi, review of Jackie Robinson and the Integration of Baseball, p. 236; September 1, 2007, Linda L. Plevak, review of Ellen Ochoa: First Female Hispanic Astronaut, p. 218.
Sea Power, September 1, 2003, Sherry L. Gardner, review of Pacific Alamo, p. 43.
World War II, March 1, 2007, Robert Citino, review of Eisenhower, p. 61; November 1, 2011, Alex Kershaw, review of Black Sheep, p. 76.
ONLINE
Curled Up with a Good Book, http://www.curledup.com/ (July 21, 2019), Barbara Bamberger Scott, review of Tin Can Titans.
Historynet, https://www.historynet.com/ (March 22, 2017), Claire Barrett, author interview.
Internet Bookwatch, http://www.midwestbookreview.com/ (April 1, 2017), review of Tin Can Titans.
John F. Wukovits website, http://www.johnwukovits.com (July 21, 2019).
Naval History website, https://www.navyhistory.org/ (May 11, 2017), Charles Bogart, review of Tin Can Titans.
New York Journal of Books, http://www.nyjournalofbooks.com/ (December 9, 2015), Thomas McClung, review of Hell from the Heavens; (March 13, 2017), Thomas McClung, review of Tin Can Titans.
Open Letters Monthly, http://www.openlettersmonthly.com/ (December 9, 2015), Steve Donoghue, review of Hell from the Heavens.
U.S. Naval Institute website, https://www.usni.org/ (July 21, 2019), author profile.
Additional Information
TEN QUESTIONS WITH
JOHN WUKOVITS
When did you first develop an interest in writing?
I have always enjoyed writing, but I did not seriously look into it until the early 1980s. I read many magazine articles that I thought could have been better written, so I decided to try myself.
Did it take awhile?
A writer knows that one quality needed in abundance is patience—patience in waiting for decisions about acceptance or rejection, patience in seeing your work in print, etc. However, I was fortunate in getting my first national piece published. I called the editor of a history magazine and told her I thought I could write better than the people she currently used. She asked me to prove what I said and handed me an assignment—three typewritten pages on General Henry “Hap” Arnold. I completed it, sent it to her, and she offered me my first contract, an article on Arnold for American History Illustrated.
Did your teaching of junior high school students help or hurt you in your writing?
No doubt that it helped immensely! First of all, I always stressed to my students that they should have dreams and then do what was needed to attain those dreams. One day I realized I was giving them great advice, but not following it myself. I thought I could write, but I was doing nothing to attain that goal. That’s when I called the magazine editor.
Secondly, teaching junior high school students helped me be a clearer writer. A teacher has to simplify deeply complex ideas before he can hope to convey anything to junior high students. My years of doing this in the classroom helped me simplify things in my writing as well. I am a better writer now because of all my classroom demands.
Who are your favorite historical writers?
I have many, but will mention only a few. I loved reading Francis Parkman and Samuel Eliot Morison, because they brought their subject matter to life. You could “feel” the colonial forest through Parkman’s writing and the ocean’s water in Morison’s books. For similar reason, I enjoy any book by Tom Buell, a wonderful biographer, and David McCullough.
What do you attempt to convey with your writing?
I believe it is important to get across a story to the reader. I do not want to simply impart the facts, but to have the reader feel for the characters, as well as feel they are in the midst of the action. That is why I try to tell a story through the lives and experiences of a few main characters.
What is your favorite part of writing?
That’s sort of like asking who is your favorite daughter. I enjoy every aspect—the research in national, military, and library archives, reading books and articles, organizing notes, all of it. One would be the interviews, as they give me the chance to meet fascinating individuals and unearth human drama. I have been fortunate to talk with many amazing people, from the men who fought at Wake Island and Tarawa, to athletes like Jack Nicklaus and Gordie Howe. Another would be the revision process, as that is where the true writing emerges.
What would you tell someone who wanted to become a writer?
