Leyte Gulf: A New History of the World's Largest Sea Battle

In sheer size, it has no rival. In total, the two American fleets involved in the battle comprised 235 surface combatants and 1,500 aircraft. Opposed to this, the Imperial Japanese Navy committed all its remaining strength: 69 ships and some 375 aircraft, most of which were land-based. The ensuing confrontation was the most complex naval battle of the whole of World War II, consisting of four major engagements and several lesser actions fought over the span of three days.

The characteristics of the battle continue to astound — it contained the largest air-sea battle to date; it included the last carrier and battleship clashes in history; it was the only time that a surface force engaged a carrier force while under air attack; and it featured the first preplanned use of suicide attacks during the Pacific War.

Su much of the accepted wisdom of the battle has developed from the many myths that surround it, which have become more firmly established over time. In this new study, Pacific War expert Mark E. Stille brings fresh, insightful analysis to key aspects of the battle, dismantling misconceptions around the actions and performances of its two most important commanders — Halsey and Kurita — and reappraising the "lost victory of the Japanese advance into Leyte Gulf that never happened.