Pearl Harbor Books

Nice detailed reference on the battleship Arizona. Detailed history. Very useful collection of pictures. Great reference for modelers.

When the pacage arrived from Amazon, I did realise that it would be such a big book just on one Battleship! The detail for any history buff, model maker is great. A good purchase but you will need a reading table to hold it!

Mr. Stillwell has brought BB-39 to life in a way that hasn't been matched by anyone else who has attempted. His rendering of the life of the ship from her birth in the NY Navy yards to her death in the waters of Pearl Harbor is amazing in its clarity & detail.

OK, some detail might be lacking for the technical buffs but his description of the construction, manning, & day-to-day operation of a US naval vessel in the 1st half of the 20th century is superlative. He blends both the hardware & the human element so that Arizona & her crew leap off the pages as a living, breathing combination of steel & flesh.

Highly recommended for those who are interested in the Arizona herself & for anyone who would like to know many of the hows & whys of US Naval operations between the wars.

PS: Scale modelers invariably recommend "Battleship Arizona" as -the- definitive work to those who are researching details of BB-39 for their own modeling projects.

IN A NUTSHELL: AN ILLUSTRATED READER THAT INCLUDES TECHNICAL APPENDICES

One could say that the above says it all.

WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT: THE LIFE & DEATH OF THE ARIZONA AND HER CREWS

In great detail, this book begins as the ship's keel is laid, [16 MARCH 1914] with a picture of FDR who was on hand as the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for the ceremony. It ends with the aftermath of Pearl Harbor. Included, after the end of the book, are 5 appendices that include all the information that modelers and naval history enthusiasts will be seeking.

FOR THOSE READERS THAT ARE A LITTLE IMPATIENT - -

The first seven chapters of the book is about the peacetime life aboard one of the U.S. Navy's super-dreadnoughts. It is an interesting and well illustrated historical reader.

This changes abruptly for Chapter 8, "DAY OF INFAMY" which details a basic reconstruction of the morning of December 7, 1941, as it pertains to the Battleship Arizona. Highlighted most of all are the individual acts of heroism and the selflessness of many of the crew in their desperate efforts to save their fellow crewmen, their ship and themselves. Also included is a sketch which illustrates where the damage to the ship occurred, which is a huge aid in understanding what happened so quickly to the Arizona on December 7, 1941. This is short, seemingly all too short, but one must realize that the Arizona's magazines' exploded only about 10 minutes after the attack began. 1177 men of the Arizona's crew were killed in that short time with only 337 survivors, many of whom were on leave so they were not there at the time. In other words, about 85% of the crew on-board were killed in basically ten minutes. Nevertheless, the detail is quite accurate and more importantly, easy to follow and appreciate.

Chapter 9, "AFTERMATH" is pretty gruesome in some places, but this is after all a rather gruesome real life disaster. This chapter does include the attempted salvaging of the Arizona and some stories about the men who remained on board [forever in most cases].

THE APPENDICES: HISTORIAN & MODELERS HEAVEN

- APPENDIX 1 - CHRONOLOGY from 1916 - 1941, 42 pages includes a great deal of day to day missions and events of interest.

- APPENDIX 2 - COMMANDING OFFICERS - DATES INCLUDED

- APPENDIX 3 - CREW LIST - 7 DECEMBER 1941, includes fatalities and survivors separately of both the Navy and Marine Corp. Includes summary at the end.

- APPENDIX 4 - A SAILOR'S LETTERS - SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES

- APPENDIX 5 - SHIP'S DATA, include detailed specs with individual breakdown of the weights of different components of the ship [eg. armor, machinery, hull etc.] both originally and after the modernization in 1931.

Within Appendix 5 there are numerous sketches [1:600 scale] which are probably copies of the ships blueprints. These are detailed to show individual compartments and components and are labeled. The alterations that were made to the ship over time have been included. A very important addition.

BOTTOM LINE:

Paul Stillwell and "The Naval Institute Press" have another winner in this volume.

I chose to read The Illustrated History of the Battleship Arizona, written by Paul Stillwell. This is not the first book of this format that he has written The Illustrated History of the Battleship Missouri, follows the same format as well. The book started in the shipyard as the U.S.S. Arizona was being built then the author takes you through the daily routine of the ship as if you were a sailor on the great battleship. You feel as though you're in the middle of Pearl Harbor looking over the Arizona as the battle is taking place. The ship was built in 1918, and was the pride of the Pacific fleet threw out the 20's. The Arizona was featured in a Famous movie called, Here Comes the Navy. After Pearl Harbor the ship was made into a now world famous memorial.

This had been one of the best books I had ever been able to read there is so much information given on this great ship, and the pictures make the ship come alive. I would suggest this book to anyone who has an interest in ships and the way they run, or a fan of history. I have not read any other books that Paul Stillwell has written, but if they are half as good as this one I would recommend it to anyone.