Start out by focusing on two things—read all the time, and write every day. In reading other authors, you learn the styles you enjoy as well as those you don’t; you learn which techniques appeal and which do not. When I was a student at Notre Dame, someone in writing class asked the professor how you become a writer. He said you sit down at a desk, start typing, and maybe ten years later you are a writer. His point was you need to practice your craft every day, just like any other endeavor.
Which books have you most recently read?
I have recently read few books for pleasure, as I have been completing my books, so the most recently read volumes pertain to the topic of my current projects. However, when things slow a bit I’ll return to reading anything on World War II, golf, and biographies. As far as reading fiction, I love Robert B. Parker’s Spenser novels.
Who were influences on your career?
That’s easy—Tom Buell and Dr. Bernard Norling. Tom Buell, who wrote two marvelous biographies of Adm. Raymond Spruance and Adm. Ernest King, helped me in numerous ways. He early on took an interest in promoting my career by mentioning me to editors and historians, and was always ready with a helpful comment about writing. He was a writing mentor without peer. Dr. Norling, my history adviser at the University of Notre Dame, kept in touch through the years. In many letters, he encouraged me to keep after my writing. He and Tom Buell read my manuscripts—frequently going through boxes of red pens!—and their comments invariably improved my work. I owe much to these two quality human beings.
Does anybody else in your family write?
Not for publication. My older brother, Tom, is actually the best writer in the family. He could work wonders with the written word. A former naval aviator, he and his wife, DiAnne live a happy retirement in San Diego.
Publications
My writing has appeared in:
1. AIR LINE PILOT
2. AIR POWER HISTORY
3. AMERICAN HISTORY ILLUSTRATED
4. AMERICAN LEGION
5. AMERICA’s CIVIL WAR
6. AVIATION HERITAGE
7. BIOGRAPHY TODAY
8. BRITISH HERITAGE
9. CAF DISPATCH
10. Chicago Tribune
11. CIVIL WAR
12. Detroit Free Press
13. Detroit News
14. GOLF MAGAZINE
15. GREAT BATTLES
16. HOOP
17. JOURNAL OF MILITARY HISTORY
18. MICHIGAN GOLFER
19. MILITARY HISTORY
20. MODERN WARFARE
21. Monroe Evening News
22. NAVAL HISTORY
23. NAVAL WAR COLLEGE REVIEW
24. Birmingham Observer and Eccentric
25. PGA
26. PGA TOUR PARTNERS
27. PGA TOUR 2000
28. ROUGH NOTES
29. SPORTS HISTORY
30. USA Today
31. U.S. News & World Report
32. VIETNAM
33. Washington Post
34. WILD WEST
35. WWII
36. WORLD WAR II
37. Wyandotte News-Herald
John Wukovits is a military expert specializing in the Pacific theater of World War II. He is the author of many books, including Tin Can Titans, Hell from the Heavens, For Crew and Country, One Square Mile of Hell, and Pacific Alamo. He has also written numerous articles for such publications as WWII History, Naval History, and World War II. He lives in Michigan.
6 Questions | Author John Wukovits
By Claire Barrett
3/22/2017 • MHQ
JOHN WUKOVITS is a military historian specializing in World War II. He is the author of nine books including Tin Can Titans: The Heroic Men and Ships of World War II’s Most Decorated Navy Destroyer Squadron, which has just been published by Da Capo Press. Wukovits lives in Michigan.
1. How did you become interested in military history?
I first became interested in fourth or fifth grade when I read a book about the Pacific War. I was captivated with the story, and from that moment on, my interest in World War II, and specifically the Pacific Theater, deepened. I devoured history books all through elementary, junior high, and high school. When I attended Notre Dame and received my degree in history, I was fortunate to work under Dr. Bernard Norling, who taught a class in World War II. When I began my writing career almost 20 years later, he readily agreed to lend his advice and support to the projects.
