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Rating: 
Summary: Thorough, But ...
Review: Based largely on US after-action reports and oral histories, with some reliance on Japanese sources and other accounts, "Red Sun Setting" is one of the few stand-alone accounts of the Battle of the Philippine Sea published. On the whole, Y'Blood manages to both tell the story in detail and keep a lively pace. Beginning with the development of the US decision to take the Marianas (quite a bit more convoluted than I had thought before), Y'Blood quickly moves to the actual engagement, focusing particularly on submarine and aerial action.In fact, my only criticism of the book is that while it goes into very great detail about the aerial engagements -- and, admittedly, the battle was a clash of naval air forces -- it seems relatively light on the strategic and tactical considerations immediately before and during the battle. This applies particularly to the Japanese forces. Thomas Buell's fine biography of Raymond Spruance, who commanded the US naval forces during the battle can help fill in the gap on the American side. I haven't read Samuel Eliot Morison's account of the battle in detail, but suspect it might present a more well-rounded view as well. Those two accounts, however, necessarily omit a great deal of the detail and information contained in Y'Blood's account. "Red Sun Setting" is recommended to fill in a gap about the Marianas campaign that likely exists in many Pacific War libraries.
Rating:
Summary: Thorough, But ...
Review: Based largely on US after-action reports and oral histories, with some reliance on Japanese sources and other accounts, "Red Sun Setting" is one of the few stand-alone accounts of the Battle of the Philippine Sea published. On the whole, Y'Blood manages to both tell the story in detail and keep a lively pace. Beginning with the development of the US decision to take the Marianas (quite a bit more convoluted than I had thought before), Y'Blood quickly moves to the actual engagement, focusing particularly on submarine and aerial action. In fact, my only criticism of the book is that while it goes into very great detail about the aerial engagements -- and, admittedly, the battle was a clash of naval air forces -- it seems relatively light on the strategic and tactical considerations immediately before and during the battle. This applies particularly to the Japanese forces. Thomas Buell's fine biography of Raymond Spruance, who commanded the US naval forces during the battle can help fill in the gap on the American side. I haven't read Samuel Eliot Morison's account of the battle in detail, but suspect it might present a more well-rounded view as well. Those two accounts, however, necessarily omit a great deal of the detail and information contained in Y'Blood's account. "Red Sun Setting" is recommended to fill in a gap about the Marianas campaign that likely exists in many Pacific War libraries.
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