ePub A Matter of Honor: Pearl Harbor: Betrayal; Blame; and a Family's Quest for Justice by Anthony Summers; Robbyn Swan in History

Review

42 of 42 people found the following review helpful. An Amazing Read For Everyone!By Teresa E. WilliamsI have just read A Matter of Honor in only 4 days. I could not put it down. And; let me be clear; I am not normally interested in military history but this is a remarkable book about truth and the fight for justice. It is brilliantly written with not a stone of research unturned. It is filled with information not previously uncovered and yet; despite the outstanding investigative research by Summers and Swan; it is written with great warmth and a firm commitment to find justice for Admiral Husband Kimmel and his family. As the Admiral testified in 1946; “History; with the perspective of the long tomorrow; will enter the final directive in my case. I am confident of that verdict.” A Matter of Honor clearly states the truth with hard evidence and it is time to restore the ranks of both Admiral Kimmel and General Short. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the truth.17 of 17 people found the following review helpful. Truly a compelling readBy CustomerWe all know what happened on December 7; but this book unwinds the puzzle of how and why. The Japanese Navy under Admiral Yamamoto had a daring plan that they executed almost flawlessy. The Americans; for their part; missed or fumbled every clue they were offered. Page after page; the text pulls the reader along with a feeling of dread building toward the fateful day. The second half of the book; called "Consequences"; documents the lies that were told - some to cover up the big secret - that the US had broken and was reading Japanese diplomatic codes. In painful detail it tells the tragic story of Admiral Kimmel; who as commander in chief of the Pacific Fleet; was one of two officers who bore the brunt of the blame for the lives lost. An extraordinary book.23 of 24 people found the following review helpful. Admiral Husband Kimmel--American HeroBy Mike BalgleyThe book ("A Matter of Honor" arrived on a Thursday. I finished reading it Saturday; 4 days later. I would have completed it even sooner but so many parts of it dealing with the bureaucracy in Washington were so troubling and disappointing that I had to put it down at times and take a deep breath knowing what was going to happen. It is a remarkable piece of work; documented extremely well. It is clear that CNO Harold Stark and General George Marshall bear huge responsibility for Pearl Harbor and even more responsibility for their subsequent behavior which seems to have varied between forgetfulness and lies as accessories to the further scapegoating of Admiral Kimmel. Pages 345 and 346 re CNO Stark are good examples as are the pages relating the interview of Marshall. There are others in the Navy who also put their own power/control and turf ahead of the mission of protecting the country.Interesting to me is the overall conclusion that FDR didn't have knowledge of the impending attack. That may be true. But it is clear from this book and others I have read that FDR was intent on not taking the first military action against Japan and was determined to wait for them to do it. Politics is the only explanation for this. The U.S. population was not supportive of going to war and so FDR avoided taking action which his subordinates; the Secretaries of State and War and the heads of the Navy and Army Departments; fully understood. FDR concentrated on politics and elections. Chapter 51 and page 325 reveal this also. Since the Secretaries of State and War were his choices; they and FDR share responsibility for the gross mismanagement of their duties; as do Stark and Marshall. The lack of coordination within the Navy and Army and the failure to ensure intelligence was forwarded to field commanders is appalling.Once again Washington bureaucrats worked to save their own skins and allowed the horrendous mistreatment of field commanders which continued for years. It is incomprehensible to me that various Presidents have failed to act to restore Admiral Kimmel's rank. I can only hope that this book will motivate appropriate action even at this late date. In any event; the public now knows; thanks to this book; where the faults and blame belong.It is "A Matter of Honor" as I have believed for a long time. Even after he learned of MAGIC and how he had been denied that vital intelligence which could have enabled him to protect the fleet he chose to say nothing which would have cleared his name so that the ability of the U.S. to intercept and read Japanese transmissions would not be compromised. Unlike Wasington he put the mission of protecting the country ahead of his own reputation.Admiral Kimmel gave his life for our country!!!!!