00:00
This Week in History: July 10 – British Hoodwink Germans and Invade Sicily
By Connatix
2. What drew you to writing this book?
I settled on this project while I was writing the book previous to it. Hell from the Heavens was the story of a single destroyer in the Pacific. I wondered if much had been done to illustrate the role of a destroyer unit, similar to the way Band of Brothers handled an Army unit in Europe, and learned that not much existed along those lines. After a lengthy search, I chose Destroyer Squadron 21 (Desron 21), the most decorated destroyer squadron of the war, because the unit provided stirring deeds, courageous commanders, and gallant crews. Above all, elements of the squadron participated in almost every major campaign from Guadalcanal in late 1942 until the surrender in 1945.
3. Has growing up where you did have an effect on your interests or your writing?
As far as location, no. I was simply always impressed with writers and thought it would be great if I could achieve something along that line. As far as influences, yes. My parents urged me to do my best at whatever I selected, and their love and support for me was unquestioned. My history adviser at Notre Dame, Dr. Norling, and my writing mentor, Tom Buell, were instrumental in helping my writing career gain momentum.
4. What kind of research do you do, and how much research do you do before you begin writing?
I take pride in my research, which takes up two-thirds of my time in writing a book. First of all, I scour archives for primary material. Since I try to tell my stories through the experiences of a few people who were involved, I especially look for letters, reminiscences, and military reports. I then read everything I can find on the subject matter, including biographies, histories, and memoirs. After that I interview as many survivors as possible. I focus on first-person accounts and interviews because I hope to form a connection between the main characters and the readers. A reader becomes more involved in a story if he or she connects with a person in it.
5. How long did you work on this book?
I like to have two years from conceiving the idea to handing in the complete manuscript. The first two-thirds, as I mentioned, is spent in research, interviews, gathering photographs, etc. The final one-third comprises the actual writing of my various drafts.
6. What’s next for you? What are you working on?
My next book is almost finished. Seven or eight years ago I became interested in the stories of 29 chaplains and six missionaries from the University of Notre Dame who were involved in World War II. Among other places the 27 men and two women were posted in both theaters, and were present at the Death March, Iwo Jima, Saipan, and the Philippines, plus Sicily, Anzio, Normandy, the Bulge, and Dachau in Europe. Seven became prisoners of war. Their stories, while in some cases tragic, are uplifting and illuminate the ability of the human spirit to overcome horrendous obstacles. The book also shows that the labors of chaplains in the midst of battle take second seat to no one. MHQ
John F. Wukovits is a military expert specializing in the Pacific Theater of World War II. He is the author of many books, including Eisenhower: A Biography; Pacific Alamo: The Battle for Wake Island; One Square Mile of Hell: The Battle for Tarawa; and American Commando: Evans Carlson, His WWII Marine Raiders, and America’s First Special Forces Mission. He has also written numerous articles for such publications as WWII History, Naval History, and World War II. He is a resident of Trenton, Michigan and a graduate of the University of Notre Dame.
Wukovits, John: DOGFIGHT OVER TOKYO
Kirkus Reviews. (June 15, 2019):
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2019 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Full Text:
Wukovits, John DOGFIGHT OVER TOKYO Da Capo (Adult Nonfiction) $28.00 8, 27 ISBN: 978-0-306-92205-3
A new World War II history from a stalwart in the genre.
Plenty of niches remain to be explored in WWII history; Wukovits (Soldiers of a Different Cloth: Notre Dame Chaplains in World War II, 2018), who specializes in finding them, has found another. Military buffs will be grateful. The author begins with accounts of two promising young men--Billy Hoggs, a bright farmer's son, and Eugene Mandeberg, a scholarly city dweller--who responded to American entry into the war by volunteering as naval aviators. After more than a year of highly technical and dangerous training, their unit arrived off the coast of Japan in July 1945. By then, no one doubted that the Allies had won, but since enemy leaders continued to proclaim that they would fight to the death, American forces concentrated on softening up Japan for a massive invasion scheduled for the end of the year. This was extremely dangerous work. Japan's once-vaunted air force barely existed, but anti-aircraft defenses were stronger than ever. Wukovits delivers gripping nuts-and-bolts descriptions of the group's missions over the following month. The atomic bomb destroyed Hiroshima on Aug. 6. The soldiers on the aircraft carrier in the area heard the news a day later and drew the obvious conclusion; no one was happy when their commander, William Halsey, announced that strikes would continue as long as Japan held out. Two more men died before the Aug. 15 mission. Japan officially surrendered two hours after it left, and it was called back. During the return, 20 Japanese fighters attacked suddenly, shooting down four American planes before being driven off. Inevitably, this cast a pall over the carrier's victory celebrations. The survivors and the men's families never forgave Halsey, but the incident faded from history until Wukovits, author of a Halsey biography, discovered enough material about two of the fliers to tell their stories.
