| Title | : | Pacific Onslaught: 7th Dec. 1941/7th Feb. 1943 |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | 160 |
| Publication | : | First published April 1, 1972 |
This is the first book in Paul Kennedy’s chronicle of the Pacific conflict in World War II, concluded in Pacific Victory. Featuring a new introduction by the author, this book provides a close, step-by-step narrative of the Japanese expansion into the Western Pacific during some of the most brutal years of World War II. Offering contemporary analysis of war strategy, it includes a riveting look at Japan’s tightening grip on Hong Kong, New Guinea, the Philippines, and other key strategic locations—and the Allies’ inexorable struggle against it. These works on the War in the Pacific are as gripping today as when they were first published.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Internationally recognized for his riveting accounts of critical points in 20th and 21st-century history, renowned British historian Dr. Paul Kennedy is the author of numerous best-selling works of history including the New York Times best sellers Engineers of Victory: The Problem Solvers Who Turned The Tide in the Second World War and The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers, which has been translated into 23 languages worldwide.
A professor of history at Yale University, Dr. Kennedy writes regularly for The New York Times and The Atlantic. He writes a monthly column dealing with global issues in contemporary society, distributed to an international audience through the Los Angeles Times Syndicate. He was chosen as a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 2001 and nominated as a Fellow of the British Academy in 2003. In 2005, he earned the Caird Medal from the National Maritime Museum for his work in naval history.
Pacific Onslaught: 7th Dec. 1941/7th Feb. 1943 Reviews
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Given that the European Empires in Southeast Asia and China had taken over 300 years to build, the Japanese advances in early 1942 , following the attack on Pearl Harbor, seem pretty amazing. Hong Kong, Vietnam, Dutch Indonesia, Malaya, Singapore, the Philipines, and Burma all fell within the year, and it was not until the Naval Battle at Midway in early June 1942 that the tide was stemmed , and not until mid 1943 that the Victories around Guadalcanal made it clear that the Allied Military was going to be able to liberate the region eventually. Paul Kennedy's book, in the classic Ballantine's 160 page format helps you understand just what a gambling shoe string effort it was, and how stunningly successful it was- to everyone. A bracing read for any student of the colonial and post colonial period, as the facades are shattered in so many european colonial possessions.
Mired in what they saw as an existential war in China, started in 1937, Japan's leaders were threatened by Western sanction from the China War- and needed to assure their raw material supplies, Tin and Rubber from Malaya, and Oil from the Indonesian fields. The whole Pearl Harbor attack was to knock the effete and weak-minded Americans from the Pacific in one fell swoop, while the British were fully engaged in Europe and Africa with the Germans and France and Holland were occupied. With less than 500,000 men from the Army and artful use of their entire Navy, the Japanese use technology and training to overcome bloated and poorly led Allied formations at every turn. Kennedy explains how the Japanese added savage atrocities to their tool kit, thus we see a vale of darkness spread over the Pacific region as this brilliant campaign unfolds. It's chilling- my father fought in the Pacific theater, in the liberation phase.
This is a great little introductory history for the youthful reader- its original intent-I remember when these books came out. The style is simple and direct and no concepts are overly challenging. For the Gamer/Modeller/Military Enthusiast, this is a nice little reference work. Probably not a direct improver of Scenarios/Dioramas, but a great little book for understanding a lot of separate part of a large canvas of war. The Pacific War player will find this helpful for understanding the action and motivations of both sides. A nice little book that does its job. -
This is a great book for people who have a casual interest in the Asian theater of WWII. It is relatively short but filled with information about the Japanese aspect of the war. Its easy to read and contains pictures (black and white, and grainy) of the command officers and tactical maps of the contested areas. I came away with a better understanding of that part of the war, which was largely overshadowed by the European theater. Well worth reading for students of history
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This book contains very general military historical information. The collection of photographs in this book is quite unique and is the major strength of the book. There's quite a bit of sloppy editting; misspellings and the like. The information regarding the Battle of Midway is incorrect; virtually every English language history of the battle is wrong. For an accurate and in depth recounting of the battle, read Shattered Sword by Jonathan Parshall.