The Second World War completely changed its major participants and exacted some huge sacrifices from all involved. This and other books about the people who did the fighting shows how similar the attitudes were on all sides. The main character changes some of his thinking after the war, but his thoughts and actions during the war are really interesting, especially when compared to the thoughts and actions of the people on other sides.

If ever a book (other than the Bible) showed the divine hand and providence of God, this is it. I wish I could have met the man.

Excellent detailed story of Pearl Harbor's lead Navy pilot who through special circumstances wrought only by God found himself after the war travelling in the USA with Billy Graham and preaching the Gospel in Christian Crusades.

A friend of mine introduced me to this book in April of this year. He told me it was unlike any book about the Pacific war that he had ever read. Although skeptical at first, I sill went ahead and purchased the book. I left it on my book-shelve for several months and forgot all about it. As I began packing up in July to move I noticed this book again, so I picked it up and began reading it. I found the style of writing extremely fluid, and the chapters were concise. This well balanced account of Mitsuo Fuchida life traces it from his days as an Imperial naval aviator to Christian evangelist. 'God's Samurai' is a truly inspirational book filled with numerous accounts of honor, bravery, loyalty, and sacrifice - all the codes of a Samurai warrior. I have enjoyed this book tremendously, and I have just begun reading, 'Midway: The Battle That Doomed Japan: The Japanese Navy's Story' by Mitsuo Fuchida, Roger Pineau (Editor),Masatake Okumiya(Contributor). Both 'God's Samurai' and 'Midway' are 'must-have' books for anyone who is truly interested in the Pacific war and naval battles!

An awesome true story. Definitely one of the three best books I've read in the past decade. In a time like this of Osama bin Labens and shocking inter-civilizational conflict, Fuchida's life story shows how true reconciliation and inter-cultural brotherhood can be experienced. It gives hope in spite of the huge obstacles to inter-cultural understanding. A powerful human interest story. Don't miss it!

The role of the American army in the Pacific between the Spanish-American war and the Second World War is often forgotten. Most don't even know the American army ahd a role so far away from home. Indeed the army was small but the stakes were high. In the wake of the war with Spain in 1898 the U.S gained a number of small protectorates and colonies in the Phillipines and Samoa and elsewhere. Eventually this became part of a defense system, but it was not merely to defend against outsiders. The Army also had a role with the local people and creating institutions. Moreover it also had to fight insurgencies that took place in the Moro area of the Southern Phillipines where Muslim insurgents fought Americans. The insurgency goes on to this day. However at the time the likes of General Pershing were used to put down this uprising with the least possible loss in lives.

This fascinating and detailed book opens up a new history of the American army and its role in the Pacific.

Seth J. Frantzman

Linn notes that the big question of WWII is, "why, with almost four decades to prepare, these (US Army) military forces proved unable to defend the nation's Pacific possessions against Japan." The author notes that the traditional approach has been to focus on events in the short-term prior to Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor and the Philippines, however his effort is to, "offer a somewhat longer perspective through a narrative history of the U.S. Army in Hawaii and the Philippines from 1902 to 1940....its task is not to delineate the road to Pearl Harbor, but to illuminate the numerous paths the army trod in its long search for a viable Pacific defense....For years it had foreseen both the threat and its own inability to ward it off." From a strategic perspective, this book does a good job of putting America's failure into context. It points out that although the surprise attack of 7 December 1941 was not detected, from a military capabilities standpoint there was little the Army could have done. Although I believe one needs to be careful with historical parallels, a student of strategy can see how political and economic considerations drive strategy. Indeed, a similar issue between today (2004) and then was the tension between what is required to hold ground when forces are deployed vs. the ability to deploy and sustain those same forces over a great deal of distance.

During the first forty years of the 20th Century the U.S. Army had the mission of protecting the Philippine and Hawaiian Islands from attack by the nation of Japan. Although Japan was not originally thought to be a threat, from the 1922 Naval Conference onward the army high command considered Japan as the only real threat in the Pacific. This book provides a unique and very good history of what came to be known and the U.S. Army of the Pacific.

The book provides a good deal of fascinating information on all aspects of the Pacific Army from the life of enlisted men to the strategic thinking that informed its planning. But perhaps the most interesting theme running through it is how the U.S. Army identified the Japanese threat to the U.S. Pacific Islands and sought to mitigate it.

Because of budget and manpower constraints imposed by congress, the U.S. Army in the period between the WWI and WWII was incapable of fighting any kind of war. Yet as this book shows that did not prevent the Army General Staff and the Department Staffs of the Philippines and Hawaii from developing often very well thought out strategies for the defense of the islands. In the case of the Philippines the Archipelago was first considered vital to U.S. interests in the Western Pacific and a keystone in U.S. strategy. Gradually this view changed and by the thirties, the Philippines were considered indefensible against Japan and a strategic liability. Army planners sought to minimize the U.S. military presence there. This same thinking made Hawaii and especially the Pearl Harbor naval base on Oahu the keystone of a defensive arc running from Alaska to Panama which was designed to protect the U.S. Pacific Frontier.

