How They Won the War in the Pacific

This meticulous study is a concentrated look at naval admiral Chester W. Nimitz and his subordinate leaders—military men under stress—and the relationship of fighting admirals to their top leaders and one another. Bull Halsey, “the Patton of the Pacific,” could win a battle; ascetic and cultivated Raymond Spruance could win a campaign; but Chester W. Nimitz, the quiet but dauntless battler from the banks of the Pedernales River, could win a war. And the way he did win that war in the Pacific is the center of this excellent and absorbing biography of naval operations and of men in command relationships.

How They Won the War in the Pacific covers many leaders, including the top fighting ones afloat and ashore, and it shows Admiral Nimitz as history will record him—as the wise, calm tower of strength in adversity and success, the principal architect of victory in the Pacific during World War II.

Edwin P. Hoyt was an independent historian and the author of more than 150 books, mostly in the area of military history, including The Last Kamikaze and Hirohito. Born and raised in Portland, Oregon, Hoyt turned his attention to journalism after service in the Pacific Theater during World War II. He wrote for the Denver Post, Collier's Magazine, and American Heritage, as well as for CBS News.