I am currently reading Pacific Crucible, the first book in Ian Toll's Pacific War trilogy and it is outstanding. I can't wait to read the second book, The Conquering Tide. Has anyone else read these or heard when the third book will be published? Last I saw was sometime in 2019.
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Ian Toll's Pacific War Trilogy
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Last: 3 yr ago by jickyjack1
I have read them both and they are really a good read. The third book,Twilight of the Gods: War in the Western Pacific, 1944-1945, will be published some time this year.
I've read both of these books. Very easy reads but also full of information, not survey material. I will snap up that last book once it is finally published and probably read it in about a month's time (not really a fast reader these days)
Appreciate the information. And introduction to this author. Just ordered first 2 of the the Pacific trilogy. Look forward to reading them.
I will definitely pick it up. Thanks.
Loved the first two. Last I saw the third is supposed to come out in June. To me, this trilogy is the Pacific theater counterpart to Atkinson's trilogy about the European theater.
Need to get that one. I really like Hornfischer's work.aalan94 said:
I just finished this recently. Pretty good one.
The Fleet at Flood Tide
Just a reminder that "Twilight of the Gods: War in the Western Pacific, 1944-1945, third book of Ian Toll's outstanding Pacific War Trilogy, will be released tomorrow (September 1, 2020).
Toll's Pacific War Trilogy is outstanding, and on par with Rick Atkinson's Liberation Trilogy. His characterization of Fleet Admiral William "Bull" Halsey in book 2 is, at least to me, one of the best descriptions of character that I have ever read. I can't wait to get my copy.
Toll's Pacific War Trilogy is outstanding, and on par with Rick Atkinson's Liberation Trilogy. His characterization of Fleet Admiral William "Bull" Halsey in book 2 is, at least to me, one of the best descriptions of character that I have ever read. I can't wait to get my copy.
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I preordered last night so should be downloaded and waiting for me!
I pre-ordered the hard cover earlier this summer, got a shipment notification for this weekend.
Really enjoyed the first two entries in this trilogy, and am looking forward to this one.
Really enjoyed the first two entries in this trilogy, and am looking forward to this one.
Amazon says a delay in shipping the book to me. 2
Weeks.
Weeks.
I ordered a week or two before the 1st and delivery is scheduled for Sept. 10. Must have been a lot of preorders.
Mine was delayed from Monday to Friday of this week.Ciboag96 said:
Amazon says a delay in shipping the book to me. 2
Weeks.
I just finished "Twilight of the Gods: War in the Western Pacific, 1944-1945". Truly outstanding and, as has been said, Toll's trilogy is on par with Rick Atkinson's Liberation Trilogy.
As the third book in the trilogy, it is a little longer than the first two books (800 pages). Very comprehensive, with excellent descriptions of each of the leading commanders of both sides, clear explanations of United States and Japanese naval strategies and tactics, and discussions of the war on both home fronts. Amazing to me how each island invasion was bigger than the previous invasion, culminating in 300,000 soldiers and Marines landing at Okinawa. Also, the size of the Navy by the end of the war was staggering. Finally, Ian Toll makes it clear that he is not a Douglas MacArthur fan.
My only disappointment is that the books have ended. Maybe I'll need to get a copy of Six Frigates.
As the third book in the trilogy, it is a little longer than the first two books (800 pages). Very comprehensive, with excellent descriptions of each of the leading commanders of both sides, clear explanations of United States and Japanese naval strategies and tactics, and discussions of the war on both home fronts. Amazing to me how each island invasion was bigger than the previous invasion, culminating in 300,000 soldiers and Marines landing at Okinawa. Also, the size of the Navy by the end of the war was staggering. Finally, Ian Toll makes it clear that he is not a Douglas MacArthur fan.
My only disappointment is that the books have ended. Maybe I'll need to get a copy of Six Frigates.
No material on this site is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. See full Medical Disclaimer.
Thanks for the heads up. I am going to get Vol 2 since it will have something on Tarawa in it and my dad fought there. Not sure which volume covers Saipan and Tinian but will get whichever one does.
30wedge said:
Thanks for the heads up. I am going to get Vol 2 since it will have something on Tarawa in it and my dad fought there. Not sure which volume covers Saipan and Tinian but will get whichever one does.
Yes, Saipan and Tinian are in volume 2. And yes, you could just start in volume 2 and get into the story pretty quickly. But you'd be missing out on the overall narrative including the transition from Dreadnought battleships to fast carriers, from the Japanese being aggressors to desperately struggling to maintain their empire, and TBD Devastators/Wildcats to TBF Avengers/Hellcats. I think you'd do better to start with Pacific Crucible.
No material on this site is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. See full Medical Disclaimer.
I may take your advice!dcbowers said:30wedge said:
Thanks for the heads up. I am going to get Vol 2 since it will have something on Tarawa in it and my dad fought there. Not sure which volume covers Saipan and Tinian but will get whichever one does.
Yes, Saipan and Tinian are in volume 2. And yes, you could just start in volume 2 and get into the story pretty quickly. But you'd be missing out on the overall narrative including the transition from Dreadnought battleships to fast carriers, from the Japanese being aggressors to desperately struggling to maintain their empire, and TBD Devastators/Wildcats to TBF Avengers/Hellcats. I think you'd do better to start with Pacific Crucible.
I'm went ahead and ordered all three books (kind of an odd quirk - new hardback copies of Vol. 3 were cheaper from Amazon than used copies of the same book). Interested to see a few things:
1. Where Toll comes down on Midway vs Guadalcanal as the decisive momentum shift. (John Prados makes an excellent case for the latter in Islands of Destiny.
