The richly illustrated books of this series describe the design and development of the rivals and anlalyze their strengths and weaknesses through an examination of the key elements of each design, armament and characteristics. Also explored is the training the combatants received. Digital artwork allows the reader to relive the thrill and terror of the fight as these two opponents battled for supermacy.

Book description:
Although the war in the Pacific is usually considered a carrier war, it was the cruisers that dominated the early fighting. This thrilling duel presents the cruiser clashes during the battles for Guadacanal , highlighting the Battle of Savo Island and the Battle of Cape Esperance. The first was a Japanese victory that resulted in the loss of four Allied cruisers. However, in the latter, the Americans managed to turn the tables despite the battle being fought throughout the night. This book presents a view of the design and development of the opposing weapons systems, illustrated with newly commissioned digital artwork. It uses firsthand accounts to bring the battles to life and explain why the Americans suffered early on, but eventually had their revenge.

Contents: Introduction - Chronology - Strategic situation - Design & Development - Technical specifications - Combatants - Combat review - Analysis (statistical data) - Conclusion- Bibliography and further reading.

Author/s: Mark Stille
Illustrator/s: Howard Gerrard & Paul Wright
Publisher: Osprey Publishing
Pages: 80
Language: English
Edition: 1
Year of publication: 2009
Dimensions: 25 x 18.5 cm
Binding: Paperback
Weight: 0.27 kg