Lost at Guadalcanal: The Final Battles of the Astoria and Chicago as Described by Survivors and in Official Reports Paperback – Illustrated, October 18, 2010

Love the book. There are many other books that try and tell this account but generally are fairly brief. This book goes into much more detail of the events of the USS Chicago which I appreciate, due to in part, that my great grandpa was one of those navy pilots that flew off of the USS Chenango to perform an air patrol, on Jan 30th 1943, over the Chicago while it was in tow.

Using historical naval documents and eyewitness accounts from that scarce and rapidly declining national treasure, World War II naval veterans, Lost at Guadalcanal does a wonderful job of telling the story of two lost and almost forgotten World War II heavy "treaty" cruisers, the USS Astoria and the USS Chicago. Domagalski goes into depth about why these two ships were built the way they were, their capabilities, their role in fleet tactics, and, of course, the battles that brought these ships down. The book also does a nice job taking the reader through the individual life stories of many of the crew from their lives before joining the Navy, their training and jobs on the ships, their individual perspectives of the battles, and the eventual sinking of their ships, to where these men are today. Hopefully, there are more books on the horizon from this meticulous and talented author.

The Chicago and the Astoria were both heavy cruisers involved in the disastorous Battle of Savo Island. The Chicago survived that battle only to be lost a few months later. The great strength of this book is the recounting of shipboard life and the horrors of combat by the sailors who served aboard the ships. A sailor's eye view is distinctly different than a commander's and the horror of modern naval combat is well portrayed.

The book was fascinating. When I received the book, I started reading with the intent to put it down after the first few pages. Now, after completing it in two nights, I am thirsting for more books by this author. The author does a great job of piecing together a compelling story from many angles. Having had a father who fought in the war, I am grateful that we are preserving history. Let the heroics of the men described in the battles of Guadalcanel serve as an inspiration for current society.

Book goes into pretty good detail about the reasons behind the "treaty ships" at the time. Also great information from former crew members and how the ships were lost during the Guadalcanal campaign.

This is a wonderful book. The author has conducted comprehensive research which has resulted in excellent attention to historical detail which brings out how seemingly minor occurrences can have profound impact on the course of battle. The personal observations of men who were there are particularly compelling and provide a rich, powerful picture of the personal side of the conflict.

Great book and I just found out this last veterans day that my Brother (who has now past), was interviewed and told his account of the sinking of the USS Chicago when his was on it at the time and there was a picture of him Thomas Robert Sheble.

I don't usually read this type of book - my interest is more tactics and hardware, but I was very impressed with the authors ability to put me into the heads of the crew and feel the battle. Very descriptive.