Destroyers at War: A Personal Retrospective of the Pacific Theater

“Destroyers at War is an excellent, engaging, informative, and often spell-binding account of destroyer service and destroyer combat in the Pacific War by one of the Navy’s most important flag officers of the 20th century. Skillfully edited by Dr. David David Winkler, Admiral James L. Holloway III’s memoir is a very valuable addition to the Navy’s history.”—Thomas Hone, author of The Battle of Midway: The Naval Institute Guide to the U.S. Navy’s Greatest Victory

“Destroyers at War, the recollections of Admiral James L. Holloway III, expertly edited by Dr. David F. Winkler, details Holloway’s early life, education at the U.S. Naval Academy, and service on board Fletcher-class destroyers during World War II. While known to many as a champion of the U.S. Navy’s aviation arm during the Cold War, Holloway describes in detail his experiences as a junior gunnery officer during the pivotal Battle of Leyte Gulf and other actions of the Pacific Campaign. We learn how this wartime service in ‘tin can’ destroyers helped mold the character and professionalism of a later Chief of Naval Operations and iconic naval leader of the late 20th century.” —Edward J. Marolda, Author of Admirals Under Fire: The US Navy and the Vietnam War

David F. Winkler, USNR (Ret.), holds a PhD from American University. He is an adjunct professor with the U.S. Naval War College, staff historian with the Naval Historical Foundation, and the Charles Lindbergh Chair of Aerospace History at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. He is the author of several books, including America’s First Aircraft Carrier: USS Langley and the Dawn of U.S. Naval Aviation (Naval Institute Press, 2024). He resides in Northern Virginia.