For 5 years, I served as a Docent on the U.S.S. Hornet, CV 12 in Alameda, California. This museum ship, sister of CV 13 Franklin, is open to visitors who care to see what these ships were about. In my Engine Room tour, taking 20 visitors down to bottom of the ship for an hour, I would spend some 10 minutes telling the story of the Franklin. As often as not, there would be tears. In the Forward Engine Room, at the bottom of the main control panel, there is mounted a control box with the brass label CV13, originally from the Franklin.

A.A. Hoehling had written The Franklin Comes Home, a good book that earned it BlueJacket Navy. Inferno was much richer in its read and the human elements. Highly recomended.

With all of the WW2 men rapidly dying off, it is not likely that we'll get the stories of most of the other Essex Carriers. Each fought the war from its own unique perspective and accomplishments. Thank you Mr. Springer for telling this story. As a high school teacher, our students have no sense of reality or proportionality about war, gallantry, and 1,000 men dying in less than an hour. It's here, in this book.

Mention of the U.S.S. Franklin brings to mind CV-13 in extremis off Japan, the 872-foot long ship cloaked in towering columns of smoke as multiple explosions tore the carrier apart. Yet, as revealed in Joseph Springer's marvelous book, the Franklin's story was much fuller than just that brief moment of agony in March 1945. World War II fans will want to pick up a copy of INFERNO for it's a wonderfully-written, first-class recounting of the life and times of a gallant ship and crew.

Prior to March 1945 CV-13 had a productive career. Commissioned in January 1944, Franklin and her Air Group ran up an exemplary record with Task Force 38, pounding various Japanese islands, sinking numerous ships including the giant BB Musashi, etc. In November CV-13 entered drydock to repair damage from a kamizake strike. CAPT. James Shoemaker, her popular skipper, was replaced by CAPT. Leslie Gehres, an overbearing, foul-tempered martinet whose subsequent conduct remains a shameful part of CV-13's history. Hundreds of new crewmen, many raw recruits, joined the ship before she sailed for the war zone in February 1945. Assigned to TF 58, Franklin was engaged in strikes against Japan on 19 March when a lone Judy dive-bomber slipped in and dropped a single 551-lb. bomb that devastated the ship. After many hours of horror and heroism - and at the cost of 798 KIA - the ship was saved. Subsequently repaired, CV-13 saw no further combat. Serving in the peacetime Navy, Franklin was stricken from the register in 1966 and sold for scrap.

The book's back cover uses the word "riveting" in describing the book. That it is but it's also a well-researched, well-constructed book that clearly and logically introduces the reader to the world of a World War II Essex-class carrier. Springer devotes early pages to describing the ship, a great help when he later takes the reader into the ship relating the horrendous effects of the Judy's bomb on Franklin's lower levels. Likewise his descriptions of Naval equipment, procedures and tactics are well-done and devoid of needless jargon. Lastly he makes extensive use of first-person reminiscences and seamlesly blends those sections into his narrative.

Make no mistake about it: INFERNO is great reading and Springer is one fine writer. Highly recommended.

In this exciting book, author Joseph A. Springer tells the tale of the USS Franklin and her fight to survive against the Japanese.

"Big Ben" was one of over twenty Essex-class aircraft carriers built during World War II. Measuring over 800 feet long and carrying 90+ aircraft, Big Ben and her sister ships had brought the war right to Japan's doorstep by the early spring of 1945. The Franklin had served in numerous campaigns since her commissioning, earning a remarkable battle record along the way.

In March, 1945, the Franklin and the rest of the Big Blue Fleet were poised less than 60 miles from Japan. Franklin's planes were assigned to bomb airfields suspected of housing kamikaze aircraft. The Franklin had a run-in with a kamikaze the previous fall which resulted in the loss of many men and necessitated her return to the mainland for repairs. While undergoing refit, the Franklin received a new captain, Leslie Edward Gehres. He was a by-the-book captain who regularly belittled his crew. The crew members took an immediate dislike to Gehres, and this only grew worse as time went on.

On March 19, 1945, a single Japanese Judy dive bomber weaved through the intense flak put up by the Americans and dropped a single bomb square on the deck of the Franklin. During the next twenty-eight hours, the Franklin fought for her life as huge explosions racked the ship. Hundreds of men were killed and many were blown off the ship due to the raging fires. There were numerous acts of heroism and gallantry as the crew fought to save the ship. The light cruiser USS Santa Fe moved alongside the Franklin to assist with the firefighting as well as evacuating the wounded.

