World War II navy veteran and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Tuohy has credentials and credibility to write a good popular introduction to the WWII U.S. Navy. And he has, in the form of a group portrait of the admirals who oversaw America's navy as it became the largest in history, larger than the contemporary combined fleets of the rest of the world. The admirals' range of experience was vast, for some had started out in coal-burning battleships, while others' careers commenced soon after leaving Annapolis. The famous likes of King, Spruance, Mitscher, and the more-aggressive-than-skilled Halsey are here, of course, but so are well-serving battleship admirals and amphibious specialists including the ferocious Turner and MacArthur's right-hand landing expert, Barbey. Some failed to distinguish themselves--Kimmel of Pearl Harbor notoriety, Pownall, and Theobald--and few of the Atlantic admirals are here, since they served in an ocean dominated by the fight to the death between the British and the U-boats. An honorable tribute to honorable men, most of whom served their country well