2. How he treats MacArthur's New Guinea campaign and re-entry into the Philippines. (Capturing the Marianas put bombers in range of the Home Islands; the re-capture of Luzon closed the Formosa straight and cut Japan off from her main oil supply.)
3. His treatment of the A-bomb decision and subsequent controversy. (I read Richard Frank's Downfall back in August. I'm interested to see how the subsequent two decades of scholarship effect Toll's interpretation.)
DON'T TELL ME UNLESS YOU PUT IT IN A SPOILER ALERT!
1. Where Toll comes down on Midway vs Guadalcanal as the decisive momentum shift. (John Prados makes an excellent case for the latter in Islands of Destiny.
2. How he treats MacArthur's New Guinea campaign and re-entry into the Philippines. (Capturing the Marianas put bombers in range of the Home Islands; the re-capture of Luzon closed the Formosa straight and cut Japan off from her main oil supply.)
3. His treatment of the A-bomb decision and subsequent controversy. (I read Richard Frank's Downfall back in August. I'm interested to see how the subsequent two decades of scholarship effect Toll's interpretation.)
DON'T TELL ME UNLESS YOU PUT IT IN A SPOILER ALERT!
So I read the first book this week (lots of downtime on site). Really good and really enjoyed the bios on the major decision makers and details of the Churchill and Roosevelt meeting. Those provided a lot of context of what influenced decisions. I started the second book today and am only to the middle of Guadalcanal. The detail of the battles have been really good. I read Six Frigates based on a recommendation from a friend and loved it. Had to get this trilogy.
I find the cover image of Twilight of the Gods - USS Pennsylvania and USS Colorado leading three cruisers into Lingayen Gulf in January, 1945 - very interesting, and I wonder if it was chosen for its symbolism.
Until 1941, battleships were the titans of the seas, but like the Titans of Greek myth were replaced by Zeus and the gods of Olympus, the battleships were replaced by carriers - and the Battle of Leyte Gulf, particularly the subsidiary Battle of Surigao Strait, marked the last hurrah of the battleship in fleet vs fleet combat. (Their major function in the Pacific War was as bombardment and anti-aircraft platforms.)
Until 1941, battleships were the titans of the seas, but like the Titans of Greek myth were replaced by Zeus and the gods of Olympus, the battleships were replaced by carriers - and the Battle of Leyte Gulf, particularly the subsidiary Battle of Surigao Strait, marked the last hurrah of the battleship in fleet vs fleet combat. (Their major function in the Pacific War was as bombardment and anti-aircraft platforms.)
You know you're a military nerd when you read the following sentence: "The attack was broken up by heavy machine-gun, artillery, and mortar fire." and find yourself wondering if it was the fire of heavy machine-guns, artillery, and mortars, or heavy fire from machine-guns, artillery, and mortars? (1)
(1) Toll, Ian W. The Conquering Tide: War in the Pacific Islands, 1942-1944 (New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2015), 512.
Also, I did notice a minor error that an editor really should have caught - on pg 302, the F6F Hellcat is described as weighing 1,200 pounds unloaded. That's off by almost an order of magnitude - the plane's max takeoff weight was around 12,000 lbs. The engine alone weighed almost 2,400 lbs.
(1) Toll, Ian W. The Conquering Tide: War in the Pacific Islands, 1942-1944 (New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2015), 512.
Also, I did notice a minor error that an editor really should have caught - on pg 302, the F6F Hellcat is described as weighing 1,200 pounds unloaded. That's off by almost an order of magnitude - the plane's max takeoff weight was around 12,000 lbs. The engine alone weighed almost 2,400 lbs.
Langenator said:
I find the cover image of Twilight of the Gods - USS Pennsylvania and USS Colorado leading three cruisers into Lingayen Gulf in January, 1945 - very interesting, and I wonder if it was chosen for its symbolism.
Until 1941, battleships were the titans of the seas, but like the Titans of Greek myth were replaced by Zeus and the gods of Olympus, the battleships were replaced by carriers - and the Battle of Leyte Gulf, particularly the subsidiary Battle of Surigao Strait, marked the last hurrah of the battleship in fleet vs fleet combat. (Their major function in the Pacific War was as bombardment and anti-aircraft platforms.)
I thought the cover image for Twilight of the Gods was chosen simply because it was a cool image demonstrating the strength of the US Navy. Also, it was one of the final instances where battleships/cruisers gathered at sea in such numbers. But your point is well taken a better image representing the US Navy in 1944 - 45 would be a fast carrier full of Hellcats and Avengers.
Regarding the title, I assumed that it referenced the fall of the Japanese empire and its emperor/god.
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There's this very similar image of TG 38.3 entering Ulithi, USS Langley and USS Ticonderoga in the lead.
https://laststandonzombieisland.com/2014/10/page/2/
That photo seems to have been taken from higher above the water (perhaps from another Essex class leading the parade), and the ships don't seem to loom quite as imposingly.
https://laststandonzombieisland.com/2014/10/page/2/
That photo seems to have been taken from higher above the water (perhaps from another Essex class leading the parade), and the ships don't seem to loom quite as imposingly.
Have read the first two; both are excellent. Toll is an extremely accomplished author.jerrymerten said:
I am currently reading Pacific Crucible, the first book in Ian Toll's Pacific War trilogy and it is outstanding. I can't wait to read the second book, The Conquering Tide. Has anyone else read these or heard when the third book will be published? Last I saw was sometime in 2019.
jickyjack1