The Quiet Warrior Audiobook By Thomas B. Buell cover art

The Quiet Warrior

A Biography of Admiral Raymond A. Spruance

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The Quiet Warrior

By: Thomas B. Buell
Narrated by: Chris Monteiro
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Regarded as the standard biography of World War II naval hero Adm. Raymond A. Spruance. Spruance, victor of the battles of Midway and the Philippine Sea and commander of the Fifth Fleet in the invasions of the Gilberts, the Marshalls, the Marianas, and Okinawa, is one of the towering figures in American naval history. Yet his reserved, cerebral personality did not make "good copy" for correspondents, and until the publication of The Quiet Warrior he remained an elusive figure. Thomas Buell has succeeded in evoking the nature of the man as well as recording the achievements of the admiral in this brilliant biography, which won the Alfred Thayer Mahan Award for Literary Achievement the year of its publication.

©1987 United State Naval Institute (P)2023 Tantor Armed Forces Military Military & War Naval Forces Wars & Conflicts World War II Biography War Imperial Japan Air Force
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I try to read all the books on the great commanders of WW2. If you like this like these type of books I strongly recommend this book. One of the great Admirals of the 20th. But also becomes an Ambassador after the which I'm sure alot of people probably didn't know.

Evan's Review

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It’s a really good book very fair with criticism and praise of Raymond that is rarely seen

The details are great

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I love the book. Very detailed in the historical events of the acts of a great admiral.

Great admiral!

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Liked personal side of a fine moral officer amidst constant horrors. His composure was unique

Deep dive into personality of Adm Spruance

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If you are a WW2 history buff this is for you from the start at Pearl Harbor to Okinawa

Great story

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The factual content was useful in forming a picture of the man.

The author's opinions and moral judgements were not.

This was a reasonably good account of Adm. Spruance's life and career.

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Well written story about one of the principal architects of the US victory of the second world war.

A GOOD Story About A Great Man

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His effective use of his naval staff and his steadfast confidence in most decision he made.

His personality

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In my formative years as naval aviator, I was very interested in carrier operations in the Pacific during World War II, particularly the Battle of Midway. During my research, I developed an admiration for Admiral Spruance and his actions in that battle. Largely because of the overall lack of information on the Admiral and his life, the narratives of this pivotable event colored my overall concept of him as a man, a leader, and a naval officer.
My key takeaway from Thomas Buell’s book is that while Spruance was frequently the right man at the right time, he was still human and had flaws like anyone else. First and foremost, I found his leadership style to be in conflict with what I had been taught. For example, it appears he was more concerned about getting his sleep and exercise than in providing leadership and assistance to the officers on his staff. These men were overworked and under tremendous strain, with little guidance from the Admiral. When Spruance did not want to be disturbed, which seemed to be most of the time, his staff had to make "best guess" estimates of the Admiral's desires. Woe betides anyone who interfered with his “me” time. I found him to be a taciturn individual, seemingly unable to deal with interpersonal relationships and conflicts. There is much to criticize in the “micro-manager” leadership style, but the “hands-off” style Spruance seemed to favor is equally problematic. A balance must be struck between the two extremes. I believe a good example of such a leader would be Admiral Chester Nimitz.
Buell’s research was excellent, no doubt complicated by the lack of background available on Spruance. Unlike Halsey or MacArthur, both of whom loved the limelight and could not pass a microphone or a newsman without making some kind of comment, Spruance kept to himself and left little behind but the official war diaries and letters to his wife. Still, Buell was able to bring some reality to the legend. It is a very good biography of a famously private man, but sadly as a result my esteem for the Admiral has been diminished somewhat. The old saying is true, “You should never meet your heroes”.
Chris Monteiro's narration was excellent.

You Shouldn't Meet Your Heroes

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