Attack on Pearl Harbor Book Reviews

Attack on Pearl Harbor by Bert Kinzey Book Summary

In 2010, Detail & Scale published the original Attack on Pearl Harbor, Japan Awakens a Sleeping Giant at the request of the USS ARIZONA Memorial Foundation, now a part of Pacific Historic Parks.  The goal was to produce a reasonably priced book that covered the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in as much detail as possible while limiting the book in size so it could be sold in the Pearl Harbor Museum bookstore.  That book proved to be very popular and is now out of print.  In researching that book, a significant amount of materials were collected that could not be included because of the limitations of the printing process.

Now, to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the attack, Detail & Scale brings you this greatly expanded volume with significant new sections and more information on the attack, including in-depth coverage of the American response.  All of the original chapters have been expanded and entire new chapters have been added.  This digital publication is over four times the size of the original printed version, and stands as the most profusely detailed and illustrated account of the attack ever published, yet it is priced significantly lower than the original book from 2010.

The book begins with a “Why Pearl Harbor” chapter that summarizes the political events of the previous decade which convinced many Japanese leaders that they had to go to war with the United States, and examines why the Japanese chose Pearl Harbor as the location to launch their dramatic initial blow against the United States Navy in the Pacific.  The Japanese attack plan is then covered in the next chapter which is followed with a chapter that looks at the high level commanders on both sides of the attack.

Four chapters look at the six Japanese aircraft carriers that made up the First Air Fleet which launched the attack, the various other ships that supported the strike force and what their roles were, a detailed look at the Japanese aircraft that participated in all phases of the attack and the weapons they carried.  Information is next provided on all of the major and minor ships of the U. S. Pacific Fleet, both those at Pearl Harbor on the day of the attack and those that weren’t.

The opening of the attack in the pre-dawn hours is covered next with a description of the initial Japanese attempt to infiltrate the harbor with five midget submarines and the American response which resulted in this part of the attack being a complete failure.  The air attack is then covered in a chapter that is basically a book within a book, with the Japanese aerial torpedo attacks covered first, followed by the bombing and strafing attacks.  Each geographic area of the harbor and the targeted airfields are covered separately with a detailed text and numerous photographs.  But unlike other publications, this chapter is not limited to explaining only what the Japanese did.  Also included is how the Americans fought back against the attack with everything they had, and detailed accounts of the response of almost every ship present in Pearl Harbor that day are provided.

The American aircraft that rose in response to the attack are covered and the exploits of some of the pilots involved are given.  Chapters follow that summarize U. S. losses, damage and recovery, with photographs and information on every ship included on the Navy’s official damage report, Japanese losses and mistakes, and a summary of the resulting wrath of the “Awakened Giant” showing how almost every Japanese ship that participated in the attack had been destroyed or damaged beyond repair less than four years later.

Attack on Pearl Harbor, Japan Awakens a Sleeping Giant is the most detailed and profusely illustrated book on the Japanese attack ever published.  With over 440 photographs, 12 maps and 58 illustrations created specifically for this publication, it stands as the singularly distinctive book on the Day of Infamy.

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Attack on Pearl Harbor (Bert Kinzey) Book Reviews 2024

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