Books on the pacific war from pearl harbor to hiroshima. Soldiers stories war in the pacific nzhistory, new. It was geographically the largest theater of the war, including the vast pacific ocean theater, the south west pacific theater, the southeast asian theater, the second sinojapanese war, and the sovietjapanese war the second sinojapanese war. World war ii in alaska and aleutians there actually was quite a bit of. We personally assess every books quality and offer rare, outofprint treasures. Feb 11, 2009 the war in the pacificthe war in the pacific 19411945 slideshare uses cookies to improve functionality and performance, and to provide you with relevant advertising.
Japanese troops captured the islands early in the war. This is a question that has been begged by the decades of europefirst histories of great quality, but extreme focus on the the battles in the west including the germans eastern front. The novel accurately predicted a number of details about the pacific campaign of world war ii. It was geographically the largest theater of the war, including the vast pacific ocean theater, the south west pacific theater, the southeast asian theater, the second sinojapanese war, and the sovietjapanese war. In this episode of the bestselling history series, the story opens with the flying tigers, those wild american soldiers fighting japan before the bombing of pearl harbor. Army air forces p38 lightning fighters, acting on u. The war in the pacificthe war in the pacific 19411945 slideshare uses cookies to improve functionality and performance, and to provide you with relevant advertising. Though the book is now dated, it is still frequently cited by historians looking at race during wwii.
He then scrutinizes the political and military events of. This historical recognition is the perspective which views the defeated nations of the war as fascist and criminal nations who conducted an invasive war. The first phase of the war in the pacific was disastrous for the allies. The strategy, politics, and players that won the war is the best book i have read on the pacific war theater of world war two. The interviews are available to researchers at the alexander turnbull librarys oral history centre. New zealanders remember the pacific war, auckland, harpercollins nz, 2006. Heres your opportunity to let others know your favorite books on the war that led us from pearl harbor to tokyo bay. The pacific war, sometimes called the asiapacific war, was the theater of world war ii that. The war began with the surprise attack on pearl harbor and simultaneous landings in malaya, though. Ill second the recommendation of with the old breed be sledge, its a powerful firsthand account of two major battles in the pacific. He also wrote other war books including all about the u. Thriftbooks sells millions of used books at the lowest everyday prices.
Marines in the marianas, peleliu, iwo jima, and okinawa, 19441945 by eric hammel goodreads author 4. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the most important naval battles in the pacific during world war ii. It was fought from february 19 to march 26, 1945, over a tiny island measuring just 5 x 2. Home browse history military history wars, battles, and military interventions world war ii world war ii pacific theater. World war ii in alaska and aleutians there actually was quite a bit of fighting there, in terrifying weather conditions. The pacific war by costello is a similar read akin to spectors book. Japans decision to launch a war against the united states is masterfully recounted in eri hottas japan. The postwar world has been revolving around the historical recognition of the winners of world war ii, mainly the united states of america. Bywater was a naval correspondent for the london daily telegraph. One spends more time on the origins of the fleet both are good reads. Race and power in the pacific war that does an excellent job detailing the racism that stemmed from both the u.
This historical recognition is the perspective which views the defeated nations of the war as fascist and. Dai toa senso, greater east asia war was fought between the japanese empire and the united states and their allies from 7 december 1941 to 15 august 1945. The six acre site includes the admiral nimitz museum which is housed in the old. List of books and articles about world war ii pacific. Robert oppenheimer hiroshima nagasaki nuremberg trials in order to defeat japan and end the war in the paci. They were soundly defeated in the battle of khalkhin gol by a mixed soviet and mongolian force led by georgy zhukov. The battle of iwo jima is one of the most famous battles of the pacific war not only for the iconic flag raising photo by joe rosenthal but also because it in many ways symbolized the pacific conflict. Fortunately, there is no shortage of worthwhile books about the.
The thousand mile war by brian garfield covers part of the pacific war that i think is under represented in historical writing. A book s total score is based on multiple factors, including. The post war world has been revolving around the historical recognition of the winners of world war ii, mainly the united states of america. World war ii in the pacific the holocaust encyclopedia. An excellent account of the second world war in the philippines, from the prewar american colony to the disasters of 194142, the long struggle of the resistance to macarthurs eventual return and the costly battles that followed. Air battles were almost daily occurrences for a month or more after the. While this attention is both wellearned and welldeveloped. It focuses on the muchignored first six months of the war, an area badly neglected by historians. Great battles for boys takes young readers to the front lines of historys most important fights. Many of the fiercest battles were fought on tiny pacific islands. Within hours they pushed their way inland despite heavy transport losses at. Pacific war, major theatre of world war ii that covered a large portion of the pacific ocean, east asia, and southeast asia, with significant engagements occurring as far south as northern australia and as far north as the aleutian islands. Rear admiral fletcher was the senior commander at two of the most important battles of the pacific war in 1942 coral sea and midway.
Japan swiftly conquered the philippines where strong resistance ended at corregidor, malaya, burma myanmar, netherlands east indies indonesia, and many pacific islands. It was the first time that allied forces were able to make headway in the pacific. Crisis in the pacific the battles for the philippine islands by the men who fought them, gerald astor. Hanks is the son of a naval mechanic who served in the pacific, but when he first picked up the book, as he admitted recently to the historian. The great pacific war was a 1925 novel by british author hector charles bywater which discussed a hypothetical future war between japan and the united states. The pacific strategy, 19411944 the national wwii museum. If you want a more detailed set of reads i would look at willmotts empires in the balance, the barrier and the javelin, the war with japan, and his battle of leyte gulf. The most important naval battles in the pacific during world war ii. For reasons big and small, understandable and unjustified, the war in the pacific during world war ii has largely been overshadowed by the allies war against hitler. What are the best books on the pacific theater of wwii.