One thing that is clear from this book and that is that the Army General Staff and the Islands' Departmental Commands were quite accurate in their defining the potential threats posed by Japan and fairly realistic in planning defensive strategies against those threats. For example the army was only too aware that the elaborate harbor defense systems that defended Pearl Harbor and Manila Bay were obsolete almost from the day they were completed. Still army planners at both the General Staff and department level tried to develop effective defensive plans. The problem was, as this book states, that there was a tradition that developed early on that allowed department commands to override general staff planning and design their own defensive plans. Thus in 1941General Short of the Hawaiian Department defined the threat from Japan primarily in terms of sabotage while the General Staff correctly saw it as a threat from air attack.

Brian Linn believes that the American annexation of the Philippines damaged rather than helped the U.S. position in East Asia. Even before the outbreak of the Second World War, American military planners knew that the Philippines were extremely vulnerable to Japanese invasion but were relunctant to raise a native force that could also be a threat to the American Army. The security problems only became worse when before the attack on Pearl Harbor, MacArthur authorized the defence of the entire Philippines and not just the Bataan peninsular. As a result of America's fear of a native force to protect the Philippines and MacArthur's overly ambitious plans, the United State suffered a humiliating defeat to the Japanese in 1942. I would reccomend this book foy anyone who believes that a new American empire would enhance national security but has ignored the disasterous example of the American experience with the Philippines.

This is a splendid and pioneering study of the Army in the Pacific, a subject badly in need of more light that it has hitherto received. It brings the Pacific Army to life in a way that no one else had even attempted.

Like any book, however, it has its limitations, and as is usually true it is the ones that author was not aware of (at least at the time) and did not flag for our attention that we must take most care of. In this case the principal limitation lies in strategic view.

The Philippines, as the author makes clear, never had any intrinsic significance for the United States (or for the earlier colonial power, Spain, for that matter) -- no riches or resources to be reaped. The sole significance of the islands lay in their position. Initially, Americans had calculated (like the Spaniards before them) that possession of Manila would provide an important advantage in gaining the rewards of the rich China trade. Luzon and the rest of the islands simply came with the deal. Almost as soon as they had been seized, however, other events eroded Manila's importance in this role greatly. (Perhaps we should say "seeming importance," as there never were the prospects which had been envisioned in 1898.) Finding themselves in possession of a colony of little value, Americans not unnaturally felt reservations about spending large sums to garrison and defend it. Thus a purely nominal force was assigned to its defense, adequate only for internal security and the assertion of sovereignty. The oft-proclaimed "bastion" of the Philippines was in reality no more than a sentry post, bound to be overrun quickly in any serious assault. To invest in a real Philippine fortress or in mobile forces strong enough to quickly relieve it would involve an expense that few Americans could see as justified.

Distant events changed all that. By the late 1930s, of course, the propensity of Japan for aggressive military expansion was manifest, but that did not seem particularly threatening in itself, given that the economic resources of the country were so small relative to those of the U.S. But the outbreak of the European War in 1939, followed by the Nazi defeat of France and threat to Britain in 1940, heightened American security concerns vastly. Then in September, 1940, Japan joined the Axis Pact, making itself an ally of Germany. Japan had intended this to change American perceptions and it did that, but not in the way that had been hoped. Japan ceased to be a disagreeable nuisance in a distant place and instead clearly became a potential part of a serious threat, to be blocked if possible and crushed if necessary. Very suddenly, the importance of the Philippines' geographic position changed dramatically.

It is this transition that Prof. Linn misses in focusing on the local realities rather than the global strategic picture that dominated the awareness of Washington decision-makers in 1940-41. This broader reality is well presented in Waldo Heinrichs, "Pearl Harbor in a Global Context," in _Pearl Harbor Revisited_, edited by Robert W. Love, Jr. (London: Macmillan, 1995) (ISBN 0312095937), and in more extended fashion in the same author's _Threshold of War: Franklin D. Roosevelt and American Entry into World War II_, (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988) (ISBN 0195061683). For the same issue from a different perspective see Gerhard L. Weinberg, "Global Conflict: The Interaction Between the European and Pacific Theaters of War in World War II," in _Germany, Hitler, and World War II: Essays in Modern German and World History_, (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1995) (ISBN 0521474078), or his book, _A World at Arms: A Global History of World War II_, (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1994) (ISBN 0521558794).

