The Battle of Midway by Craig L Symonds

The Battle of Midway by Craig L Symonds

There are few moments in American history in which the course of events tipped so suddenly and so dramatically as at the Battle of Midway. At dawn of June 4, 1942, a rampaging Japanese navy ruled the Pacific. By sunset, their vaunted carrier force (the Kido Butai) had been sunk and their grip on the Pacific had been loosened forever. In this absolutely riveting account of a key moment in the history of World War II, one of America's leading naval historians, Craig L. Symonds paints an unforgettable portrait of ingenuity, courage, and sacrifice. Symonds begins with the arrival of Admiral Chester A. Nimitz at Pearl Harbor after the devastating Japanese attack, and describes the key events leading to the climactic battle, including both Coral Sea--the first battle in history against opposing carrier forces--and Jimmy Doolittle's daring raid of Tokyo. He focuses throughout on the people involved, offering telling portraits of Admirals Nimitz, Halsey, Spruance and numerous other Americans, as well as the leading Japanese figures, including the poker-loving Admiral Yamamoto. Indeed, Symonds sheds much light on the aspects of Japanese culture--such as their single-minded devotion to combat, which led to poorly armored planes and inadequate fire-safety measures on their ships--that contributed to their defeat. The author's account of the battle itself is masterful, weaving together the many disparate threads of attack--attacks which failed in the early going--that ultimately created a five-minute window in which three of the four Japanese carriers were mortally wounded, changing the course of the Pacific war in an eye-blink. Symonds is the first historian to argue that the victory at Midway was not simply a matter of luck, pointing out that Nimitz had equal forces, superior intelligence, and the element of surprise. Nimitz had a strong hand, Symonds concludes, and he rightly expected to win.

an excellent addition to the pantheon of important literature about the transcendent American nvala victory at MidwayThe Battle of Midway deserves to be read and enjoyed. * Naval History *
Outstanding...Symonds' plethora of new facts, rationales for what and why each side performed the way it did, human interest interest stories and more make 'The Battle of Midway' indispensable. * Washington Times *

Craig L. Symonds is Professor of History Emeritus at the United States Naval Academy. He is the author of many books on American naval history, including Decision at Sea: Five Naval Battles That Shaped American History as well as Lincoln and His Admirals, co-winner of the Lincoln Prize in 2009.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9780195397932
ISBN 10	0195397932
Title	The Battle of Midway
Author	Craig L Symonds
Series	Pivotal Moments In American History
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Hardback
Publisher	Oxford University Press Inc
Year published	2012-01-12
Number of pages	464
Prizes	Winner of PROSE (U.S. History) 2011
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.