History of US Naval Operations in WWII Vol 3: Rising Sun in the Pacific 1931 -April 1942 by Samuel Eliot Morison


History of US Naval Operations in WWII Vol 3: Rising Sun in the Pacific 1931 -April 1942
Title : History of US Naval Operations in WWII Vol 3: Rising Sun in the Pacific 1931 -April 1942
Author :
Rating :
ISBN : 0785813047
ISBN-10 : 9780785813040
Language : English
Format Type : cloth
Number of Pages : 440
Publication : First published January 1, 1948
Awards : Bancroft Prize (1949)

This spectacular fifteen-volume series that charts the U.S. Naval operations during World War II with an insider's perspective. Morison, a Harvard professor, was given a special rank and writing post by FDR. He had active duty aboard eleven different ships, allowing him to witness many crucial battles in both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Volume Three -the first on the war in the Pacific-includes coverage of the attack on Pear Harbor and its aftermath as well as the Defense of the Malay Barrier. Filled with many maps and file photographs.

History of US Naval Operations in WWII Vol 3: Rising Sun in the Pacific 1931 -April 1942 Reviews

  • Bill

    Masterful. The benchmark for all naval histories written about WW2. Morison's work is relatively free of the racism that mars many works written by Americans during or shortly after the war (this book came out in the early fifties). In fact, his account of Japan's masterful execution of an extremely complex operation that resulted in the occupation of countless Pacific islands, as well as most of southeast Asia, leaves the reader astounded. This book, part of his multi volume naval history of the Pacific War, also includes clear intimations of the dysfunction in the Japanese government and military command that helped speed their undoing. The book ends in April 1942, which marked Japan's high water mark. The battle of Midway happened in June 1942, and that was the turning point.

    Morison was a commissioned officer in the Navy, but he pulls no punches in his analysis of US failings that lead to the Pearl Harbor debacle, or the even more inexcusable collapse of the US military in the Philippines. This is my second trip through Morison's books and I find the narrative almost Tolkeinesque in its depiction of a plucky band of allies set back on their heels by an implacable force bent on domination.

  • Greg

    This is a classic of World War II history. Morison writes with verve and brings the figures like MacArthur and Halsey to life. With respect to the attack on Pearl Harbor, he pretty much gives a 9/11 style report on all the failures that led to the attack. Highly recommended. My grandmother's brother-in-law served in the India-China-Burma theater in WWII. It was interesting read about the actions around Java that opened Rangoon to invasion.

  • Albert

    Was only interested in the part of the Battle of the Java Sea (defense of the Malay Barrier and the ABDA Command). A good read, with a slightly different look on the decision making. You only get a good picture of this battle when you read the Dutch, British, Australian, USA and Japanese version of the story. This was a time when the coordination between the allied navies was still at a low. This has cost many lives. This book is the best USA-version I have read so far.

  • Jack

    Good. Good. Good. This book discusses the early losses of the East Indies and the Japanese advance.

  • lbert buro

    I read the entire series excellent

  • Michael Mandaville

    A superb book in the series by an author who was there under the behest and order of President Roosevelt.