James Bauer grew up during the war where an uncle served to inspire intense interest in the naval aspects of the early years of the Pacific War. After service in the submarine and destroyer fleets, he pursued a career in engineering systems. On retiring to a farm in Iowa, he discovered the boyhood home of Admiral Frank Jack Fletcher and recognized him as the key figure of that period of his studies of the Pacific War and finding that, even in his hometown, the Admiral is little known. Bauer set out to tell of his accomplishments. This expanded to display other lesser known aspects of that war that had been gleaned over the years and is told for a new generation that may know of the great victories, but does not know of the early years when we were losing. It was in those early years where Fletcher with skill, courage and more than a little luck was able to shortened that war and save thousands of lives. Fletcher deserves a book to spread the word and Bauer has done it.