An expertly researched addition to the military history/biography genre.
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"Wukovits, John: DOGFIGHT OVER TOKYO." Kirkus Reviews, 15 June 2019. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A588726896/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=ea57c2bd. Accessed 12 July 2019.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A588726896
Tin Can Titans: The Heroic Men and Ships of World War It's Most Decorated Navy Destroyer Squadron
Guy Nasuti
America in WWII. 12.6 (April-May 2017): p60+.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2017 310 Publishing LLC
http://www.americainwwii.com/
Full Text:
Tin Can Titans: The Heroic Men and Ships of World War It's Most Decorated Navy Destroyer Squadron
by John Wukovits, Da Capo Press, 352 pages, $28
Early in World War II, the US Navy was short on ships. But it was not short on courage, especially among the men who manned "tin cans," the destroyers that plied Pacific waters when America first struck back at Imperial Japan. Tin Can Titans explores the service of one such group of sailors, Destroyer Squadron (DesRon) 21, the navy's most decorated destroyer squadron, handpicked by Admiral William "Bull" Halsey to lead the victorious American fleet into Tokyo Bay for surrender ceremonies at war's end.
Author John Wukovits, a military historian and author of nine books, including One Square Mile of Hell: The Battle for Tarawa and Hell from the Heavens: The Epic Story of the USS Laffey and World War II's Greatest Kamikaze Attack, now draws overdue attention to the heroism, dedication, and courage of the young destroyer sailors. They put their lives on the line daily, for months and even years at a time, battling a tenacious enemy that often fought to the death.
Wukovits does a masterful job capturing the day-to-day boredom, excitement, and fear ordinary tin can sailors experienced on routine patrols at the height of the Pacific war. He expertly weaves together monthly war diaries, action reports, and ships' histories, as well as interviews and oral histories from the officers and sailors that lived, fought, and often died together.
Halsey, a destroyer man himself, was the true champion of the tin cans. He relied on these fast (they could top out at 36.5 knots), multi-purpose ships for just about everything. They provided escort screens for cruisers and other larger vessels. They hunted and depth-charged enemy submarines. They rescued downed airmen. They provided gun support for troops on shore.
Halsey, of course, had little choice but to rely on destroyers in the war's early years, because the navy had no vast array of ships at its disposal. But the tin cans of DesRon 21 proved their worth. In only three years of existence, DesRon 21 earned three Presidential Unit Citations, one Navy Unit Commendation, and 118 battle stars. The squadron sank or helped sink 10 enemy submarines and numerous surface vessels, shot down dozens of aircraft, and rescued more than 1,800 sailors and downed airmen.
The cost to the squadron was high. Only three of its destroyers--O'Bannon (DD450), Nicholas (DD-449), and Taylor (DD468)--remained operational at war's end. O'Bannon, "the Lucky O," had fought in the dangerous waters off Guadalcanal, captained by the able Donald MacDonald, but had, incredibly, lost not a single crew member to enemy action the entire war.
Halsey's decision to have the surviving DesRon 21 destroyers lead the way into Tokyo Harbor was all the more remarkable in that he chose them over many more famous carriers and battleships. Such was the esteem in which he held the tin cans and their crews.
