December 1944, the Pacific theater: General Douglas MacArthur has vowed to return to the Philippines. He will need the help of Admiral William "Bull" Halsey's Third Fleet. But at the height of the invasion, Halsey's 170 ships are blindsided by a typhoon of unprecedented strength and scope. Battleships are tossed like toys, fighter planes are blown off carriers, destroyers are capsized, and almost nine hundred sailors are swept into the roiling, shark-infested sea. For three days, small bands of survivors fight dehydration, exhaustion, and the elements to await rescue-but ultimately almost eight hundred will perish. This is the story of World War II's most unexpected disaster, one of its most devastating tragedies, and a daring rescue mission-a heart-pounding true tale of men clashing against the ruthless forces of war and nature. Book jacket.