I liked "The rapier that Evans and Peattie pointed the IJNAF out to be, the brittle weapon of a range fighter, had been thrust against the hardened steel of the USN and had shattered, leaving the IJN with but a dagger." (Wish I could write like that! "Brilliance of metaphor", as MacArthur put it.)
My mother's brother Fred Carpenter was on the ENTERPRISE from 1940 to about May 1943. He was an Aviation Machinist's Mate Chief at the time of Santa Cruz, and short of his twenty-fifth birthday. He flew rear seat on the famous SBD, old Slow But Deadly, and TBMs. At Santa Cruz he was the senior Chief in flight deck and hanger deck damage control. Fred said that Santa Cruz was the hardest and most close run action he saw. My uncle was a very brave man and a clear thinking engineer in later life. He taught me the meaning of Honor, and Duty, for which I am forever in his debt.
My own personal belief is that Santa Cruz was as critical as any event in the Pacific War, equal to Midway. Americans do not realize what our people did in 1942, the terrible strategic risks, and the acceptance of death required of our people on the sharp end.
One last point. This was Halsey's finest hour, defending Guadalcanal, and thank the Lord he was there.