Dark Waters, Starry Skies - by Jeffrey Cox

About the Book

A fast-paced and absorbing read of the final months of the vital Guadalcanal-Solomons Campaign during the Pacific War.

Book Synopsis

Esteemed Pacific War historian Jeffrey Cox has produced a fast-paced and absorbing read of the crucial New Georgia phase of the Guadalcanal-Solomons Campaign during the Pacific War.

Thousands of miles from friendly ports, the US Navy had finally managed to complete the capture of Guadalcanal from the Japanese in early 1943. Now the Allies sought to keep the offensive momentum won at such a high cost. Determined not to repeat their mistakes at Guadalcanal, the Allies nonetheless faltered in their continuing efforts to roll back the Japanese land, air and naval forces.

Dark Waters, Starry Skies is an engrossing history which weaves together strategy and tactics with a blow-by-blow account of every battle at a vital point in the Pacific War that has not been analyzed in this level of detail before. Using first-hand accounts from both sides, this book vividly recreates all the terror and drama of the nighttime naval battles during this phase of the Solomons campaign and the ferocious firestorm many Marines faced as they disembarked from their landing craft. The reader is transported to the bridge to stand alongside Admiral Walden Ainsworth as he sails to stop another Japanese reinforcement convoy for New Georgia, and vividly feels the fear of an 18-year-old Marine as he fights for survival against a weakened but still determined enemy.

Review Quotes

"Drawing on vivid recollections from participants in the great struggle for the Solomons and from other primary sources, Cox delivers a fast-paced, detailed and highly readable account of the pivotal struggle in the South Pacific. The reader will find Dark Waters, Starry Skies a rich and rewarding experience." --History of War

"This is an excellent book, providing a highly detailed and engaging account of the Solomons campaign." --The Naval Review

"One of the best-ever books written about the Pacific War's Guadalcanal-Solomons Campaign conducted between the first of March and the end of October 1943...the definitive history of the most critical episode in the Pacific War...sobering, riveting history." --ARGunners

"A definitive and engrossing history which that deftly weaves together both strategy and tactics, enhanced for the reader with a blow-by-blow account of every battle at a vital point in the Pacific War..." --Midwest Book Review

"This work is thorough and well written. The level of detail in the text demonstrates the extensive research done on both combatants. The numerous first-hand accounts bring the actions to life with their vivid descriptions." --WWII History Magazine

"The research is spot on and woven in a nice, generally chronological order. You get a real feel for the campaigns, strategy, and action... Enjoyed it." --HMGS

About the Author

Jeffrey R. Cox is a litigation attorney and an independent military historian. A student of history, international affairs, and defence policy for most of his life, his first book was the critically acclaimed Rising Star, Falling Skies (2014) about the Java Sea campaign. This was followed by two volumes on the Guadalcanal-Solomons campaign: Morning Star, Midnight Sun (2018) and Blazing Star, Setting Sun (2020). He resides in Indianapolis.