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Dark Waters, Starry Skies

The Guadalcanal-Solomons Campaign, March–October 1943

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Dark Waters, Starry Skies

By: Jeffrey Cox
Narrated by: John Chancer
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Bloomsbury presents Dark Waters, Starry Skies by Jeffrey Cox, read by John Chancer.

Esteemed Pacific War historian Jeffrey Cox has produced a fast-paced and absorbing read of the crucial New Georgia phase of the Guadalcanal-Solomons Campaign during the Pacific War.

Thousands of miles from friendly ports, the US Navy had finally managed to complete the capture of Guadalcanal from the Japanese in early 1943. Now the Allies sought to keep the offensive momentum won at such a high cost. Determined not to repeat their mistakes at Guadalcanal, the Allies nonetheless faltered in their continuing efforts to roll back the Japanese land, air and naval forces.

Dark Waters, Starry Skies is an engrossing history which weaves together strategy and tactics with a blow-by-blow account of every battle at a vital point in the Pacific War that has not been analyzed in this level of detail before. Using first-hand accounts from both sides, this book vividly recreates all the terror and drama of the nighttime naval battles during this phase of the Solomons campaign and the ferocious firestorm many Marines faced as they disembarked from their landing craft. The reader is transported to the bridge to stand alongside Admiral Walden Ainsworth as he sails to stop another Japanese reinforcement convoy for New Georgia, and vividly feels the fear of an 18-year-old Marine as he fights for survival against a weakened but still determined enemy.©2023 Jeffrey Cox (P)2023 Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Armed Forces Australia, New Zealand & Oceania Military Naval Forces War Air Force Imperial Japan
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Critic reviews

Drawing on vivid recollections from participants in the great struggle for the Solomons and from other primary sources, Cox delivers a fast-paced, detailed and highly readable account of the pivotal struggle in the South Pacific. The reader will find Dark Waters, Starry Skies a rich and rewarding experience.
This is an excellent book, providing a highly detailed and engaging account of the Solomons campaign.
a well-researched and engagingly written account of a crucial period in the Pacific War
All stars
Most relevant
This series of books by J. Cox about the war in the South Pacific is fascinating and probably some of the best history books written about anything.
Fantastic first hand accounts. Very well researched. Funny, believe or not and utterly frank about the utter misery of war.
If anyone ever says the Japanese were the good guys..beleive or not there are revsionists out there..they are complete idiots

quality research

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enjoyed the story, i haven't heard much previously about this pacific campaign, all new to me. only gripe was the sometimes tedious listing of the many squadrons and aircraft involved in the various actions, which no doubt deserve a mention. also the continual naming of the aircraft design numbers instead of just calling them by the names the allies recognised them by Betty, Jane, Val etc. i found myself constantly looking them up to get the idea what they were. in all though a good listen and well narrated

interesting rarely told story

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A pretty detailed account of one aspect of the Pacific War, extensively researched. I particularly liked it that some of the participants from both sides were named, and the honest comments about the behaviour of some of the Japanese forces.

I noted quite a bit of repetition in the narrative, which got a little tedious at times.

John Chancer does a decent job with the narration, only pausing briefly before tackling the Japanese names, but unsurprisingly using US pronunciation of the names of some of the combatants from Australia and New Zealand. For example, pronouncing "Seward" as "sue-ward" rather than "sword".

Awaiting the publication of the next in this series...

Fascinating and solidly researched

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This is clearly a very well researched book and I really enjoyed the journey but it has some frustrating characteristics. Perhaps intended for a certain type of reader, I found that the constant open childish sarcasm and regular unnecessary hyperbole reduced my enjoyment. Read it for yourself. Like tabloid newspapers rather a serious read, yet so much excellent info and interesting insights are also packed in there.

Very good but flawed

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