List of books and articles about world war ii pacific theater online. The pacific war, sometimes called the asiapacific war, was the theater of world war ii that was fought in the pacific and asia. Mar 17, 2010 however, like any historical film on war, the pacific leaves a lot out and, in the end, is a watered down substitute that pales in comparison to a good history book. Though this work is short to begin with, it reads even shorter, as it has an interesting style and logical flow.
The following article on war in the pacific during world war two is an excerpt from barrett tillmans book on wave and wing. Pacific artefacts and the voyages of hms royalist 18901893 by alison clark with contributions by eve haddow and christopher wright. The pacific war, sometimes called the asia pacific war, was the theater of world war ii that was fought in the pacific and asia. Heres your opportunity to let others know your favorite books on the war that led us from pearl harbor to tokyo bay. Apr 22, 20 i feel in similar fashion regarding pacific war. Pacific war is a strategic wargame that takes players from the attack on pearl harbor through the climactic summer of 1945. Good books on the pacific war history fans librarything. Morison is a start, but he knew nothing about carrier warfare, and that aspect of the pacific war is poorly covered in his books. The interviews are available to researchers at the alexander turnbull librarys oral history centre. History world war two ww2 navies the british pacific fleet in world war two loading. As a result we learn more about the japanese strategy for the war, the reasons for each decision, and the political background in japan. 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 between the. 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. Stream and download audiobooks to your computer, tablet or mobile phone.
Ian tolls third volume, twilight of the gods, out next. Mcmanus, one of our most highly acclaimed historians of world war ii, takes readers from pearl harbora rude awakening for a ragtag militia woefully unprepared for warto makin, a sliver of coral reef where the army was tested against the increasingly desperate japanese. An eyeopening, pathbreaking account of the onset of the asiapacific war, by the acclaimed author of downfall and guadalcanal. Crowl center of military history united states army, 1960. The imperial japanese navy in the pacific war audiobook by. Also, from what i remember the army receives short shrift too. Aug 19, 2015 john costellos the pacific war harper perennial, 1982 examines the entire history of the war against japan, from the prewar years to the surrender in tokyo bay. A well researched and compelling history of the second world war in the pacific, mainly told from the japanese point of view. Dec 09, 2008 the books has since been broken up, expanded, and rebranded as the second world war. In the main however the book covers the island campaigns of the marines as they traverse the pacific covering the intense fighting on guadalcanal, peleliu, iwo jima and okinawa.
Hugh ambrose, son of the great wwii historian stephen ambrose, has published a. A very brief history is exactly thata very brief history. Us pacific victory in world war two, by bill brady. 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. Foreword this book is the fourth in the fivevolume history of marine corps operations in world war ii. Why america preferred to forget about the pacific war. However, like any historical film on war, the pacific leaves a lot out and, in the end, is a watered down substitute that pales in comparison to a good history book. Nimitz, the commander of the central pacific theater, were familiar with the great pacific waror one of its many imitations, such as sutherland denlingers war in the pacific. The pacific war is a series of alternate history novels written by newt gingrich and william r. The war in europe against germany and the war in the pacific against japan, using vastly different military tactics. John costellos the pacific war has now established itself as the standard onevolume account of world war ii in the pacific.
A valuable reference source for pacific war enthusiasts and historians, the imperial japanese navy in the pacific war provides a history of the ijns deployment and engagements, analysis of the evolution of strategy and tactics, and finally addresses the question of whether it truly was a modern navy, fully prepared for the rigors of combat in. A steven spielberg and tom hanks tv series about the second world wars brutal pacific campaign begins tomorrow a story surprisingly little told. After occupying rabaul, as explained by founder and commander of the coastwatchers eric feldt in his classic book the coast watchers, in late february 1942 the japanese despatched a force from rabaul to occupy lae and salamaua buka passage and the shortland islands. These twentyone classics cover the war from the eastern front to the south pacific, and investigate its murky origins and complex legacies. In 1937, the swath of the globe east from india to the pacific ocean enclosed half the worlds population, all save a fraction enduring under some form of colonialism. In a masterful retelling, toll merges the narratives of combat in the air, sea, and on the beaches, as well as behind the curtain of power in washington and tokyo. Army in world war ii series the armys official history of world war ii commonly referred to as the green books are listed in the following sections. The 100 year quest to perfect the aircraft carrier.
This is by far the most comprehensive understandable book on the pacific. Books about the war in the pacific axis history forum. Now available in paperback, conquering tide tells the story of the fight after the battle of midway in the air, on and under the water, and on specks of land. Discover librarianselected research resources on world war ii pacific theater from the questia online library, including fulltext online books. 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. He then scrutinizes the political and military events of 194041 in. Us pacific victory in world war two is about engagements that changed the course of the war in the pacific. The ministry for culture and heritage interviewed 14 veterans of the pacific war and collated their stories as a book. For the first time in a pacific theater game, size, subtlety, and ease of play have.
The war in the pacific was defined by islandhopping, as the americans slowly moved westward across the pacific toward japan. A personal recollection of the pacific war written in 1949 by the commander of the fifth army airforce. The first book in a new threevolume history of the asia pacific war, by the acclaimed author of downfall and guadalcanal. In 1937 the swath of the globe from india to japan contained half the worlds population, but only two nations with real sovereignty japan and thailand and two with compromised sovereignty china and mongolia. The british pacific fleet in world war two loading. 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. I have not read the third volume, the fleet at flood tide. Hugh ambrose, son of the great wwii historian stephen ambrose, has published a book to go along with the miniseries entitled the pacific.