Beginning with the Japanese occupation of Vietnam in July of 1941, thereby making manifest their determination to continue down the road of active alliance with Hitler, the U.S. began to rush all available military power to the Philippines, reserving only that which was essential to the security of America itself. But years of penuriousness and neglect had left the cupboard largely bare, and re-armament was yet to produce major material results. So the Philippine defenders, like the exposed sentry, became casualties of the brutally inexorable logic of war. Brian Linn's book provides a major and largely-overlooked piece of this picture, but is somewhat weak on the overall context.

There are also other sources which the interested reader may wish to consult in order to get a fuller picture. These include John J. Stephan, _Hawaii Under the Rising Sun: Japan's Plans for Conquest After Pearl Harbor_, (Honolulu: University of Hawai'i Press, 1984) (0824825500) and the article by Richard B. Meixsel, "Major General George Grunert, WPO-3, and the Philippine Army, 1940-1941," _Journal of Military History_, 59, No. 2 (Apr 1995): 303-24. Both offer insights not fully captured by Linn. In a more recent article, "Manuel L. Quezon, Douglas MacArthur, and the Significance of the Military Mission to the Philippine Commonwealth," _Pacific Historical Review_, 70, No. 2: 255-92, Meixsel introduces some new evidence regarding the events in the Philippines in the 1930s and uses it to call into question some of Linn's claims.

While I have focused on its limitations, I want to emphasize again that this is a very valuable and unique book, even taking them fully into account.

I bought this used from an Amazon dealer after seeing it mentioned in a New York Times article about my favorite television series - "Mad Men". The book doesn't really document the kind of lifestyle and businesses practices lampooned in Mad Men but it's a fun and interesting book if you are old enough to remember the products and the ad campaigns.

It's not hard to see why the book is no longer in print. Readers who are unfamiliar with Braniff Airlines or the book "Portnoy's Complaint" will find many of the references to then-current events and popular culture obscure and confusing. The book was evidently written in August or September of 1969 as the author refers to a huge rock festival in Bethel, New York but not by the name "Woodstock".

The book drags a bit at times - there is more information here about competitive practices in the late 60s Advertising Business than most people are going to care about. But if you enjoy learning about how and why American beer drinkers would never want a "Lite Beer" and how advertising would never again be as dumb as the Certs commercials ("it's a breath mint" "no, it's a candy mint") it's an extremely funny and entertaining read.

Like the reviewer above, I read this book when I was in college and it's one of the reasons I'm an advertising copywriter today. Great anecdotes and the story of modern advertising during its formative years. I must have read this book some five times. Della Femina and George Lois are my heroes (Alas, Lois' The Art of Advertising is also out of print).

Jerry Della Femina claims advertising is the most fun you can have with your clothes on. While I might dispute THAT statement a bit (I've been making similar claims about my own profession, journalism), Della Femina does make his point eloquently and elegantly. The book reads as if you were sitting in the room with the author and listening to him sharing great stories with you, and with you only. I have known most of the insides before, but still, the read was absolutely hilarious. And while I was laughing I almost didn't realize there is a serious message behind all this. What message? Read it and find out for yourselves.

Like the reviewer above, I read this book when I was in college and it's one of the reasons I'm an advertising copywriter today. Great anecdotes and the story of modern advertising during its formative years. I must have read this book some five times. Della Femina and George Lois are still my heroes (Alas, The Art of Advertising by Lois is also out of print).

I read this book when it first was published; I must have been in high school at the time. After all these years--20? 30?--I'm still laughing!

As events would transpire, Mr. Della Femina and I ended up living in the same town. Okay, so maybe I live here and he owns it. My favorite reading in this town is the column that Jerry writes for the weekly newspaper...which he happens to own. I usually make copies of this column and send it to friends. Believe me, we all howl.

Considering his prominence in the place where we both live, there's not a month that passes that I don't tell somebody about this book. It was as interesting as it was funny, a primer on the advertising industry written by a man of integrity. (Did you hear the one about the time he got arrested for displaying pumpkins in front of the gourmet shop he owns? Seriously, folks....) Very simply, I think that Jerry Della Femina is a genius. Of course, I give Jerry full credit for the title of this memoir, both the way he crafted the phrase and the sentiment behind it.

A dear friend was doing a very important business deal with a prominent Japanese firm. He and his wife invited me to dinner to help entertain the company's rep on his trip to NYC. After they had invited me, they remembered my enthusiasm for this autobiography. Then, they started to worry that I was going to tell the client (who spoke perfect English) all about Jerry's book. They prevailed upon me to exercise restraint. It was difficult, but I held my tongue.

There are some books which, as a reader, one just can't understand why a publisher would let go out of print. As far as I'm concerned, WONDERFUL FOLKS heads my list.

One of the nice things about Beh Affleck's awful movie was it got people interested in this subject, and a some good books were written for those people to read. Better entertaining than the bomb that they were inspired by.

This one of the better ones. Nicely written. Very informative. Well illustrated both with original art and period photographs. A good read on this subject.

