Tales from a Tin Can: The USS Dale from Pearl Harbor to Tokyo Bay
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Book Overview
"What was life like on a destroyer during World War II? Find out by reading Michael Keith Olson's superb telling of tales of the war in the Pacific as seen from the deck of a very luck 'tin can"... The son of a former Dale crewman, Olson interviewed 44 veterans and delved deeply into official documents to give this book the air of authenticity that puts the reader in the heart of the action.
"Tales from a Tin Can is the first oral history of one combat ship's adventures, sometimes comic, sometimes mundane, sometimes heart wrenching, over the entire course of America's involvement in the Pacific. An impressive accomplishment and highly recommended."WWII History "This fascinating book captures not only the furious clashes with the Japanese but also the humdrum days in-between and the heart-stopping encounters with typhoons that could be as lethal as any engagement with the enemy. Anyone interested in stories from World War II will find this well-illustrated account of the naval campaign in the Pacific fascinating."
Register -Pajaronian Looking up from his newspaper from where he sat on the deck of the destroyer USS Dale, Harold Reichert could see the pilot plain as day--the leather helmet with chin strap, the goggles, and then the red rising sun painted on the planes fuselage. "I saw the torpedo drop and watched as it ran up on the old Utah." It was daybreak at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, the beginning of the war, and the Dale was there; she would serve until the end, when the atomic bombs were dropped and Japan surrendered. In the words of those who manned her, the Dales war comes vividly to life in this first oral history of a combat ship from Pearl Harbor to Tokyo Bay. From carrier raids on Midway, Guadalcanal, and the Solomons to the bombarding of Saipan and Guam in the capture of the Marianas, from the Aleutians in the far north to strikes on Tokyo and Kobe, Tales from a Tin Can recreates the action aboard the Dale, and conveys as never before the true grit of wartime on a destroyer.
Format:Hardcover
Language:English
ISBN:076032770X
ISBN13:9780760327708
Release Date:March 2007
Publisher:Zenith Press
Length:336 Pages
Weight:1.36 lbs.
Dimensions:1.1" x 6.3" x 9.3"
Customer Reviews
5 ratings
Destroyermen The Few The Proud
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 17 years ago
This is a terrific read and well reflects the lives we endured on the "greyhounds of the sea". The memories of these terrific sailors is exciting and certainly reflects the challenges that they faced again and again. Having rode many of these ships over a 30 year Navy career I would certainLY recommend this to any and all. BRAVO ZULU!!!!!!!!!!!
Great Book
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 17 years ago
If you are a serious student of history, you cannot help but enjoy this book. All too often when telling the story of WW II, the intimate and personal day to day experiences of the individual soldier or sailor get over looked. This book tells that story, specifically how individual sailors dealt with the day to day stress of combat operations and the death of friends and shipmates; a great read.
kudos for a great book
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 17 years ago
We have totally enjoyed the book. It's written as if the men were talking to you right in the room.
Excellent account of a Destroyer and crew during WW2
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 17 years ago
Riveting account of the battle for the Pacific theater. Michael Olson interviews the sailors aboard the USS Dale ,a Destroyer that served during WW2, I served aboard Destroyers in the early sixties. Mr Olson brings to life so many memories of life aboard a fighting ship. This is a must read for people of all ages. So many emotions are expressed through the interviews.I could appreciate the feelings of terror,anger,and resolve that the crew experienced.
A Fantastic Journey with the men of the Dale
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 17 years ago
This is a nicely written, well researched book that consists mostly of 1st hand accounts from sailors who served in Dale during WW II... anybody can appreciate the story that is brought to life here... but as a former swabie, reading this book was like going back to sea... without the bad smell in the berthing. This book provides a front row seat to the incredible events that unfolded at Pearl Harbor and ended with Japan's surrender in Tokyo Bay. The author (who's father served in Dale) injects his own well researching text just enough to make the 1st hand accounts flow like a well written movie script.
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