num_pages: 499
description: "This will be a fight against overwhelming odds from which survival cannot be expected. We will do what damage we can." With these words, Lieutenant Commander Robert W. Copeland addressed the crew of the destroyer escort USS "Samuel B. Roberts" on the morning of October 25, 1944, off the Philippine Island of Samar. On the horizon loomed the mightiest ships of the Japanese navy, a massive fleet that represented the last hope of a staggering empire. All that stood between it and Douglas MacArthur's vulnerable invasion force were the "Roberts" and the other small ships of a tiny American flotilla poised to charge into history. In the tradition of the #1 "New York Times" bestseller Flags of Our Fathers, James D. Hornfischer paints an unprecedented portrait of the Battle of Samar, a naval engagement unlike any other in U.S. history--and captures with unforgettable intensity the men, the strategies, and the sacrifices that turned certain defeat into a legendary victory.
language: English
title: The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors: The Extraordinary World War II Story of the U.S. Navy's Finest Hour
titlecomplete: The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors: The Extraordinary World War II Story of the U.S. Navy's Finest Hour
genres: Historical, Biography, War, Naval History, Nonfiction, American History, Military History, Military Fiction, History, World War II
ratings_count: 10415
publisher: Bantam Books