As a WWII history buff, I have noticed striking differences in emphasis between the services (Army and Navy) in how they recorded their respective histories. The Army created an agency to record its official history (the big green books if you have seen them), while the Navy created no official history (Samuel Eliot Morison wrote an unofficial, less exhaustive history albeit still useful). Similarly, there is a great amount of good biographies, histories, and studies in command of the Generals of WWII (think of Eisenhower, Marshall, MacArthur, and Patton), while similar works of Naval leadership are few and far between. Potter's "Nimitz" is the only biography of that great leader.

Spruance also received short shrift in the way of bigraphies (in fairness, neither Nimitz or Spruance would consent to an "official" biography - and both were written after their deaths). Buell's work is the only one studying the leader of the Battle of Midway. Those desiring to advance their knowledge of WWII history will definitely get something out of "The Quiet Warrior," but the book is written primarily for the military professional by a military professional (Buell was a student at the Naval War College when he began "Warrior").

As such, this book is strongest when it delves into the planning of campaigns that Spruance's Fifth Fleet conducted and weakest when it attempts to recount the making of the Admiral. I most enjoyed the chapters discussing Spruance as Chief of Staff for Nimitz, Planning and execution of the Gilberts and Marshalls operations, and that of the Battle of the Philippine Sea.

I felt that Buell came up short in his examination of the Naval Academy years, his early shipboard life and lessons that he took from that time, and how he ran his ships. This information is most valuable to the Naval Officer. Also, I felt that "The Quiet Warrior" failed to capture Spruance's thoughts on events of significance in the Pacific Theater that did not directly affect the Admiral. An example is the Typhoon that battered Halsey's Third Fleet after the Battle of Leyte Gulf. We know from Potter's "Nimitz" that the CINC reprimanded Halsey for poor decisions that resulted in the loss of several ships during the Typhoon. Buell makes little mention of the event, that must have been a topic of discussion for Spruance and staff. In this instance, it appears that Buell opted for an incomplete history rather than the possibility of inciting a controversy. I wish that he had pulled the string a bit harder in this case.

All told, "The Quiet Warrior" is a great read. It is expecially valuable as a lens for examining the U.S. Navy during the first half of the Twentieth Century and one that I recommend without reservation.