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The Mighty Moo: The USS Cowpens and Her Epic World War II Journey from Jinx Ship to the Navy’s First Carrier into Tokyo Bay

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The Mighty Moo is the tale of how a scrappy little World War II aircraft carrier and its untested crew earned a distinguished combat record and beat incredible odds to earn 12 battle stars in the Pacific.

The USS Cowpens and her crew weren’t your typical heroes.  She was a flattop that the US Navy initially didn’t want, with a captain nearly scapegoated for the loss of his last command, pilots who self-trained on the planes they would fly into combat, and sailors that had been in uniform barely longer than the ship had been afloat.  Despite their humble origins, Cowpens and her band of second-string reservists and citizen sailors served with distinction, fighting in nearly every major carrier operation from 1943 to 1945, including the Battles of the Philippine Sea and Leyte Gulf.  Together they faced a deadly typhoon that brought the ship to the verge of capsizing, and at war’s end there was only one US aircraft carrier in Tokyo Bay to witness the Japanese surrender—The Mighty Moo. 

In the years to follow, Cowpens’ service has become the wellspring for a remarkable modern tradition, both within the US Navy and the small Southern town that still celebrates her legacy with a festival every year. The Mighty Moo is a biography of a World War II aircraft carrier as told through the voices of its heroic crew—a “Band of Brothers at sea.”
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"The epic voyages of USS Cowpens in the Second World War encompass and illuminate the greatest naval campaign in history. This is an insider look at one of the most storied ships of the U.S. Navy, the Mighty Moo, and is a powerful and moving story in every dimension."―Admiral James Stavridis (ret.), former Supreme Allied Commander at NATO, and author of To Risk it All: Nine Conflicts and the Crucible of Decision

"Emblematic of the over-looked role of light carriers in World War II, the USS Cowpens nonetheless fought in every major Pacific campaign from Wake Island to Tokyo Bay. From the ship’s log and the diaries and letters of her crew, Nathan Canestaro has crafted an epic tale that is at once both the story of a ship and an intimate portrait of the men who sailed aboard and flew from her deck. As Admiral Halsey signaled, 'Well done!'"
 ―Walter R. Borneman, author of The Admirals: Nimitz, Halsey, Leahy, and King

“Canestaro's riveting narrative zooms us from the air group's daring attacks to smash the Japanese Navy to the desperate hours of Typhoon Cobra… This is a jaw-dropping tale of American sailors at war overcoming every challenge they faced with loyalty and heroism. This book is simply outstanding and a long needed addition to the story of the Pacific War.”
 ―John R. Bruning, author of Race of Aces: WWII's Elite Airmen and the Epic Battle to Become the Master of the Sky

“I love a good naval history. Ian Toll and James Hornfischer are two of my favorite writers on the subject. I now have added a third: Nathan Canestaro. In the Mighty Moo, he takes a personal family story and brings it to stirring life, chronicling the epic journey of a ‘jinxed’ ship and its crew as they face down incredible adversity to reach the heights of naval glory in WWII.”
 ―Neal Bascomb, New York Times bestselling author of The Perfect Mile and The Nazi Hunters

About the Author

Nathan Canestaro is a professional intelligence officer whose research on his grandfather’s service in World War II led to a decade-​long effort to uncover the story of Cowpens and her crew. Currently on assignment to the National Intelligence Council, Nathan has twenty-​five years of experience writing about military operations for policymakers in the US government. He has graduate degrees from the University of Tennessee, Georgetown, and Yale, and lives outside Washington, DC, with his family. This is his first book.

Review:

4.9 out of 5

97.50% of customers are satisfied

5.0 out of 5 stars Well written and detailed

A.C. · June 5, 2025

(function() { P.when('cr-A', 'ready').execute(function(A) { if(typeof A.toggleExpanderAriaLabel === 'function') { A.toggleExpanderAriaLabel('review_text_read_more', 'Read more of this review', 'Read less of this review'); } }); })(); .review-text-read-more-expander:focus-visible { outline: 2px solid #2162a1; outline-offset: 2px; border-radius: 5px; } Very well researched and riveting history. The personal stories fill out the combat record and make this a personal story. Highly recommended.

5.0 out of 5 stars Mighty Moo! Excellent!

H.D. · February 7, 2025

I really loved the detail, research and historical facts the writer put into this book. I am a little bit biased because my father was a fighter pilot stationed on the USS Cowpens, also known as the Mighty Moo. If you like history, this is a great read.

5.0 out of 5 stars Great accurate account

U. · January 25, 2025

Having organized the Mighty Moo museum in Cowpens , SC and made numerous presentation on the Moo to various organizations, I can with authority state this is extremely well researched and written account of a little know but significant early response to Pearl Harbor. Thank you for this great book!

4.0 out of 5 stars Well written unit history that provides insight into US light carrier operations during WW2

B.H. · December 28, 2024

This is a very good unit history of a US light aircraft carrier in WW2/SWW. There is a narrative history of the USS Cowpens. Canestaro also tells the story of the ship's crew and the air groups that called her home - providing perspective from ship's captain to officers to enlisted in different roles. The Mighty Moo also discusses the unique aspects of light carriers - their role in helping fill a need for more flight decks and the challenges air crew and ship crew faced - smaller flight deck, a natural tendency to list, and inadequate space for crew due to the limits of the cruiser hulls they were built on.Canestaro also discusses the relationship between the USS Cowpens and town of Cowpens in South Carolina.A well written unit history that will provide insight into US carrier operations during WW2 and in particular, the role and challenges of light carriers.

5.0 out of 5 stars Great

T. · January 13, 2025

I bought this book because my dad was mentioned in itThis book describes everything about the war and beautifully written

5.0 out of 5 stars This author did his research!

K.C. · December 11, 2024

Canestaro did his research.What an excellent book. So well written and detailed. Thank you for taking the time to explore the story of this ship and share it.

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent read!

A. · August 24, 2024

I have a personal interest in this book because my father served on the Cowpens aka The Mighty Moo. Dad was like many of the men who served in WWII, he didn’t share much with his family about his experiences during the war. Nathan clearly and concisely crafted a narrative about this ship that anyone could understand. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I highly recommend it.

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent story of an individual ship and its crew

J.W.G.M. · August 27, 2024

Very engaging book.I enjoyed the story of the Light carrier at war, had not read much about them previously.The turnover amongst the flight crews due to training and other accidents was astounding to me. It met or exceeded combat losses, something I think most people, including me did not understand that pilots had to accept when flying from this class of carrier.

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The Mighty Moo: The USS Cowpens and Her Epic World War II Journey from Jinx Ship to the Navy’s First Carrier into Tokyo Bay

4.8

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