For all the praise Wukovits bestows upon Halsey, however, there is no mention of his leaving the San Bernardino Strait with the Third Fleet to go chase Japanese carriers that were acting as a decoy--which led to the Battle off Samar and the sacrifice of Task Force 3 (Taffy 3) on October 25, 1944. The courageous tin can sailors of Taffy 3 put themselves in harm's way and charged a far superior Japanese force that included the super-battleship Yamato so they could protect US landings on Leyte in the Philippines and cover their commander's mistake. The Americans lost nearly 800 sailors and four ships, including the destroyers Johnston (DD-557) and Hoel (DD-533).
It wasn't Halsey's only mistake. Two months later he ignored worsening weather conditions, and his delay in moving the fleet cost the lives of 790 sailors and 3 destroyers when a great typhoon rolled through the Philippines region. While many Taffy 3 and typhoon survivors had no kind words for Halsey, the press and people at home loved him, and his commander, Admiral Chester Nimitz, could not see fit to replace or reprimand him.
Naval history fans still argue about which ship or unit won the war, or which was most important in helping bring the Imperial Japanese Navy to heel. There is no simple answer. Each ship played an important role and served its function both tactically and as part of the larger overall strategy. Wukovits makes no claim that DesRon 21 single-handedly won the war, but he gives the men that fought in the squadron their due. And despite the grave mistakes Bull Halsey made, putting his faith in the tin can sailors was not one of them.
Guy Nasuti
Round Hill, Virginia
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Nasuti, Guy. "Tin Can Titans: The Heroic Men and Ships of World War It's Most Decorated Navy Destroyer Squadron." America in WWII, Apr.-May 2017, p. 60+. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A497798061/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=56ca064f. Accessed 12 July 2019.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A497798061
Tin Can Titans
Internet Bookwatch. (Apr. 2017):
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2017 Midwest Book Review
http://www.midwestbookreview.com
Full Text:
Tin Can Titans
John Wukovits
Da Capo Press
c/o Perseus Book Group
250 W. 57th St., Suite 1500, New York, NY 10107
9780306824302 $28.00 / $18.99 Kindle amazon.com
Military historian John Wukovits presents Tin Can Titans: The Heroic Men and Ships of World War II's Most Decorated Navy Destroyer Squadron, a detailed accounting of the officers and sailors whose efforts made Destroyer Squadron 21 (Desron 21) the most acclaimed of the war. Desron 21's success came at a high cost. Of twelve destroyers, only three survived bombing raids, torpedoes, and kamikaze attacks; 372 crewmembers lost their lives, and many more were wounded. Tin Can Titans draws on diaries and letters of crew members and personal interviews with Desron 21 survivors, revealing the naval aspect of the Pacific war through the eyes and ears of those who fought it. Highly recommended, especially for public and college library nautical and military history collections.
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"Tin Can Titans." Internet Bookwatch, Apr. 2017. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A493275021/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=a6d5b725. Accessed 12 July 2019.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A493275021
Tin Can Titans: The Heroic Men and Ships of World War II’s Most Decorated Navy Destroyer Squadron
Author(s):
John Wukovits
Release Date:
March 13, 2017
Publisher/Imprint:
Da Capo Press
Pages:
320
Buy on Amazon
Reviewed by:
Thomas McClung
". . . Wukovits certainly joins Morrison and James D. Hornfischer as one of the pre-eminent writers on the history of U.S. Navy operations in the Pacific theater."
When it comes to World War II press, it’s usually been the battleships and, ultimately, the aircraft carriers that have garnered the most attention and glory. In recent years, that attention has been focusing more and more on the real workhorses of the war, the destroyers. To their evident benefit, author John Wukovits has been in the forefront of their exposure.
Although perhaps not as prominent a military historian as John Keegan, Robert Citino, Samuel Eliot Morrison, or Antony Beevor, Wukovits certainly joins Morrison and James D. Hornfischer as one of the pre-eminent writers on the history of U.S. Navy operations in the Pacific theater.
Following his previous effort in recounting the kamikaze ordeal of the destroyer USS Laffey in Hell from the Heavens, the author now presents the story of Destroyer Squadron 21 (DesRon 21) from the dark days of mid-1942 to their ultimate triumph, and honor, in literally leading the United States Fleet into Tokyo Bay to receive the Japanese surrender in August 1945.
