Pearl Harbor Books

The correct full title of this book is: "Pearl Harbor Fact and Reference Book: Everything to know about December 7, 1941". It provides a strict "Question & Answer" format. Little snippets of interesting trivia; but many of the answers are too short -- it provides the "fact" but misses in analyzing the importance of the "fact." It reviews how various U.S. military leaders dismissed the "crazy" idea that the Japanese were capable of attacking the U.S. fleet based at Pearl Harbor; all too many officers thought that the Japanese simply couldn't plan and carry out such of a hair-brain idea. It reveals that the U.S. defenders thought they were far-better prepared in repulsing any surprise Japanese attack than what they actually were. It notes how U.S. destroyers discovered midget Japanese submarines before the attack, how the Army's radar tracked the in-coming Japanese aircraft, and it reveals how there seemed to be no real serious coordination as to how these incidents were to be analyzed and reported to higher commanders for their alerting our defenses in a timely manner. It presents a list of the U.S. warships based at Pearl, and lists the names of the attacking Japanese warships. (Because of its strait "Q&A" format, it is not as fun nor as interesting to read as is the much-needed companion paperback "Pearl Harbor Amazing Facts" by T. Benford.)

This is apparently a book which is sold at the Pearl Harbor memorial in Hawaii. It was written by Captain William T. Rice, USNR (Ret). The best thing about this little book is the full color pictures on every page, and the short but detailed information on each US ship that was lost.

This book has limited information about the bombing of Pearl Harbor, but the information it does have is good. Testimonials are included from both American and Japanese survivors of the attack. Of particular interest to me was the story of Kichiji Dewa, a crew member of the submarine I-16. He describes the launching of a midget submarine that they were carrying on their deck. Pilot Haruo Yoshino's story of his torpedo attack on the USS Oklahoma is informative as well. Also mentioned in the book is Kazuo Sakamaki, a crew member of one of the midget submarines that tried to enter Pearl Harbor. Sakamaki's submarine was damaged and lost its way. After spending many hours trying to enter the harbor, Sakamaki and his other crew member were forced to abandon their submarine. The crewman died, but Sakamaki made it to shore where he was captured by an American soldier. Sakamaki became the first Japanese prisoner of World War II.

This book is very short, but it does contain some good information, and the pictures and maps are very good. This is a good introductory book about Pearl Harbor, but I would recommend something larger for a more complete analysis of the attack.

It looks strange to have a color photograph of the aftermath of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on the cover of this book since we tend to think of World War II as having been fought in black & white. Indeed, the photograph on the cover is the only one in the pages of "The Rise of Japan and Pearl Harbor" that is in color, which just goes to prove my point. In her introduction, which appears at the start of all of the volumes in the World War II Chronicles, Julie Klam sets up the leaders on the two sides of the conflict and provides maps of the German conquests and the Pacific campaign. The latter is obviously of more value for this second volume in the series.

Klam begins by tracing the rise of military government in Japan following the Treaty of Versailles in 1919 to the invasion of Japan in 1931 and the establishment of the strongest navy in the Pacific by 1940. Chapters are devoted to the Japanese atrocities in China, and the "diplomatic war" between the United States and Japan that led up to the attack on Pearl Harbor. The rest of the books follow the Japanese tide of conquest covering the attacks on Wake Island and the Philippines, the sinking of the British ships HMS "Prince of Wales" and HMS "Repulse," the surrender of Singapore, and the Battle of the Java Sea.

However, in the last few chapters the tide turns against the Japanese. After introducing young readers to America's top commander (General George C. Marshall, Henry H. Arnold, and Douglas McArthur and Admirals Ernest J. King and Chester W. Nimitz) Klam looks at the Battle of the Coral Sea, the activities of "Vinger Joe" Stilwell in the China-Burma-India Theater, and the pivotal naval Battle of Midway which finally turned the tide. I wish there were more details about that last battle concerning the almost unbelievable series of events that resulted in a decisive U.S. victory, but Klam's focus is on giving young readers an introduction to the first half of the war in Pacific through June 1942 without getting down to the level of military strategy and tactics.

The volume is illustrated with historic photographs and posters and has a glossary of over a dozen terms from Allies to Tripartite Pact. The information provided is a bit more specific than you would find in a standard American history textbook, which is precisely the point of a series like this. Klam's other volumes in the World War II Chronicles covers "Europe in Flames," Air War!", "The War at Home," "From D-Day to V-E Day," and "Victory in the Pacific."

This is generally an excellent account of the japanese and Chinese Nationalist military operations in China from 1937 until Pearl Harbor. It far exceeds any other English language account of the Sino Japanses war for this period. The battle descriptions are usually detailed, suprisingly clear and far more interesting than those in the droll and convoluted Japanese monogrpaphs and Nationalist official histories that serve as the major sources. Dorn does well in reconciling conflicts and discrepancies between the sources.

Several decades old the book is rather dated. It is unfortunate Dorn did not write s sequel covering the war from 1942-1945, while updating this work with a new edition. The account becomes sketchy in those few areas, where I suspect Dorn lacked reliable primary source material, but for the most part his book is enlightening.

