"Highly recommended for those who want to read comprehensive histories of this war that cemented America's role as a world superpower and global policeman; a role that lasted through the end of the century and beyond."

Nautical Research Journal Volume 68 (2023)

As featured on World War II Today

WW2 Today

Here we have a big meaty read which I enjoyed from cover to cover. This book is well focussed on the fast carriers but it also works on many other levels. Overall it is the story of the naval come back after Pearl Harbour in the course of which there was a change of fleet capital ships from battleships to carriers. The author, Rod Macdonald, has looked with his own eyes on some of the ships wrecked by American carrier aircraft and has done a great deal of research which is here presented in a clear chronological progression. There is little departure from the pure factual level except in some of the many quotations from people involved in the events. Much of the descriptive impact comes from the numbers of ships, planes men and casualties. The fleet assembled for the final attack on mainland Japan had more carriers than there are in the whole of the world’s navies today. There was a large percentage of downed American fliers who were rescued by ships and submarines placed along the route they were expected to take; this contrasts with a military who sent out kamikaze planes and man guided bombs. There are many more themes running through the narrative than can be covered in a brief review all of them are interesting.
It is a big book of over 500 pages containing a gripping story, a few good photographs, brief biographies of some of the leading Americans and an extensive bibliography...
We highly recommend this book.

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Clash of Steel

This book is a huge book and that is matched with the level of detail and depth the author Rod MacDonald has gone into, it must be said that it is very informative. I’m not sure how you could improve it more.

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Task Force 58

Highly recommended for those who want to read comprehensive histories of this war that cemented America's role as world superpower and global policeman, that lasted through the end of the century and beyond.

5 Stars

Amazon Review

My knowledge of the Pacific War is rather thin, but primed by recently reading about the carrier battles in Hugh Ambrose’s “The Pacific” I was keen to know more. Task Force 58 more than satisfies that ambition and adds much to the basic overview I had. Supporting images are good but I have one gripe; if ever a book needs maps to contextualise the narrative, this is it, but it is lacking and a great shame. Almost every chapter deserved a map. Otherwise a book offering a good narrative of a huge series of campaigns.

Michael McCarthy. Battlefield Guide

Michael McCarthy