What I liked best about the book were its real-life pictures with facts in the captions. I enjoyed most of the book. My great-grandfather was at Pearl Harbor. I am glad to know now what happened and what went on day by day. It was easy to read in some parts, too. The writing, however, failed to hold my attention after reading only a few pages. Also, the book was about a couple of battles, not just Pearl Harbor. Still, I would recommend this book, especially to someone who wanted to know about our nation's wartime past.

A Fantastic Read

This book is terrific. I really liked the fact that it put the attack in the context of the Second World War. It gives you a good understanding of the conflicts in Europe and the Pacific and helps you to see why the attack was so pivotal. I've never been all that interested in books about war, but this one proved to be engaging and very moving. Susan Wels has done an outstanding job presenting the people and the politics behind this much-discussed event.

Pearl Harbor is a day that our nation will never forget, and this book helps those who weren't there understand why it is imperative to remember. This book draws up a landscape of history that is relevant to the incident, and discusses both prior and after effects of this notorious day.

The book is excellently done, encompassing informative material that allows people to understand many different aspects of the attack, and life at the base, both before and after.

If you enjoy US History, then this book is a wonderful addition to your collection. I keep going back to it to read about different aspects of not just Pearl Harbor, but World War II.

Since I am only 21 years old, it was difficult to grasp the human aspects of such an attack, but this book puts things into perspective.

I will always keep this book, not only as an informative guide, but also as a reminder of America's Darkest Day.

With the recent interest in Pearl Harbor bringing books out of the woodwork, I spent alot of time searching for a comprehensive summary of that "infamous" day. This coffee table book has it all. Stunning photography and wonderful writing. From the start, the forward by Senator Inouye brought tears to my eyes. I've gone over it cover to cover several times and its a treasure!! If you have interest in this important part of our country's history...buy this book!

Rear Admiral Robert A. Theobald makes the case (and a very good one) that Franklin Delano Roosevelt deliberately left Pearl Harbor commanders in the dark with regard to the threat of a Japanese attack in order to rally the American people into entering World War II.

I believe this book makes it abundantly clear that something was amiss in the way the Roosevelt administration handled the intelligence data that indicated Japan was preparing to attack the United States.

While other localities of military interest were fully cognizant of the ongoing evidence, the Pacific Fleet in Hawaii was kept out of the loop. Additionally, Pearl Harbor itself was given orders that were inconsistent with military intelligence and in fact suggest that Pearl Harbor was purposely weakened in order to make it more vulnerable (and hence attractive) to a Japanese attack.

The military officials who were responsible for informing Pearl Harbor of the unfolding events either were collectively incompetent or were given strict orders not to propagate pertinent information to Hawaii. And since many of these commanders reported directly to Commander-in-Chief FDR, Theobald believes (and I concur) that it was FDR's intention to ensure a Pearl Harbor slaughter of sufficient magnitude to change public opinion towards favoring entry into World War II.

On the evidence alone, I believe Rear Admiral Theobald makes a case sufficient to render a guilty verdict on FDR. But it is even more compelling given the documented corruption of FDR throughout his years in office. Of course, his most damnable action was the Yalta Betrayal where he agreed to enslave Eastern Europe to appease Uncle Joe Stalin.

. The sacrificing of American military men and women in order to effect public opinion is unforgivable.

Many of the arguments Admiral Robert A. Theobald makes in this book have been fleshed out further by the research of later writers. In particular, readers familiar with Stinnett's "Day of Deceit" (2000) and Gannon's "Pearl Harbor Betrayed" (2001) will find many of the same arguments, though in a more condensed fashion, here.

The difference, of course, is that Theobald was writing in 1954. And he brings to the table not only the viewpoint of a professional naval officer, but also one who was in fact present in a relatively senior position (Commander, Destroyers, Battle Force) at Pearl Harbor at the time of the attack. His argument is that Roosevelt deliberately backed the Japanese into a position where they had no choice but to launch an attack on the Pacific Fleet -- a fleet that was deliberately weakened, and denied critical information, by orders of the President.

Theobald does a fine job presenting his evidence and drawing (in my opinion) solid conclusions. His problem, unfortunately, is the same as Stinnett's: he lacks the smoking gun that places blame solidly in FDR's lap. The author can draw an evidentiary noose around the President, but can't quite close in the rest of the way. The nearest he can come is a 1945 comment by Admiral Stark that everything he did in the days prior to the attack, including refusing to forward key information intercepted from coded Japanese messages to the commanders in Hawaii, he did on higher orders. Of course, as Theobald points out, Stark was the senior admiral in the Navy. The only "higher" place orders could come from was Roosevelt himself.

