ebooks Pearl Harbor: The Verdict of History by Gordon W. Prange; Donald M. Goldstein; Katherine V. Dillon in History

Review

0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. "Pearl Harbor: The Verdict of History:" essential for an understanding of what happened at Pearl Harbor and why.By Mike Powers“Pearl Harbor: The Verdict of History” (shortened to “Verdict” for this review) is the second book in a trilogy about the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7; 1941. Written by Gordon W. Prange; Donald M. Goldstein; and Katherine V. Dillon; and first published in 1986; it builds upon Prange’s earlier “At Dawn We Slept: The Untold Story of Pearl Harbor.” In “Verdict;” the authors thoroughly examine the events leading up to the attack and render historical judgments on who was bore responsibility for the American failure to prepare for a possible Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.Prange; Goldstein; and Dillon rely heavily upon transcripts of several inquiries that took place at the end of World War II. Those investigations included one chaired by a Supreme Court justice; an Army Board of Inquiry; a Navy Court of Inquiry; and a joint Congressional committee. Each of these inquests had its own agenda. The Army shifted blame to the Navy; and the Navy indicted the Army. The Congressional committee wanted to pin blame on President Franklin D. Roosevelt and the most senior government officials in Washington; DC.The authors of “Verdict” sifted through an immense body of testimony and reports and arrived at three main conclusions: 1.) Responsibility for American lack of preparedness leading to the destruction of the American fleet and the loss of 2;403 lives rested primarily with US Navy Admiral Husband E. Kimmel and Army General Walter C. Short; Jr. These commanding officers received advance warning of a possible attack from their respective headquarters in Washington; but did not heed those warnings. 2.) There is no credible evidence that President Roosevelt; Secretary of War Henry Stimson; Navy Secretary Frank Knox; or any other government official conspired to withhold information from Kimmel or Short in order to allow the Japanese to attack; as a means of bringing the United States into the war. The authors’ arguments are persuasive and thoroughly backed up by their scrupulous research.3.) The attack on Pearl Harbor was brilliantly planned and executed by the Japanese on their own; "with no urging; tempting; or backstairs assistance" from anyone. The attack's overwhelming success rested as much upon "superior Japanese effort and performance" as it did on American bungling.“Pearl Harbor: the Verdict of History” is a very well written book; but it is not an easy read. It contains very little of the narrative flow that made “At Dawn We Slept” such an informative and entertaining book. Nevertheless; this volume is essential for an in-depth understanding of not only what happened on that “date which will live in infamy;” but why. Highly recommended.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Assessing the blame that At Dawn We Slept avoided doingBy Dennis J.The Verdict Of History was intended as the fourth volume of a four volume analysis of the Pearl Harbor attack. Prange passed away before completion of his magnum opus and two of his former students condensed what would have been his first three volumes into the one volume masterpiece that is At Dawn We Slept. Its form was narrative; utterly non-partisan and almost totally non-judgmental in covering this extremely controversial episode in American history. It is some of the absolutely most gripping historical writing that I have ever read but Prange (or more accurately his editors ) appeared to bend over backwards to avoid laying blame on any individual.Well; here is the assessment of who blew it and how.The analysis is meticulously fair; copiously detailed; fully documented with the emphasis being on lessons learned rather that reputations protected or destroyed.Another gem in the class of At Dawn We Slept and that's high praise indeed.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Five StarsBy MDMI'm not a collector and this is all I needed. The book was as described.