He then scrutinizes the political and military events of 194041. In february and march 1942 small carrier task forces of the pacific fleet hit the. Fighting continued in the peripheral theatres of the pacific war in 1945, with the allies pressing their advantage in burma. The pacific war provides a brilliantly clear account of one of the most massive movements of men and arms in historyand meticulously analyzes the complex social, political, and economic causes that underlay the war, enabling the reader to better understand the conflict as the inevitable result of a series of historical events.
List of 10 greatest battles of the pacific war history lists. When germany and italy declared war on the united states days later, america found itself in a global war. Costello first traces western activity in the far east from the first contacts to 1940. And though the battle locales that constitute the war in the pacific pearl harbor, midway, tarawa, guadalcanal, iwo jima are common knowledge, locations and statistics alone cant convey what it was like to have fought in those battles. Institute for the study of war and on december 7, 1941, japan staged a surprise attack on pearl harbor, severely damaging the us pacific fleet. The history of the influential battles that led to japans defeat kindle edition by charles river editors. Okinawa and the war in the pacific are back in the news these days with the airing of a tenpart hbo series, the pacific a companion story to the 2001 series band of.
If you continue browsing the site, you agree to the use of cookies on this website. The war began with the surprise attack on pearl harbor and simultaneous landings in malaya, though its origins can be traced back much earlier. Navy signals intelligence, shot down a bomber carrying admiral isoroku yamamoto, commanderinchief of the japanese combined fleet and architect of the pearl harbor attack. View footage of japanese attack on pearl harbor catalyzing pacific war and taking u. Pacific war the war against japan, 1945 britannica. Joint chiefs, responsible for direction of the war in the paci. Page 1 page 2 page 3 timeline early on the morning of december 8, 1941, the second world war in the pacific was begun with an amphibious attack by imperial japanese army troops on the northeast coast of british malaya. The native peoples seemed to believe that they would rather be selfgoverning than occupied by the americans, and unleashed a war that was far more vicious and persistent than anyone had anticipated. In china, chiang kaisheks nationalists, weakened as they were by years of unsuccessful warfare and having also to contend with the increasing strength of the chinese communists, were unable to achieve any.
It begins with the japanese attack on pearl harbor, then we have the battle of wake atoll, doolittles raid on tokyo. From a coauthor of the battle of the atlantic and others. World war ii is sometimes thought of as primarily a fight against nazi germany, with the war in the pacific as an afterthought. Early on the morning of december 8, 1941, the second world war in the pacific was begun with an amphibious attack by imperial japanese army troops on the northeast coast of british malaya. In china, chiang kaisheks nationalists, weakened as they were by years of unsuccessful warfare and having also to contend with the increasing strength of the chinese communists, were. War in the pacific page 5 soldiers stories they were involved in fighting in the jungle, some spent time in japanese prisoner of war camps, others took part in air raids or manned ships, while others played a vital support role. Usually the histories start with the doolittle raid and then go straight to midway, because they are in a hurry to get to the good part, guadalcanal. The story of the underappreciated achievements of one of americas great pacific war admirals has finally been provided to pacific war history buffs by the distinguished historian john lundstrom. The operational strategy the japanese adopted to start war, however. Why america preferred to forget about the pacific war until now. The pacific war, sometimes called the asiapacific war, was the theater of world war ii that was fought in the pacific and asia.
The us pursued a twopronged offensive across the central and southwest. John dower wrote a book in 1987 titled war without mercy. Stanley sandler, one of americas most respected and bestknown military historians, has brought together over 300 entries by some 200 specialists in the field to create the first encyclopedia specifically devoted to the pacific theatre of world war ii. Good books on the pacific war history fans librarything. John costellos the pacific war has now established itself as the standard onevolume account of world war ii in the pacific. Nimitz served as cincpac, commander in chief, united states pacific fleet and was soon afterward named commander in chief, pacific ocean areas during world war ii. Ba maw described the pacific war and how japan is regarded in asian nations in his book breakthrough. The national museum of the pacific war is located in fredericksburg, texas, the boyhood home of fleet admiral chester w.
The ministry for culture and heritage interviewed 14 veterans of the pacific war and collated their stories as a book. In this book, he creates a fictional history of a war between japan and the united states. Never before have the separate stories of fighting in china, malaya, burma, the east indies, the phillipines, new guinea, the solomon islands, and the aleutians been so brilliantly woven together to provide a clear account of one of the most massive movements of men and. Pacific war pacific war the war against japan, 1945. This account, written 16 years before pearl harbor, details tactical and stategic considerations of such a war given the existing and projected. Aug 19, 2015 world war ii is sometimes thought of as primarily a fight against nazi germany, with the war in the pacific as an afterthought. A brief overview of the pacific war against the japanese empire in world war ii.
Discusses japans participation in world war ii, including militaristic advances and the bombing of pearl harbor, its alliances, the use of the atomic bomb against. A turning point came in june 1942 at the battle of midway. Winslow and the lonely ships by edwin hoyt cover the destruction of the us asiatic fleet. Mar 17, 2010 the question brings to mind the forgotten pacific war, specifically the philippine war after the spanishamerican war. The book presents the decisionmaking processes, strategies, and at times politics that guided the allied forces to victory. Hector bywater, a british naval correspondentexpert, wrote a most engaging book in the great pacific war. Never before have the separate stories of fighting in china, malaya, burma, the east indies, the phillipines, new guinea, the solomon islands, and the aleutians been so brilliantly woven together to provide a clear account of one of the most massive movements.