Sea of Thunder is a taut, fast-paced, suspenseful narrative of the Pacific War that culminates in the battle of Leyte Gulf, the greatest naval battle ever fought. Told from both the American and Japanese sides, through the eyes of commanders and sailors of both navies, Thomas's history adds an important new dimension to our understanding of World War II.

Drawing on oral histories, diaries, correspondence, postwar testimony from both American and Japanese participants, and interviews with survivors, Thomas provides an account not only of the great sea battle and Pacific naval war, but of the contrasting cultures pitted against each other.

"Thomas's prose keeps pace with the fight and captures its eerie quality...The result is both a naval adventure story and a striking meditation on the nature of military courage." -- The New Yorker

With this exemplary book, Evan Thomas has set a benchmark for historical writing -- and analysis -- against which subsequent work will be measured." -- Michael J. Bonafield, Star Tribune (Minneapolis)

"One of the most insightful analyses yet written of personalities and military cultures at war...An exciting read...Thomas draws the battle scenes with exquisite precision...Those who would direct military strategy and policy should be well warned -- and should have Thomas's book, well-worn, at their bedsides." -- Wesley K. Clark, The Washington Post Book World

"A riveting tale of character and war by one of our most graceful writers. With impressive scholarship and a brilliant eye for detail, Evan Thomas tells the extraordinary story of Leyte Gulf without ever losing sight of the men in the maelstrom." -- Rick Atkinson, author of An Army at Dawn

"This is a wonderful book; thoughtful and riveting all at the same time, and it's good history -- you're never quite sure things are going to turn out the way you know they did!" -- Ken Burns, filmmaker of The War

CONTENTS

PROLOGUE: Culture, Character, and the Loneliness of Command

CHAPTER ONE: Doubting Supermen

CHAPTER TWO: Damn the Torpedoes

CHAPTER THREE: Long John Silver and Confucius

CHAPTER FOUR: Pop Goes the Weasel

CHAPTER FIVE: The Department of Dirty Tricks

CHAPTER SIX: The Shattered Gem

CHAPTER SEVEN: Big Blue Fleet

CHAPTER EIGHT: Sho-Go

CHAPTER NINE: A Fatal Misunderstanding

CHAPTER TEN: Ships in the Night

CHAPTER ELEVEN: Surprise at Dawn

CHAPTER TWELVE: They Were Expendable

CHAPTER THIRTEEN: The World Wonders

CHAPTER FOURTEEN: The Mysterious Telegram

CHAPTER FIFTEEN: The Last Kamikaze

EPILOGUE: Why They Fought

Acknowledgments

Notes

Bibliography

Index

Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Distributor: Simon & Schuster
Publication Date: 11-06-2007
Pages: 432
Measurements: 9.100in X 6.200in X 1.100in X 16.345oz