At 52, a US Navy captain refused a relaxed observer course and instead learned to fly from scratch, becoming the oldest aviator in Navy history at the time. This episode maps the contradictory life of William Bull Halsey, from aspiring doctor to five-star fleet admiral.

We explore how torpedo boats hardwired his offensive instincts, how he seized command after Pearl Harbor, revitalized Guadalcanal, and how those same traits led to disaster at Leyte Gulf and in Typhoon Cobra.

• The 1904 turret flareback that left him superstitious about the number 13
• Why he missed Midway and recommended the cautious Spruance instead
• The necktie order and the morale shift in the South Pacific
• Chasing decoy carriers and the world-wonders message at Leyte Gulf
• Sailing his fleet into typhoons and the paradox of his leadership