{"title":"Steve Twomey","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"countdown-to-pearl-harbor-book-steve-twomey-9781476776460","title":"Countdown to Pearl Harbor","description":"A \u003ci\u003eSmithsonian\u003c\/i\u003e Top History Book of 2016\u003cbr\u003e A \u003ci\u003eJapan Times\u003c\/i\u003e Best Book About Japan of 2016 \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eA fascinating look at the twelve days leading up to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor--the warnings, clues and missteps--by a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIn Washington, DC, in late November 1941, admirals compose the most ominous message in Navy history to warn Hawaii of possible danger, but they write it too vaguely. They think precautions are being taken, but never check to see if they are. A key intelligence officer wants more warnings sent, but he is on the losing end of a bureaucratic battle and can't get the message out. American sleuths have pierced Japan's most vital diplomatic code, and Washington believes it has a window on the enemy's soul--but it does not. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIn a small office at Pearl Harbor, overlooking the battleships at the heart of America's seafaring power, the Commander of the Pacific Fleet tries to figure out how much danger he really faces. His intelligence unit has lost track of Japan's biggest aircraft carriers, but assumes they are resting in a port far away. The admiral thinks Pearl is too shallow for torpedoes, so he never puts up a barrier. As he frets, a Japanese spy is counting the warships in the harbor and reporting to Tokyo. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThere were false assumptions, and racist ones: The Japanese aren't very good aviators and they don't have the nerve or the skill to attempt a strike so far from their home. There were misunderstandings, conflicting desires, painful choices. And there was a naval officer who, on his very first mission as captain of his very first ship, did exactly the right thing. His warning could have averted disaster, but his superiors reacted too leisurely. Japanese planes arrived moments later. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eTwomey's telescoping of the twelve days leading to the attack unravels the crucial characters and moments, and produces an edge-of-your seat drama with fascinating details about America at this moment in its history. By the end, the reader understands how assumption is the root of disaster, and how sometimes a gamble pays off.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49666595815697,"sku":"GOR013299875","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49667643179281,"sku":"GOR009852875","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":49899224793361,"sku":"CIN1476776466G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ VERY_GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50075035205905,"sku":"CIN1476776466VG","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ LIKE_NEW \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":51850092642577,"sku":"GOR014427037","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ WELL_READ \/ SBYB","offer_id":52499889029393,"sku":"CIN1476776466A","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1476776466.jpg?v=1751405734"},{"product_id":"countdown-to-pearl-harbor-book-steve-twomey-9781476776484","title":"Countdown to Pearl Harbor","description":"\u003cb\u003eIn this \"riveting\" (\u003ci\u003eLos Angeles Times\u003c\/i\u003e) account of the days leading up to the attack on Pearl Harbor, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Steve Twomey \"infuses a well-known story with suspense\" (\u003ci\u003eThe New York Times Book Review\u003c\/i\u003e), offering a poignant new perspective on the most infamous day in American history.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e In Washington, DC, in late November 1941, admirals composed the most ominous message in Navy history to warn Hawaii of possible danger--but they wrote it too vaguely. They thought precautions were being taken, but never checked to be sure.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e In a small office at Pearl Harbor, overlooking the battleships, the commander of the Pacific Fleet tried to assess whether the threat was real. His intelligence had lost track of Japan's biggest aircraft carriers, but assumed they were resting in a port far away. Besides, the admiral thought Pearl was too shallow for torpedoes; he never even put up a barrier. As he fretted, a Japanese spy was counting warships in the harbor and reporting to Tokyo.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e There were false assumptions and racist ones, misunderstandings, infighting, and clashes between egos. Through remarkable characters and impeccable details, Pulitzer Prize-winner Steve Twomey shows how careless decisions and blinkered beliefs gave birth to colossal failure. But he tells the story with compassion and a wise understanding of why people--even smart, experienced, talented people--look down at their feet when they should be scanning the sky.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e The brilliance of \u003ci\u003eCountdown to Pearl Harbor\u003c\/i\u003e is in its elegant prose and taut focus. \"Even though readers already know the ending, they'll hold their collective breath, as if they're watching a rerun of an Alfred Hitchcock classic\" (\u003ci\u003eSt. Louis Post-Dispatch\u003c\/i\u003e).","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":50109369090321,"sku":"GOR009569272","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ VERY_GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50305290010897,"sku":"CIN1476776482VG","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":51028335165713,"sku":"NIN9781476776484","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ WELL_READ \/ SBYB","offer_id":51423433163025,"sku":"CIN1476776482A","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":52106547757329,"sku":"CIN1476776482G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":53143614587153,"sku":"GOR014772129","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1476776482.jpg?v=1782990720"}],"url":"https:\/\/www.worldofbooks.com\/collections\/author-books-by-steve-twomey.oembed","provider":"World of Books ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}