The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors: The Extraordinary World War II Story of the U.S. Navy's Finest Hour

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The exhilarating true story of the U.S. Navy’s improbable victory at the Battle of Samar—“a dire survival-at-sea saga” (Denver Post) from the acclaimed author of Neptune’s Inferno

“A critically acclaimed, blow-by-blow look at a small American force counterattacking into the teeth of hopeless odds.”—Miami Herald

“The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors will take its place amidst the great literature of World War II.”—Ron Powers, co-author of Flags of Our Fathers

Desperately fought on the morning of October 25, 1944, the Battle off Samar is one of the most celebrated engagements in United States naval lore. Facing overwhelming firepower, with no prospect of reinforcement, thirteen American warships began a fight they couldn’t win—and fought it to the death.

Weaving together extensive interviews with veterans, unpublished eyewitness accounts, declassified documents, and rare Japanese sources, James D. Hornfischer has created an unprecedented account of a naval engagement unlike any other in American history. A resonant portrait of the Navy man’s indomitable spirit and a stirring tale of heroism in the face of hopeless odds, The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors unforgettably captures the men, the strategies, and the sacrifices that turned certain defeat into a legendary victory.

WINNER OF THE SAMUEL ELIOT MORISON AWARD FOR NAVAL LITERATURE