PearlHarbor...Midway...Guadalcanal...TheMarianas...LeyteGulf...IwoJima...Okinawa.ThesearejustsevenofthetwentybattlesthattheUSSEnterprisetookpartinduringWorldWarII.NootherAmericanshipcameclosetomatchingherrecord.Enterpriseistheepic,heroicstoryofthislegendaryaircraftcarrier—nicknamed“thefightingestship”intheU.S.Navy—andofthemenwhofoughtanddiedonher.America’smostdecoratedwarship,EnterprisewasconstantlyengagedagainsttheJapaneseEmpirefromDecember1941untilMay1945.Hercareerwaseventful,vital,andshort.
Shewascommissionedin1938,andherbomberssankasubmarinejustthreedaysafterthePearlHarborattack,claimingthefirstseagoingJapanesevessellostinthewar.ItwastheauspiciousbeginningofanodysseythatTillmancapturesbrilliantly,fromescortingsistercarrierHornetasitlaunchedtheDoolittleRaidersagainstTokyoin1942,toplayingleadingrolesinthepivotalbattlesofMidwayandGuadalcanal,toundergoingtheshatteringnightmareofkamikazestrikesjustthreemonthsbeforetheendofthewar.BarrettTillmanhasbeencalled“themanwhoownsnavalaviationhistory.”He’sminedofficialrecordsandoralhistoriesaswellashisowninterviewswiththelastsurvivingveteranswhoservedonEnterprisetogiveusnotonlyastunningportraitoftheship’suniquecontributiontowinningthePacificwar,butalsounforgettableportraitsofthemenwhoflewfromherdeckandworkedbehindthescenestomakesuccesspossible.Enterpriseiscreditedwithsinkingorwrecking71Japaneseshipsanddestroying911enemyaircraft.
ShesanktwoofthefourJapanesecarrierslostatMidwayandcontributedtosinkingthethird.Additionally,41menwhoservedinEnterprisehadshipsnamedafterthem.AswithWhirlwind,Tillman’sbookontheairwaragainstJapan,Enterprisefocusesonthelowerranks—themenwhodidtheactualfighting.Heputsusintheshoesoftheteenagesailorsandtheircaptainsandexecutiveofficerswhorantheshipday-to-day.HeputsusinthecockpitsofdivebombersandotherplanesastheycareenoffEnterprise’sflightdecktoattackenemyshipsanddefendheragainstJapaneseattackers.Wewitnesstheirnumeroustriumphsandmanytragediesalongtheway.However,Tillmandoesnotneglectthetopbrass—hetakesusintothewardroomsandheadquarterswherelarger-than-lifeflagofficerssuchasChesterNimitzandWilliamHalseysetthebroadstrategyforeachcampaign.Butthemaincharacterinthebookistheshipitself.“TheBigE"wasatonceawarshipandahumaninstitution,vitallyuniquetohertimeandplace.Inthislast-minutegrabataquicklyfadinghistory,BarrettTillmanpreservestheEnterprisestoryevenasherfliersandsailorsaredepartingthescene.