If Theobald's analysis has weaknesses (apart from the evidentiary ones), they are (1) his willingness to trust the motives of senior military and naval commanders implicitly, and (2) his apparent agreement with the idea that it was "psychologically essential to the successful prosecution of the war" that the "prestige" of Roosevelt and his Administration not be undermined during the war by suggestions they deliberately precipitated the attack (p. 157). I can't accept this second, but it's his opinion and he's entitled to it. The first weakness is the more serious: Theobald believes senior military commanders of high personal and professional reputation would never willingly do anything to put their ships and sailors at risk. Therefore, he argues, the fact that they did exactly that proves they must have been ordered to do so by FDR himself. This "evidence" seems to assume as much as it "proves."

On the whole, however, this book is an important part of the so-called "revisionist" school of Pearl Harbor scholarship. Later research, including many facts not available to Theobald in the 1950s, substantiates many of his arguments. And if it's still not possible to prove conclusively every part of the statement, "Roosevelt knew the Japanese were going to attack Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941," Theobald's *J'accuse* makes it clear that FDR's hands are, at any rate, far from clean. The "final secret" of Pearl Harbor may always remain exactly that.

Rear Admiral Robert A. Theobald makes the case (and a very good one) that Franklin Delano Roosevelt deliberately left Pearl Harbor commanders in the dark with regard to the threat of a Japanese attack in order to rally the American people into entering World War II.

I believe this book makes it abundantly clear that something was amiss in the way the Roosevelt administration handled the intelligence data that indicated Japan was preparing to attack the United States.

While other localities of military interest were fully cognizant of the ongoing evidence, the Pacific Fleet in Hawaii was kept out of the loop. Additionally, Pearl Harbor itself was given orders that were inconsistent with military intelligence and in fact suggest that Pearl Harbor was purposely weakened in order to make it more vulnerable (and hence attractive) to a Japanese attack.

The military officials who were responsible for informing Pearl Harbor of the unfolding events either were collectively incompetent or were given strict orders not to propagate pertinent information to Hawaii. And since many of these commanders reported directly to Commander-in-Chief FDR, Theobald believes (and I concur) that it was FDR's intention to ensure a Pearl Harbor slaughter of sufficient magnitude to change public opinion towards favoring entry into World War II.

On the evidence alone, I believe Rear Admiral Theobald makes a case sufficient to render a guilty verdict on FDR. But it is even more compelling given the documented corruption of FDR throughout his years in office.

It is sad that America has erected a memorial to FDR in Washington, D.C. The sacrificing of American military men and women in order to effect public opinion is unforgivable. FDR's mythic legacy should be tossed onto the ash heap of history where every other evil and false ideology is placed.

Rear Admiral Robert A. Theobald makes the case (and a very good one) that Franklin Delano Roosevelt deliberately left Pearl Harbor commanders in the dark with regard to the threat of a Japanese attack in order to rally the American people into entering World War II.

I believe this book makes it abundantly clear that something was amiss in the way the Roosevelt administration handled the intelligence data that indicated Japan was preparing to attack the United States.

While other localities of military interest were fully cognizant of the ongoing evidence, the Pacific Fleet in Hawaii was kept out of the loop. Additionally, Pearl Harbor itself was given orders that were inconsistent with military intelligence and in fact suggest that Pearl Harbor was purposely weakened in order to make it more vulnerable (and hence attractive) to a Japanese attack.

The military officials who were responsible for informing Pearl Harbor of the unfolding events either were collectively incompetent or were given strict orders not to propagate pertinent information to Hawaii. And since many of these commanders reported directly to Commander-in-Chief FDR, Theobald believes (and I concur) that it was FDR's intention to ensure a Pearl Harbor slaughter of sufficient magnitude to change public opinion towards favoring entry into World War II.

On the evidence alone, I believe Rear Admiral Theobald makes a case sufficient to render a guilty verdict on FDR. But it is even more compelling given the documented corruption of FDR throughout his years in office. Of course, his most damnable action was the Yalta Betrayal where he agreed to enslave Eastern Europe to appease Uncle Joe Stalin.

It is sad that America has erected a memorial to FDR in Washington, D.C. The sacrificing of American military men and women in order to effect public opinion is unforgivable and traitorous. FDR's mythic legacy should be tossed onto the ash heap of history where every other evil and false ideology is placed.

Book is online @ http://www.rooseveltmyth.com/FinalSecret/index.html

Adm. Theobald wrote a terse yet accurate account of the lying and treason that led to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. This book is a good account of the events that occured before and during Pearl Harbor whereby FDR and his supporters knew of the exact time and date of the attack but refused to inform Adm. Kimmel and Gen. Short of the impending attack which cost the lives of unaware of sailors and soldiers.

Some of the anecdotes in this book include the diplomatic dispatches sent and received by Japanese officials that were well known as early as late October and through November of 1941 which clearly indicated that Japanese were to attack on December 7, 1941. For example, Gen. Short and Adm. Kimmel were never informed of the deteriorating diplomatic relations between the Japanese and American government officials which originated in the summer of 1941. Both commanders were given orders and information that led them to believe that any hostile action might involved sabotage. Neither commander knew of impending war between the Japanese and the Americans, and the officials in Washinton, D.C. made sure that these commanders were not so informed.