Finally, the ship's fires were brought under control and a tow line was rigged between the Franklin and the heavy cruiser USS Pittsburgh. The Franklin was towed out of harm's way until she could steam on her own. In the end, the Franklin was able to steam all the way back to New York for repairs. But, 798 men were killed and 487 wounded in this terrible attack. Captain Gehres threatened to court-martial the men who had left the ship, including the ones who were blown over the side. He made up little cards and distributed them to the men who had remained on the ship. He also refused to let the survivors who left the ship sail back to the United States aboard the Franklin.

This is an excellent book. What makes the book so good is the oral histories provided by the surviving crew members. These brave men give the reader a vivid picture of what it was like to serve on the Franklin. They also pulled no punches in describing their dislike of captain Gehres. The best part was the survivors' description of the dive bombing attack and how they banded together to save the ship.

I give this book my highest recommendation. Oral histories are the best way to really learn about an event, and Joseph Springer has used the oral histories contained in this book to paint a picture of what it was really like to serve on a fleet carrier in World War II. The interwoven text provided by Springer is informative as well. World War II history fans will definitely enjoy this fine book.

I bought four copies of this book because I served on the USS Franklin and wanted my children to know about that duty. Since the first purchase I have purchased two more copies to loan to friends.

For any reader interested on life on a carrier in war time this fills the bill. Despite being aboard at the time I learned more about what we were doing when and where.A situation resulting in two Congressional Medals for heroism on the same ship on the same day warrants a history buff's interest. Joe Springer has written the best version of this tale.

This is one of the best of its kind. Factual, great pictures and interviews. Author pulls no punches.

You watched the PBS documentary, The War, from Ken Burns which purportedly was an oral history depicting WWII from the soldier-level point of view. It was a fine attempt but fell short of the goal in comparison to Joseph A. Springer's Inferno as he takes us on board the USS Franklin (a.k.a Big Ben) and into battle with the sailors and airmen who fought for our freedom. The reader benefits from a reduction in scope from global conflict to one in which a sailor blown overboard cannot see beyond the next ocean swell. From this perspective, one can begin to understand the war in a personal way.

A well-crafted book, we are taken "from the keel, up" as Inferno begins with Big Ben's specifications and construction as well as crew training and shake down. After laying the proper groundwork, the book quickly moves the reader into naval operations as a fast fleet carrier, dealing death and destruction along a vast swath of the South Pacific including many famous battlegrounds; Iwo Jima, Peleliu, Luzon, Manila, Leyte, and Honshu. In carefully organized interviews, we are taken into the cockpits and gun turrets of dive-bombers, torpedo planes and fighter aircraft in the words of the men who were actually there. Riveting action reports, aircrew survival stories and eyewitness bomb damage assessments make it seem as if we are inside the minds of the frightened, but brave young men risking their lives to do their duty.

Inferno notes that aircraft carriers were high-value targets commanding the special attention of Japanese aviators who flew through the Battle Group to zero in on flattops. Big Ben's size and importance led to one of the the Navy's first encounters with Japan's Divine Wind - their suicide Kamikaze attack planes - where they delivered a severe blow to the Franklin off of the Philippines in October 1944. This first successful attack by the Kamikaze forced Big Ben back to Bremerton, WA for repairs. Call it fate or bad luck, but this was not to be the last time that she would taste the sting of battle and catastrophic damage. A few short months later in March 1945, she would experience the near-fatal bomb attack off of Honshu that would define her crews' courage and valor as they saved the ship and brought her back to New York where she was nearly rebuilt - but never the same.

The book strives to restore honor to the entire crew as the vindictive actions of a misguided captain attempted to segregate the crew into the Big Ben 704 Club - those sailors and airmen that remained on board during the entire ordeal - and those who did not; even if they were blown overboard by exploding ordnance, forced off due to flames and heat, removed to a rescue vessel as a result of injury or simply because they were ordered to abandon ship. Springer's Inferno makes it clear that All Hands of the U.S.S. Franklin, and those on the rescue vessels, were the real heroes of this heart-rending struggle.

First class photos, maps, illustrations and an information-packed Addendum lend clarity to the story and help to hold the many details together in a concise and compelling manner. If you are ready for a hard-to-put-down book, Inferno: The Epic Life and Death Struggle of the USS Franklin in WWII should be on your Christmas list.

Retired Aircraft Weapons Specialist of the United States Air Force Joseph A. Springer presents Inferno: The Epic Life and Death Struggle of the USS Franklin in World War II, the true story of the aircraft carrier USS Franklin (CV-13), known throughout the fleet as "Big Ben". One of twenty-four Essex-class fast carriers built during World War II and formed the backbone of the U.S. Navy during the war against Japan, Big Ben participated in island campaigns of the central and western Pacific, the Battle for Leyte Gulf in the Philippines, and strikes against Honshu and Kobe Harbor. Big Ben suffered casualties from the dreaded Japanese kamikaze, and was nearly sunk by a 250-kilogram bomb that set off a chain reaction of exploding aviation fuel and ordnance. Though Big Ben appeared mortally wounded and endured severe loss of life - a loss that would have been even greater if not for the heroism of the remaining crewmembers and the efforts of the USS Santa Fe to take the wounded to safety. A gripping true story of bravery and sacrifice, featuring the words of men who served aboard "Big Ben" as well as a handful of black-and-white photographs. A welcome addition to naval and World War II history shelves.