It is a vivid account of the Pearl Harbour attack. the author starts by scrutinising the circumstances and decisions that prompted the attack and left the United States so unprepared, looking at Japan's objectives in South East Asia, the political and economic developments which drew them into conflict, and at American strategic thought.

On 7 December 1941 the United States of America was attacked without warning or provocation. That event was a direct attack on the American Fleet based at Pearl Harbor. It was, as the president later stated; "A day which will live in infamy," and so it does.

Unfortunately for the Japanese Navy, however, the US Aircraft Carriers were many miles away at sea and so remained unscathed. They were later to play the most vital role in the forthcoming war. It has often been said that had they also been at anchor in Pearl Harbor on that day, the outcome of the entire War in the Pacific might have been very different. Personally I take the view that the outcome would have been the same - only the time taken would have been much longer.

This author takes the reader from that catastrophic attack right through a catalogue of events to September 1945 when General Douglas MacArthur accepted the surrender of the Japanese. In so doing, Japan became the only nation in history to unconditionally surrender to a foreign power without one single foreign soldier ever having set foot on her homeland soil.

From the Appointment of Admiral Nimitz as he succeeded Admiral Kimmel (who was eventually held to blame for that Japanese attack which brought the USA into the war - although it is difficult to see what any other commander might have done bearing in mind the USA was not aware of any impending attack at the time), through conflict after conflict, almost island by island, this author does a most thorough job.- and tells the story very well indeed.

If you really want to know what the War in the Pacific was all about, this is an excellent choice.

NM

On 7 December 1941 the United States of America was attacked without warning or provocation. That event was a direct attack on the American Fleet based at Pearl Harbor. It was, as the president later stated; "A day which will live in infamy," and so it does.

Unfortunately for the Japanese Navy, however, the US Aircraft Carriers were many miles away at sea and so remained unscathed. They were later to play the most vital role in the forthcoming war. It has often been said that had they also been at anchor in Pearl Harbor on that day, the outcome of the entire War in the Pacific might have been very different. Personally I take the view that the outcome would have been the same - only the time taken would have been much longer.

This author takes the reader from that catastrophic attack right through a catalogue of events to September 1945 when General Douglas MacArthur accepted the surrender of the Japanese. In so doing, Japan became the only nation in history to unconditionally surrender to a foreign power without one single foreign soldier ever having set foot on her homeland soil.

From the Appointment of Admiral Nimitz as he succeeded Admiral Kimmel (who was eventually held to blame for that Japanese attack which brought the USA into the war - although it is difficult to see what any other commander might have done bearing in mind the USA was not aware of any impending attack at the time), through conflict after conflict, almost island by island, this author does a most thorough job.- and tells the story very well indeed.

If you really want to know what the War in the Pacific was all about, this is an excellent choice.

NM

On 7 December 1941 the United States of America was attacked without warning or provocation. That event was a direct attack on the American Fleet based at Pearl Harbor. It was, as the president later stated; "A day which will live in infamy," and so it does.

Unfortunately for the Japanese Navy, however, the US Aircraft Carriers were many miles away at sea and so remained unscathed. They were later to play the most vital role in the forthcoming war. It has often been said that had they also been at anchor in Pearl Harbor on that day, the outcome of the entire War in the Pacific might have been very different. Personally I take the view that the outcome would have been the same - only the time taken would have been much longer.

This author takes the reader from that catastrophic attack right through a catalogue of events to September 1945 when General Douglas MacArthur accepted the surrender of the Japanese. In so doing, Japan became the only nation in history to unconditionally surrender to a foreign power without one single foreign soldier ever having set foot on her homeland soil.

From the Appointment of Admiral Nimitz as he succeeded Admiral Kimmel (who was eventually held to blame for that Japanese attack which brought the USA into the war - although it is difficult to see what any other commander might have done bearing in mind the USA was not aware of any impending attack at the time), through conflict after conflict, almost island by island, this author does a most thorough job.- and tells the story very well indeed.

If you really want to know what the War in the Pacific was all about, this is an excellent choice.

NM

On 7 December 1941 the United States of America was attacked without warning or provocation. That event was a direct attack on the American Fleet based at Pearl Harbor. It was, as the president later stated; "A day which will live in infamy," and so it does.

Unfortunately for the Japanese Navy, however, the US Aircraft Carriers were many miles away at sea and so remained unscathed. They were later to play the most vital role in the forthcoming war. It has often been said that had they also been at anchor in Pearl Harbor on that day, the outcome of the entire War in the Pacific might have been very different. Personally I take the view that the outcome would have been the same - only the time taken would have been much longer.

This author takes the reader from that catastrophic attack right through a catalogue of events to September 1945 when General Douglas MacArthur accepted the surrender of the Japanese. In so doing, Japan became the only nation in history to unconditionally surrender to a foreign power without one single foreign soldier ever having set foot on her homeland soil.

From the Appointment of Admiral Nimitz as he succeeded Admiral Kimmel (who was eventually held to blame for that Japanese attack which brought the USA into the war - although it is difficult to see what any other commander might have done bearing in mind the USA was not aware of any impending attack at the time), through conflict after conflict, almost island by island, this author does a most thorough job.- and tells the story very well indeed.

If you really want to know what the War in the Pacific was all about, this is an excellent choice.

NM