Further note should be made of the East Winds Rain Message which was a 14 section message that the Japanese were about to attack Pearl Harbor was never sent to Adm. Kimmel and Gen. Short. In fact, the Japanese diplomatic officials destroyed records and deciphering machines just a couple days before the Pearl Harbor attack. Such destruction is considered a clear indication of war, and neither Adm. Kimmel nor Gen. Short.

While such information has been kept secret in the U.S., such information was well known elsewhere. The Soviets acknowledge that Dr. Sorge, a Soviet spy, informed the Soviets of the Japanesse attack on Pearl Harbor and that the Japanese were abandoning any plans to invade Siberia to get natural resources. The was a break to the Soviets who could transport their Siberian troops to European Russia to face a massive German invasion. While U.S. officials concealed this information, the Japanese authorities gave complete account after World War II was over.

Another point that Adm. Theobald makes is that many subsequent investigations about the Pearl Harbor attack were a facce. When Adm. Kimmel read the transcripts of his testimony, he found it so badly transcribed and mis-quoted that he had difficuly restoring it to some semblence of readibility. During one investigation, government "experts" were so incompetent, but the Republicans refused to attack their credibility. One should note that Harry Stimson, Sec. of War for FDR, was a Republican.

While this book was originallhy published in 1954 and was pessimistic, readers should note that Adm. Kimmel was exonerated by members of the U.S. Congress a few years ago. One should ask why no one raised questions as to was actually responsibile.

Adm. Theobald's book is important and is relevant. Recent disasters incubating in Western Asia (Afghanistan and Iraq) are the result of government lying and attempts at intimidation. Adm. Theobald's book is a good guide for understanding these events.

The Nisei soldier was very well written. I enjoyed reading the personal interviews as they gave insight to what people were really thinking. The book kept my interest because it was told more in the sense of a story than just in factual information put on a page. I was really able to get a better understanding of WWII (results, consequences, causes).

I am a homeschooler using this book to enrich my children's understanding of history. This book presents valuable Japanese prespectives that are not discussed in mainstream education. All of the foreign terms are clearly explained, and the book is very easy to understand. I highly reccomend this book for anyone who is interested in gaining a unique insight into World War II and the Korean War!

In The Nisei Solder: Historical Essays On World War II And The Korean War, Edwin Nakasone draws upon his expertise having taught Asian-American and World War II history from more than 25 years to write a highly informative account of Japanese-American soldiers called "Nisei", who fought to defend American interests, despite discrimination accorded them and their families by the people and government of the United States. The narrative text is rich in descriptive detail, based on Nakasone's own experiences (he served as a Nisei in the U.S. Army's occupation forces in Japan at the end of the war), supplemented with extensive interviews with Nisei soldiers. In addition to offering the reader an informative Japanese-American perspective, Nakasone's essays also explore the Japanese perspectives on World War II not often available to an American reader. The Nisei Solder is a very highly recommended addition to any personal, professional, academic, or community library World War II history collection.

The Nisei Soldier is a fascinating, fast moving account of major historical events. It is chronicled in such a way that one sees the faces of the protagonists and feels the psychological impact on them--ideal reading particularly for those interested in the contributions of the Nisei to our country's wars. I was a replacement with the 100th Infantry Battalion, 442nd Regiment. The Vosges Mountain campaign in France was my initiation into combat as an infantry-man. It was awful, with steel and tree splinters raining down on us--it was hell.

The book Nisei Soldier is a very good and interesting book. The subject matter is interesting, and put together correctly so that the book flows. It is really easy to understand and follow. It is very readable because it is so easy to understand, and because any unfamiliar word or japanese phrase is described in good detail.

I read the book American Diaries Janey G. Blue. This book is great. It is a really amazing book because its about a twelve year olds life and part of our countrys history. I thought this book was interesting because of the excitement. This is now one of my favorite books. I learned some interesting facts. That when there is danger you have to go into another city. I would recommend this book for three resons. One of the reasons I would recommend this book is it kept me interested. Another reason is because I liked it. Last I recommend this book because it kept me busy.

American Diaries Janey G. Blue is an oustanding book.

Very good book, it covers just three days in the whole thing, but you always want to finish it in one setting. I highly recomend this book.

This book is a real touching one. The suffering of all the characters was passed to the reader and worried him also. It was a great book because it taught great lessons of love and especially of life. It also taught about how surprising the morning of the Japanese attacks in Hawaii were and how clueless the people were of what was happening. I hope you also enjoy the book and learn as much as I did about the terrifying morning of December 7, 1941.

