Bull Halsey was a daring and aggressive leader who played an important role in the American victory in the Pacific War. However, his relentless drive caused him to repeatedly place the men under his command at unnecessary risk. This truth was perhaps most succinctly put by the fictional Captain Ramius in The Hunt for Red October, who remarks in passing to an American admirer, “Your conclusions are all wrong. Halsey acted stupidly.”

Sébastien Roblin holds a master’s degree in conflict resolution from Georgetown University and served as a university instructor for the Peace Corps in China. He has also worked in education, editing and refugee resettlement in France and the United States. He currently writes on security and military history for War Is Boring.

Image: USS Iowa during a target exercise. Wikimedia Commons/U.S. Navy