As with his previous work referenced above, Wukovits not only focuses on the actions, events, and encounters on campaign of the squadron’s vessels, but also, along the way, tells the origin and history of those ships and, even more significantly, the personal stories of many of the crew members. This is what really makes the book.
With the rapid passing of the “Greatest Generation,” it becomes even more important to obtain their stories, oral and otherwise, so that their information and experiences can be saved in order to educate and enlighten those of us who have come after them and better understand the sacrifices they made.
The format of the book is three parts, containing three to four chapters each. The emphasis of the first two parts is on the origins of the vessels, their squadron organization, and their initial campaign: Guadalcanal. Considering its lengthy, grim, and bloody nature, this is as it should be.
With the paucity of naval resources in the early days of the Pacific war, destroyers found themselves performing multiple duties—engaging enemy surface vessels, convoying supply ships and escorting American warships, hunting enemy submarines, anti-aircraft duty, and so forth—until the American economy could be brought to bear in the effort to provide the many resources necessary for ultimate victory.
Part III is an account of the island hopping strategy, which forced the Japanese back, from New Guinea to the Philippine Islands and Okinawa. The chapters detail each of these campaigns along with the losses, human and ship, suffered by the squadron, in particular from mines and kamikazes.
The final chapter is essentially the honor shown to three surviving destroyers that were present as they led the ships of the United States fleet into Tokyo Bay, courtesy of one-time destroyer man Admiral “Bull” Halsey, once the Japanese had signaled their surrender. An epilogue summarizes the accomplishments of the squadron and some of the many officer and crew survivors’ postwar lives.
Following the text, a chronology lists the dates of the operations and campaigns in which the squadron participated. The first appendix specifies the battle stars awarded to individual vessels and the campaigns for which they were awarded. The second appendix details the location of each vessel at the end of the war: Sunk, Tokyo Bay, elsewhere or in an American shipyard for repairs.
Two maps included show the operations in the Solomon Islands and those in the rest of the Pacific. Not surprisingly, the photographic section is largely divided between shots of many of the prominent men referenced in the story and the ships themselves.
The author employed traditional citations and notes and primarily used sources such as squadron and individual ship war diaries, action reports, interviews, and oral histories from veteran survivors. Secondary sources such as collections, books, and contemporary magazine and newspaper articles round out the bibliography.
It has been said before, and bears repeating, there are a million stories extant that have yet to see the light of day. Thanks should go not only to those veterans who want their story told before they’re gone but as well to those like John Wukovits who do the telling in a well presented and poignantly human written manner.
BOOK REVIEW – Tin Can Titans
May 11, 2017Book Reviews, Books, Featured, History, Newsbook review, naval history, tin can titans, World War II
By John Wukovits, Da Capo Press, Boston, MA (2017)
Reviewed by Charles Bogart
The U.S. Navy’s World War II operational history in the Pacific is the story of destroyers, Tin Cans, engaging Japanese surface ships, submarines, and airplanes. The author, within the pages of this book, allows the reader to become part of the ships and crews of Destroyer Squadron Twenty-One (DesRon 21) as they fight their way from Guadalcanal to Tokyo Bay.
A World War II U.S. Navy DesRon consisted of eight destroyers. From 1942 to VJ Day, twelve destroyers served in DesRon 21 and were awarded a combined total of 118 battle stars, three Presidential Unit Citations, and one Navy Unit Commendation. DesRon 21 saw action from Guadalcanal to Okinawa and was involved in the naval battles of Guadalcanal, Tassafaronga, Kula Gulf, Kolombangara, Horaniu, and Vella Lavella. Its ships also saw action during the liberation of the Philippines and the Dutch East Indies, the capture of Iwo Jima and Okinawa, and the air attacks on the Japanese mainland. Three of the DesRon21 destroyers sank: DeHaven (DD 469), Strong (DD 467), and Chevalier (DD 451). There were also five seriously damaged: La Vallette (DD 448), Radford (DD 446), Fletcher (DD 445), Jenkins (DD 447), and Horworth (DD 592). Of interest is the fact that La Vallette, Radford, and Jenkins were each rendered unfit for combat after striking a mine. It was three destroyers of DesRon 21 who had the honor of leading the American Fleet into Tokyo Bay on VJ Day: O’Bannon DD 450, Nicholas DD 449, and Taylor DD 468. Hopewell DD 681 missed this event, as she was undergoing overhaul at Guam on VJ Day.