A 6th grade student

Twelve-year-old Janey, her parents, and her four-year-old brother Michael have left their home in Kansas to live on the Hawaiian Island of Oahu. It's December 1941, and Janey's father, a welder, has been hired by the military to work at Hickman Airfield, near Pearl Harbor. Janey loves the beauty of her new home, but she is terrified by the threat of war between the United States and Japan, which could lead to an invasion of Hawaii. On the peaceful Sunday morning of December 7, without warning, Japanese planes attack. Janey and her mother and brother are separated from her father. They are forced to evacuate their home, but Janey is determined to return - because she knows in her heart that her father can't be dead, and that she will see him again. This was an excellent new book in the American Diaries series that captured the terror of the day Pearl Harbor was attacked, as faced by the many civilian families living on the island.

This delightful book is more than just "facts" about the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7 DEC 1941. Besides presenting an almost "minute by minute" chronology of the attack, it advances several months ahead of Dec 7 in presenting various surveys and defense-planning conferences that noted the weaknesses of Pearl's defenses. It quotes Pearl's two main defenders ADM Kimmel (Navy) and GEN Short (Army) as to how well they thought they were ready to defend Pearl from unexpected attacks. Sadley, while these defenders were aware of their weaknesses, they seemed to do little to remedy the weaknesses, and seemed to fail to plan any effective drills to coordinate all their "alert" plans. This book is not meant to be any serious study of the battle; instead, it educates through 240 pages of trivia "snippets." It lists all major U.S. & Japanese ships involved in the attack. It details where the attacking Japanese warships (and their commanders) were sunk in later battles. It has FDR's full "Date which will live in infamy" speech. Lists all the names of those killed aboard the USS Arizona. Lists other WWII trivia, such as the top 50 fighter "aces" of WWII, names the fastest fighter planes, and the largest and heaviest tanks. Lists the current stateside bearthing sites of numerous WWII battleships. It has short biographies of the major participants in the battle, both U.S. and Japanese. It discusses the various "bomb plot" messages, and how some of the many important messages regarding the Japanese military's interest in the defenses of Pearl Harbor were not given to ADM Kimmel. It reveals how the U.S. was able to "break" and read the secret, coded Japanese political-messages being sent from Tokyo to its embassy in Washington, D.C. It highlights some of the anti-FDR "conspiracy" theories. (A nice companion paperback to this is "Pearl Harbor Fact & Reference Book" by T. McComas.) A very revealing, and easy reading trivia book.

I'm a WWII history buff.I think I have just about everything written on the subject.When I show my books to people who are not as excited about WWII as I am, they usually yawn. This book is different, although it is full of facts it is not wordy or dry.The hype from the new movie has got everyone very interested in Pearl Harbor. It has become my favorite book to introduce my grandchildren as well as friends to WWII.

Bought this book for both a birthday and a father's day present...big hit...great gift idea...lotsa photos and interesting tidbits.

I like trivia type books and I really enjoyed this book because it presented hundreds of very interesting facts in short, easy to read items. I never knew that President Roosevelt used Al Capone's bulletproof car for protection after the Pearl Harbor attack or that the first ship sunk was not an American ship, but a Japanese submarine. This book is the way they should teach history in school. More kids would pay attention. It is very interesting and entertaining at the same time.

I bought this book after visiting Pearl Harbor. I toured Ford Island and drove through Schofield barracks. I visited the Arizona memorial and the Utah Memorial. I stayed at the current Marine Corps Base that used to be Kanoehe NAS and also at Barber Point which was the former Ewa MCAS. I saw all the sites of today and this book had chapters and pictures of the same places and ships from 1941. It was so surreal. Many of these pictures I have never seen in all the different books I have read on Pearl Harbor and all the documentaries I have seen. It was amazing. The book is filled with many eyewitness accounts and flooded with a feast of pictures.
This is a must for any Pearl Harbor interest. I appreciate the many pictures and accounts of the aftermath, the incredible salvage of the ships and repair of the airways and the pictures and accounts of all the people of Hawaii, both military and civilian, as they prepare for war. You have to see it to appreciate it. Get it, read it, love it.

This book at the list price ... is an unbelieveable value considering the never before seen photos and documentation of the Island of Oahu and its many military installations. There are photos of Pearl prior to the attack, during the attack and after the attack including interesting salvage photos. Also included are eyewitness accounts of young sailors.. There is also a chapter devoted to photos from the Japanese perspective. This book was formerly published as "East Wind Rain." This book is a definite must have..

This book at the list price is an unbelieveable value considering the never before seen photos and documentation of the Island of Oahu and its many military installations. There are photos of Pearl prior to the attack, during the attack and after the attack including interesting salvage photos. Also included are eyewitness accounts of young sailors.. There is also a chapter devoted to photos from the Japanese perspective. This book was formerly published as "East Wind Rain." This book is a definite must have..