As a relative of a survivor of the FRANKLIN, I would say this is a fantastic book. I think I have just about everything written on the FRANKLIN except the battle reports as well as over 300 volumns on the Pacific champaigh having studied it for twenty years. I have also met many of the crewman qouted in the book. The coverage of the first cruise is unique not having been covered previously. This gives such a realistic and personnal touch. The details are forthright and reflect the actual conditions. As to a "Pro-Gehers" opinion, there is a man from Capt.Gehers' home town who is suppose to be writing the captain's biography. I agree holdhartedly with the previous review.

Okay, Boomers, you saw Saving Private Ryan, and you think you know just how bad WWII could be? That was war in Europe, that was the Army. There was also the war in the Pacific and the BlueJackets. The boys in the Navy, you know, the ones that had the cushy assignments: 3 hots and a bunk.

This book is a must read for anyone who fancies themselves WWII history buff, but really it's a great read for anyone, it's so well written and so compelling. It's an oral history, so a great deal of the material is told in the words of the men who were there. Springer has a perfect ear for capturing just the right material from his interviews to move his story forward and yet still capture the flavor of the real deal. He's also not afraid to put conflicting accounts justaposed, which ironically gives it more credibility (fog of war). He also puts in just the right amount of his own prose to give the reader the historical context. There are also excellent diagrams, maps and appendices to provide more detail.

The other thing any reader needs to know before purchasing is that this is a very specific account of life (and death) aboard the USS Franklin, it's not and does not try to be a history of the war in the Pacific. I have no clue why Amazon is suggesting patton, italy or eisenhower as tags.

It's a wonderful account of the truly astounding acts of bravery of the younger members of "the Greatest Generation" in their own words, captured thankfully before we lose these precious people to the winds of time. It's also an account of the incredible and intractable ego of their commander, which led to the devastation of the Franklin in the first place. Ego can be a great thing in a leader but it can also lead to stupidly irrational 'reasoning', and truly disastrous results, as demonstrated here.

A minor regret: I wish someone (anyone) who thought Gehres was a good leader (Springer states there were many) would have gone on the record with some detail as to why they felt that way. It would have made the story more complete in my mind. Who were these people and why did they feel that way? I can accept that somebody would be a good leader in peace but not in war, or that a commander would be a good leader on a cruiser or a battleship but not on a carrier, or that he had managed to control his ego previously, but as he got older, it raged out of control. I just wish I knew what the case was here. In any case, Springer certainly makes his case that Gehres was a catastrophe leading the Franklin.

Most of all, the book truly proves at all levels, large and small, that individuals matter, even (or perhaps especially) in the military. I can't wait to get Springer's The Black Devil Brigade: The True Story of the First Special Service Force in World War II

As a naval history buff I am fascinated with the subject of naval oral histories. This book is the best there is. Inferno! tells the untold story of the aircraft carrier USS Franklin, a ship that arrived in the Pacific theater after the Marianas Turkey Shoot. If you are looking for a happy-go-lucky story of World War II combat, you won't find it here. What you will find is a passionate, compelling, brutalaly honest, and sometimes tragic story of the Franklin told in the words of the crewmen. I was suprised at how much information is in the this book. It reads very fast and once you get used to the characters in the book you can't wait to turn to the next page. Joseph Springer writes in a panoramic view, placing the reader aboard a Hellcat fighter, a Helldiver dive bomber, or a Avenger torpedo bomber during the battle of Leyte Gulf, or aboard the Franklin when the ship was hit by Kamikazes and Japanese bombs off Japan in March 1945. Inferno! pulls no punches in describing war's brutality, and the fortitude and courage of the crew who saved the ship when all hope seemed lost. Almost as compelling is the side story of the captain and how he treated the crewmen who ended up in the water. The part of the story overshadowed the heroic actions of the crew. The captain decided against better judgement not to call the crew to general quarters when he was told a Japanese bomber was nearing the ship. [...] All of this is brought out in chilling detail in Inferno!.

This book is as realistic as you can get. The oral history is a cross-section of humanity, compassion, terror, and the struggle for survival, all told by the men who were there in the flames. Most of all Inferno! left me with a sadness and a full understanding of life and death in the navy during World War II. It is a wonderful read. It left me wanting more.