In this balanced and thoughtful chronicle, historian and world war ii expert len deighton dares to explore intriguing questions, including why the british werent more prepared for the. In order to make the armys role and the campaign as a whole as intelligible as possible the historians have treated in detail the operations of the marine corps units attached to. Omar bradley is the only other high ranking army officer in wwii who wrote a better history book about that war. John costellos the pacific war has now established itself as the standard onevolume account of world. The series deals with the pacific war between the united states of america and the empire of japan. Costello first traces western activity in the far east from the first contacts to 1940. A book s total score is based on multiple factors, including. Dec 14, 2016 ian tolls conquering tide is the middle piece of his pacific war history, and it is a superb fit with the first volume, pacific crucible.
The present volume concerns one of the most bitterly fought battles of the pacific war, in which the army, the marine corps, and the navy all played a vital part. This masterful history encompasses the heart of the pacific warthe period between mid1942 and mid1944when parallel allied counteroffensives north and south of the equator washed over japans farflung island empire like a conquering tide, concluding with japans irreversible strategic defeat in the marianas. Jim bresnahan may have enjoyed compiling the book, but it serves a very limited useful purpose. Mar 03, 2020 an eyeopening, pathbreaking account of the onset of the asiapacific war, by the acclaimed author of downfall and guadalcanal.
However, the last book twilight of the gods does not come out until the middle of 2020. Pacific crucible, the war at sea 19411942 is the first volume of a three book series by ian w. War in the pacific nzhistory, new zealand history online. 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. Ian tolls conquering tide is the middle piece of his pacific war history, and it is a superb fit with the first volume, pacific crucible. Once the war broke out, most of the naval strategists working for the joint chiefs of staff in washington, and for chester w. Despite the volumes written about world war ii, many questions remain unanswered. The imperial japanese navy in the pacific war audiobook. He then scrutinizes the political and military events of 194041. World war ii is sometimes thought of as primarily a fight against nazi germany, with the war in the pacific as an afterthought. Europe and the mediterrean atlas and the second world war asia and the pacific atlas. 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. 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.
The results depended on the calibre of men, material, leadership in the field and staff work, culminating in atom bombing. The books have detailed maps of all campaigns, not just the ones involving americans. The book, expected out july 21, 2020, recounts the final and bloody last year of world war ii in the pacific. The british pacific fleet in world war two history. Japans onslaught into china that year unleashed a tidal wave of events that. The pacific war provides a brilliantly clear account of one of the most massive movements of men and arms in history and 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. A world war ii story of survival, resilience and redemption by. Sep 06, 2011 the book illuminates the war service of legendary marines such as eb sledge and john basilone, the inhumanity of being a pow of the ija and the air war over the pacific. Preeminent military historian, ian toll, has recently announced the release date of his hotly anticipated conclusion to his pacific war trilogy, twilight of the gods. Even better, the new version are spiralbound, which stands up better against wear and tear. Ian tolls third volume, twilight of the gods, out next summer. Marines in the marianas, peleliu, iwo jima, and okinawa, 19441945 by eric hammel goodreads author 4.
Books on the second world war in the pacific military history. The point of divergence is the decision of admiral isoroku yamamoto, commanderinchief of the japanese combined fleet, to take personal command of the 1st air fleet. The pacific war by costello is a similar read akin to spectors book. John costellos the pacific war harper perennial, 1982 examines the entire history of the war against japan, from the prewar years to the surrender in tokyo bay. The following article on the british pacific fleet is an excerpt from barrett tillmans book on wave and wing. The book illuminates the war service of legendary marines such as eb sledge and john basilone, the inhumanity of being a pow of the ija and the air war over the pacific. New zealanders remember the pacific war, auckland, harpercollins nz, 2006. From a coauthor of the battle of the atlantic and others. Military historian frank downfall taps a massive, multicontinent array of sources to deliver the definitive account of the first phase of wwii in the pacific. How the coastwatchers turned the tide of the pacific war. Fortunately, there is no shortage of worthwhile books about the. What are the best books on the pacific theater of wwii. Books on the pacific war from pearl harbor to hiroshima.
Beyond pearl harbor consists of an introduction, prologue, and ten essays by scholars from six nations on four continents, which examine the reactions and interpretations of the series of japanese attacks across the pacific on december 7 th and 8 th of 1941, from several perspectives american of course with its narrow focus on the japanese sneak. The first book in a new threevolume history of the asiapacific war, by the acclaimed author of downfall and guadalcanal. Sign up for the early bird books newsletter and get the best daily ebook deals delivered straight to your inbox. Radm keats is a veteran of several campaigns in the pacific during world war ii. However, it contains a surprising amount of detail, historicallyaccurate facts, and key information, which is remarkable for its length. Book 6 of the ladybird expert history of the second world war. Its a look at the story behind the hype, and it was later made into a movie by clint eastwood which was also good, but you get a lot more content from the book. Each year, seemingly dozens of new titles emerge to offer fresh perspectives and uncover fascinating details about the deadliest conflict in human history.
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