Best books - Naval Battles of the Solomons
 

Does anyone have any suggestions about a good book covering the naval battles around the Solomons?

Battle of Savo Island by Richard Newcomb is an excellent study on the worst defeat ever inflicted upon the USN at sea.

Guadalcanal: Decision at Sea by Eric Hammel deals exclusively with the decisive night battles 13 - 15 November 1942.

Fleet Tactics: Theory and Practice by Wayne P. Hughes, USN Retd offers valuable insights into how USN tactical doctrine and night fighting abilities evolved during the Solomon's campaign including the actions around Guadalcanal itself.

Left to Die by Dan Kurzman deals with the loss of USS Juneau and the five Sullivan Brothers after the battle of 13-14 November. Despite the sensationalist title it is important for detailing the condition of the Navy during this phase and the problems of command and communications that helped shape the naval war as a whole but tend to be ignored.

Hope this gets you started, I do not know of any single, comprehensive account dealing exclusively with the naval actions.

These two books by morison are a bit old, but offer the most comprehensive coverage of all the naval fighting around Guadalcanal and the Solomons from august 42 to december 43.

http://www.amazon.com/Struggle-Guada...840435&sr=1-10

http://www.amazon.com/Breaking-Bisma...ref=pd_sim_b_4

they are being reprinted once again, but have been in print since the 50s. I have the whole 15 volume set. Required reading for a Pacific war nut.:ping: