Award-winning author William L. McGee has crafted a history of the revolutionary World War II landing craft and the brave men who manned them. McGee's careful research, hundreds of interviews, and a point-blank writing style combine to capture the very essence of the amphibians' assignments in the World War II 'Gator Navy. Includes a brief history of amphibious warfare from the Revolutionary War to the 1942 Guadalcanal and North Africa campaigns. Focuses on the Earlybird Flotilla Five LCTs, LSTs and LCIs, from design and construction, to on-the-job warfare training in the Southern Solomons, all for preparation for their first invasion of enemy-held territory, Operation TOENAILS.