Their individual resoluteness in the face of overwhelming firepower, with antique airplanes and faulty weapons, is brilliantly told.Īs close as any American assault in the manner of the Charge of the Light Brigade, more than anything else in the whole repertory of the battle, the dauntless pressing home of the attacks even though without a single hit was the tipping point on which the battle rested. Most stirring and inspiring are his descriptions of the relentless attacks by the American torpedo bombers in the face of murderous odds. Readers will come away not only with a better understanding of the strategies, operational details, and tactics of this pivotal battle but with greater appreciation for the men whose decisions and actions made that happen.” This could not be better said! McPherson, a giant of American historians, comments, “Symonds’ vivid word portraits of these individuals – Japanese as well as Americans – their personalities, their foibles and virtues are an outstanding feature of the battle of Midway. These descriptions and analyses of the actions of individuals are what make this book not just a factual dissection of events but preeminently a personality driven study of why things happened as they did. All the principle actors are described in such detail that everyone who has served at sea or on a naval staff can relate to and appreciate their motivations, understandings and interactions. In relating these events, the emphasis is more about people than events.
Though titled after the single battle, the book’s narrative begins at the planning of the attack on Pearl Harbor, covers the activities and planning of both sides leading to the decisions to attack Midway and culminates in the ensuing battle. Symonds, Oxford University Press, Oxford & New York (2011).
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