 200,000 Miles Aboard the Destroyer Cotton
C. Snelling Robinson
Narrated by J. M. Ross
Available from Audible
Book published by The Kent State University Press
In mid-June 1943, Snelling Robinson, a 20-year-old Harvard graduate and newly commissioned ensign in the U.S. Naval Reserve, joined the pre-commissioning crew of the Fletcher class destroyer USS Cotten. The new crew trained for the remainder of the summer and t hen sailed to Pearl Harbor in time to join the newly established Fifth Fleet. Under t he command of Admiral Raymond Spruance, the Fifth Fleet was given orders to invade Tarawa in the Gilbert Islands in November 1943. This offensive, along with naval battles in the Philippine Sea, the Leyte Gulf, and the invasion of Iwo Jima in February 1945, is chronicled from the perspective of a young deck officer and is integrated with the background of the larger conflict, including the politics of command. After Japan’s surrender, the Cotten became a part of the Occupation Force anchored in Tokyo Bay. Robinson deftly narrates how he and his friends took advantage of their good luck and brought their roles in the war to a fitting conclusion.
REVIEWS:
“This is a great book. Very detailed without being boring. It took me back to my days as a naval officer aboard ship.”
—William T. Hadley “This book is a hand-crafted jewel. I heartily recommend it to anyone interested in an unblinking account of the great sea war of the 1940s.”
—Joseph H. Alexander “Rottenberg has done a superlative job, tracking down hundreds of bits of information, collating indirect references, and interviewing many surviving relatives.... An invaluable resource.”
—Publishers Weekly “Among the many examples he gives of Drexel’s influence, the most surprising is that Drexel’s money and mentoring created the legendary J. P. Morgan.”
—Philadelphia Inquirer “Rottenberg uncovers the full story of this powerful and elusive figure, who cultivated the young Morgan and brokered the nation’s extraordinary growth.”
—Bloomberg Personal Finance
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