Dark Waters, Starry Skies Audiobook By Jeffrey Cox cover art

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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About this listen

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 Military Naval Forces Wars & Conflicts World War II

What listeners say about Dark Waters, Starry Skies

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One of the best narrative of Solomons campaign

One of the best narrative of Solomons campaign, great voice for listening. Had finished all Jeffrey Cox books again. Will do again on 6 months once the next book is scheduled to be released.

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well done as usual

he continues to meet the standard as a military history author. while also being entertaining to read (listen) the narrator no doubt helps.

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great but way too much alliteration...

As detailed as his other two WW2 histories, but this edition has an annoyingly aggravating amount of alliteration, after which I need an avalanche of Advil.

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Wordy description of post-Guadalcanal campaigns

Narration is clear, varied, well done.

This is a thorough, meticulous description of land, air, and sea battles following the Guadalcanal campaign. As such it fills in important gaps in the telling of post Guadalcanal Solomon battles. Few books focus on this time period. There is much to learn from this important well explained, exciting contribution to understanding WW2 war in the south-western pacific.

However, it is also wordy and replete with cumbersome identifications of general officers and unit designations.

It is best to have a map in hand while listening. Otherwise, it is too difficult to follow battle locations and sequences.

Recommended for scholars and devoted WW2 enthusiasts.

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Good listening!

I enjoyed the book, it covers much of period of the pacific war that many other sources just ignore. Thank you!

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Lots of facial material

I liked the book overall but some of the occrances were overlapping and sometimes confusing to follow

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Amazing detail and a great book to listen to.

The amount time spent on research for this book it took to write and then to publish has to be a very large number.
Great!!

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Enlightened

I thoroughly enjoyed learning aspects of this particular chapter of the Pacific War that I hadn’t known before. Also, the narrator did a wonderful job!

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Another Homerun!

I was so pleased to see this book come out. Always appreciate the author’s depth of story detail while keeping us within reach of the bigger picture. What sets the author apart is the willingness to take on the story of the Solomons which is usually glossed over by other authors after Guadalcanal. I also appreciate the witt and sarcasm. I hope we have more books from the author.

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Definitive Account of Solomons Campaign

The definitive account of the Solomon campaign.

I’ve listened to all three of his books now regarding the Solomons campaign. I didn’t realize it was a trilogy until I completed the first one. They have become progressively better.

Overall, one of the best military histories I’ve ever read. It is detailed, thorough, and meticulous, but it never drags, or becomes onerous. Largely because the writer and narrator add the witty sarcasm that adds humor to a very serious subject.

By this third book in the trilogy, there are many new things which I was not familiar with as the Solomons campaign waned down to closure at New Georgia,Papua New Guinea, and the Northern Slot. I really enjoyed the authors, witty sarcasm, typically not a good trait for literature, especially history, but he pulls it off quite well. This third narrator is the best of the bunch. He is very good, one of the best I’ve heard in military history. I’m not sure if the prose is written the way he narrates it, but he certainly improves upon it if not.

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