If you only get two books...

[Narlotep]

...get Eric Bergerud's "Touched by Fire" and "Fire in the Sky".

This is a shameless plug for his works on ground and air combat in the South Pacific, Spring 1942- Winter 1943.

Both cover exactly the time period and geographic areas in UV. Unlike the countless other books I've read over the years on various sub-topics, these are analytical and operational in scope. They perfectly fit with the operational nature of the campaign and provide a great synthesis of information that will explain a lot of the decision-making in the theater.

I am really impressed with his work and can hardly wait for the third volume on naval operations.

[brisd]

I am an avid reader of military history, I will pick these two books up soon. Always good to learn as much about the real war to learn the right and wrong way to fight this campaign.

[Von_Frag]

I can vouch for Fire In The Sky. I must get Touched By Fire. Anyone in the Military Book Club?

Frag

[jhdeerslayer]

www.half.com is a great place to get used (sometimes new) books. I use it all the time and is good for obscure, hard to find books. They are owned by E-Bay now.

[Don Bowen]

For good history of the Pacific War consider History of U.S. Naval Operations in World War II by Samuel Eliot Morison. Somewhat dated (has it really been 50 years?) but an excellent history and about the right level of detail. Primarily a naval history, short on army detail. 15 volumes, including those for the Atlantic. Consider:

Volume 3 - Rising Sun in the Pacific
Volume 4 - Coral Sea, Midway, and Submarine Operations
Volume 5 - Struggle for Guadalcanal
Volume 6 - Breaking the Bismark Barrier.
Volume 8 - New Guinea and the Marianas


For U.S. carrier operations in great detail - The First Team and The First Team and the Guadalcanal Operation, both by John Lundstrom. Focus is on VF squadrons and very, very detailed.


For land combat you can't beat the official histories:

U.S. Army in World War II - Guadalcanal the First Offensive and Victory in Papua

Australia in the War of 1939-1945 - South-West Pacific Area, First Year - Kokoda to Wau.

History of U.S. Marine Corps Operations in World War II - Pearl Harbor to Guadalcanal

The Army Air Forces in World War II - Plans and Early Operations, January 1939 to August, 1942.


And, of course, for Guadalcanal, get Richard B Frank's Guadalcanal.

[Wilhammer]

The Imperial Japanese Navy
Paul S. Dull
Naval Institute Press 1978.

Paul was an USMC Japanese linguist in WW2, and when he retired from the history department of the University of Oregon, he went to Japan to translate documents for this book.

It is written based mainly on Japanese war reports of surface and carrier actions.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Frank's Guadalcanal is the most exhaustive book I have ever read on the Guadalcanal Operations.

Thanks for reminding me that I own it!

[11Bravo]

Originally posted by Narlotep
...get Eric Bergerud's "Touched by Fire" and "Fire in the Sky".

This is a shameless plug for his works on ground and air combat in the South Pacific, Spring 1942- Winter 1943.

Both cover exactly the time period and geographic areas in UV. Unlike the countless other books I've read over the years on various sub-topics, these are analytical and operational in scope. They perfectly fit with the operational nature of the campaign and provide a great synthesis of information that will explain a lot of the decision-making in the theater.

I am really impressed with his work and can hardly wait for the third volume on naval operations.

I took your advice and am very pleased. The beginning third of the Fire in the Sky gives you a wonderful overview of how those now familiar bases in the South Pacific got their start. The combination of playing the game (simulation), with reading these books and studying the maps gives a very in depth understanding of the history of these battles.

In general, I find that my playing uses far greater concentration of forces than those actually participating in the battles at those locations. Also, I find that the typical sequence of events in a typical game seem to occur earlier than those in the historical record. The same goes for the build up of bases. My building rates seem faster than what was accomplished. It might just be my style of play though.

Or maybe its because I'm not squatting in mud in a humid jungle dealing with another bout of amoebic dysentary...

[Von Rom]

This is not a book, but a link to one of the best sites on the net dealing with the entire Pacific War. It has great maps and details on all the individual battles as well as all the naval forces involved:

http://www.combinedfleet.com/map.htm

[Yamamoto]

Originally posted by Wilhammer
The Imperial Japanese Navy
Paul S. Dull
Naval Institute Press 1978.

That was the best book I ever read on the war in the Pacific. I still go back and re-read sections of it from time to time.

Yamamoto

[MarkFroio]

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Frank's Guadalcanal is the most exhaustive book I have ever read on the Guadalcanal Operations.

Thanks for reminding me that I own it! [/B][/QUOTE]



I loved this book. I didn't really know much about WW II in the S. Pacific before I read it. Reading the accounts of the battles, I was on the edge of my seat (so to say) because I didn't know what the outcomes were.

I think if Matrix bought this book in bulk and shipped it to everyone registered to this forum, they would sell out UV and Operation Watchtower in a matter of weeks.

[strollen]

I finished about 2/3 of Frank's Guadacanal Campaign before I got distracted. It was very comprehensive and very valuable when I went to Guadacanal. However, I found it pretty dry in many spots.

However, let me second the praise of Erik's book Fire in the Sky.
Most military history books focus almost entirely on the What and When. Erik's focus mostly on the How and Why, which also why I like Ambrose's book eventhough the scholarship isn't wonderful.

Here is snippet of interview with Erik

Q How long did the research take and how long did the actual writing of the book take? Did you separate the two tasks, or interweave them? Every writer seems to have a routine for how they work-1,000 words every morning before 10:00 AM, that sort of thing. What is your writing routine?

BERGERUD: Waste a year fishing and playing computer games and then writing till 2AM for a year and a half when things got rolling. Some authors have great discipline. Others can't get a book out the door in a decade. I've done four in less than ten years which is okay. All I need is a secretary. Betcha Tom Clancey has one.

Since Eric plays computer games I wonder what he would think of this one.

If anybody Matrix wants to contact him, he might be valuable person about publizing the game within history buff circles.
he can be reached at Lincoln University at
generaled@lincolnuca.edu

[strollen]

One of the reasons I Fire so much was it talked about the difference between US and Japanese logistics.

For instance, he talks in some detail about how the Japanese used conscripted Korean and others for most of there construction projects and barely gave them shovels.

In contrast the US Seabee were early on in the war professional construction workers and engineers. They were almost always equipped with Bulldozer and other vehicles.

Of course 2By3 makes the point in one sentence.
"Engineering vehicle is equivalent of 5 engineering squads"