Destroyer Battles: Epics of Naval Close Encounters

Fast, maneuverable, and heavily armed, destroyers were the most aggressive surface warships of the twentieth century and fought in many battles. This book recounts the most significant and unusual actions in their history. From torpedo boat-destroyer actions by the Japanese against the Russian fleet in 1904 through the two world wars, to the Falkland Islands in 1982 and the attack in 2000 on USS Cole, the author paints a vivid picture of their hardfought battles. With individual chapters devoted to each incident, the book may be read as a series of dramatic narratives, but, taken as a whole, it provides a sweeping history of destroyer warfare from an unusual angle.