The author consulted wartime logs and various books written on the Pacific War to tell the story of DesRon21. He also examined various collections of naval papers, conducted oral interviews, and mined the internet for the human-interest stories that bring the ships and their crews alive.
The only negative factor about the book is the lack of maps and charts of various naval battles DesRon 21 was involved in. Except for two general maps of the Pacific Theater, there is no other visual reference within the book to orient one to the location of the action being described. Overall, the book is well-written and pulls the reader into the story told. It is interesting to follow the twists and turns of the war as the destroyers of DesRon 21 shift their focus from ship-to-ship action to defense against air attack. The book is a very nice companion to Theodore Roscoe’s United States Destroyer Operations in World War II.
Charles H. Bogart is a frequent contributor for Naval History Book Reviews.
Tin Can Titans: The Heroic Men and Ships of World War II's Most Decorated Navy Destroyer Squadron
John Wukovits
Da Capo Press
Hardcover
352 pages
March 2016
When he entered Tokyo Bay to accept the surrender of Japan at the final end of World War II, Admiral William Halsey could have chosen any ships in the US Navy to accompany him. He chose three surviving vessels from the squadron known as Desron (Destroyer Squadron) 21, which had held fast at Guadalcanal, Okinawa, Iwo Jima. The three proud ships were the O’Bannon, the Fletcher, and the Taylor.
The story of Desron 21 is told by John Wukovits, a historian of the Pacific battles of WWII who has written previously on that subject (Hell from Heaven, Pacific Alamo). He states that Halsey, considered an aggressive leader, was appointed--to the great approval of the American people--just on the brink of attack at Guadalcanal, a strategic location deemed necessary for any Allied victory. The Japanese agreed with the assessment of Guadalcanal’s significance and were more than ready for the US onslaught. The US destroyers with their impressive gun turrets proved the better fighters there in a grueling test of power ranging over days and nights of forays on sea and air, and later at other Japanese strongholds.
War is hell, and as was pointed out before the battle of Guadalcanal, the men (some as young as 17, with some father-son combinations among the crews) had seen a lot, but they “hadn’t seen hell.” One of the aspects of Wukovits's examination of the war in the Pacific that makes the book so gripping, and at times poignant, are the diaries and letters of the sailors who fought there. Men who worked belowdecks, keeping the pumps running or operating radio equipment, well knew that a single shell or kamikaze hit could leave them trapped, helpless, in a metal coffin. Those seeing the action from above witnessed their comrades blown apart or plunging into the open sea. Remarkably, thousands of men were rescued, though many ships were lost. One man wrote home to his wife that she must remarry if he were to be killed, though “these are the hardest words I could ever write or say to you.” Seamen noted that a bad skipper could cause work to slow down and vital confidence to erode. And that “you learned your days of privacy were over the day you joined the Navy.” But they stayed at their posts and did their jobs, often acting heroically under the most dire circumstances. One man dove into the sea with two useless legs; another demanded that his finger, hanging by a piece of skin, be removed and when the medic refused, he took a knife and cut it off himself.
The book includes maps, photographs, and a chronology detailing where each ship began and ended its fighting “career.” Several lesser known commanders and valiant Navy men are cited in Wukovits's saga, who notes that most recruits were determined to defeat the nation that had attacked Pearl Harbor: “They came to fight.”
Tin Can Titans is history with humanity, and should be of interest to any current student of Americana, and to any of the fading generations who still have close ties to our last great war.
Originally published on Curled Up With A Good Book at www.curledup.com. © Barbara Bamberger Scott, 2017