The Battle of Leyte Gulf - which in fact was four separate actions, none of which were fought in the Gulf itself - was the greatest naval battle in history. This book is a detailed and comprehensive account of the fighting from both sides. It provides the context of the battle, most obviously in terms of Japanese calculations and the search for 'a fitting place to die' and 'the chance to bloom as flowers of death.'Using Japanese material never previously noted in western accounts, H. P. Willmott provides new perspectives on the unfolding of the battle and deliberately seeks to give readers a proper understanding of the importance of this battle for American naval operations in the following month. This careful interrogation of the accounts of 'the last fleet action' is a significant contribution to military history. H. P. Willmott has written extensively on warfare in general and the Second World War in particular. Among his books are "Empires in the Balance"; "The Barrier and the Javelin"; "The Great Crusade"; "Grave of a Dozen Schemes: British Naval Planning and the War against Japan, 1943-1945"; and, "When Men Lost Faith in Reason: Reflections on Warfare in the Twentieth Century". He is a native of Englefield Green, Egham, Surrey.