Books with maps and strategies

[Valgua]

My fellow armchair warriors,

my dear parents gave a 50 Euro coupon to buy books on the net. Of course, being the wargaming nerd I am, I want to invest them in military history and more precisely war in the pacific military history.
I am pretty new to the subject, having spent most of my youth (besides the usual drugs, sex and rock & roll) reading about the European theater. I have recently read "Nemesis" by Max Hastings. It is a good book, but i focuses mainly on the social and political aspects of Japan's defeat.
I would now like to buy a book dealing with the military aspect of the conflict, possibly with maps and pictures. I have heard about "Rising Sun" by John Tolland. Is it something I could be interested in? Any suggestions?

[Fishbed]

if you're looking for something that deals only with battles and maps, there's a Battle History of the IJN out there:

http://www.amazon.com/Battle-History-Im ... 0870210971

A little dry, will never go very far in everything that lead to the battles themselves - it is really all about how surface combat proceeded in every encounter, nothing more, nothing less. But if you're new to the PTO, you may enjoy it and maybe want to know more about how and why everything happened that way (then you'll pick Kaigun and Sunburst as further reading). It's a tactical feast (which is cool from a historical point of view, but will be of little use for AE, as you don't control your TFs during the battle). The Japanese point of view is always welcome anyway.

[Fishbed]

Ho and a very beautiful book I have at home (not sure it's the same edition though, mine was rather huge)

http://www.amazon.com/War-Pacific-Featu ... 0806131993

Nice photos, details in the equipment (like big double pages with genuine equipments and commentary: "British small arms", "Japanese soldier gear", etc...), maps all over the place, divisions armpatchs, everything to get into the military side of the conflict. A very good read, and very accessible to a non-native speaker like me. And it's the whole theater, for a change (Asian mainland is covered too)

[Chickenboy]

Valgua,

For your first foray into the PTO, I recommend something more general rather than more specific. A good 'overview', if you will-then you can focus on a specific battle or aspect of the PTO in other texts.

For a good overview, I'd recommend "The Pacific War 1941-1945" by John Costello or "Eagle Against the Sun" by Ronald Spector. A decent place to start.

[Swenslim]

Takushiro Hattori - Pacific War (in Russia this book called Japan in War 1941-1946)

[Mr.Custer]

I would recommend two books,both from the West Point Military History Series. "THE SECOND WORLD WAR ASIA AND THE PACIFIC" and "WEST POINT ATLAS FOR THE SECOND WORLD WAR ASIA AND THE PACIFIC" by Thomas E.Griess.Be sure to get both books.They compliment the game very well,excellent maps.

[JohnDillworth]

If you want to micro focus on the thinking of Japan and the US in the months immediately following Pearl you cant go wrong with:
The Barrier and the Javelin: Japanese and Allied Strategies, February to June 1942

It concentrates on the long term thinking of how the war was going to go. It covers the pre-war stuff but the real value is on Japans thinking as to the "second phase" of the beginning offensive. SW Pacific, invade Australia, cut off Australia, Invade India, invade Ceylon?
The walks through the choices and how that resulted in Coral Sea and Midway. Japan actually wanted to do more in the Indian ocean but was afraid of carrier air strikes on the home Islands. So they cut short their adventures in the Indian Ocean. Detailed stuff, mostly for people that hang around forums like this

[SteveD64]

If you're interested in Guadalcanal, Richard Frank's book Guadalcanal: The Definitive Account of the Landmark Battle (Paperback - $15) is one the best military history books I've ever read, of any era.  It has plenty of maps and charts and is not dry at all.

[Zebedee]

Could anyone recommend a good work on the Japanese economy 1930s - 1945? If it's in the mould of Harrison's work on the SU and Britain or Tooze's on Germany, then that would be a boon too.

[PzB74]

If you'd like to know more about the fall of Singapore I recommend "Sinister Twilight".
http://www.amazon.com/Sinister-Twilight ... 0304364371

A cheap and utterly fascinating book. You won't believe it until you read it and it will give you a completely new view upon the war in Malaya and the fall of Singapore - which is one of the key actions in the early WitP scenarios.

Sinister Twilight
The Fall of Singapore
Noel Barber

Britain's worst military disaster: 'A story of muddle that outdoes the Crimea, of ineptitude, bad decisions and wrangling in high places' Daily Mail

Published to international acclaim in 1968, Noel Barber's account of the fall of Singapore remains the best account of this, Britain's greatest military defeat. In just ten weeks, Malaya was overrun and the 'fortress' of Singapore surrendered to a Japanese army that found itself outnumbered by the 100,000+ British and Commonwealth prisoners. Written at a time when he could still interview many of the senior officers as well as ordinary soldiers caught up in this disaster, Noel Barber's account reveals how peacetime complacency prevailed in Singapore up to the very moment the Japanese onslaught began.

[Mike Scholl]

ORIGINAL: Zebedee

Could anyone recommend a good work on the Japanese economy 1930s - 1945? If it's in the mould of Harrison's work on the SU and Britain or Tooze's on Germany, then that would be a boon too.

I'd definately like to see something like this as well. Everyone says Japan's economy was weak and over-specialized (many even give examples). But I've never found a solid overview of the whole system showing exactly how all the parts interacted.

[sfbaytf]

Rising Sun is a good book. The Pacific War by Costello is also good.

If you want maps then something like the Cassell Atlas of the Second World War or Atlas of World War 2 would be a good book. It does also focuses on Europe.

The Military History of World War 2 Consultant Editor Barrie Pitt also has lots of maps and pictures.

If you want to get really technical with the naval weapons, then Naval Weapons of World War 2, by John Campbell is a place to start.

[sfbaytf]

ORIGINAL: Zebedee

Could anyone recommend a good work on the Japanese economy 1930s - 1945? If it's in the mould of Harrison's work on the SU and Britain or Tooze's on Germany, then that would be a boon too.

That's a difficult one, but would be a good thesis paper for a PHD...instead of the nonsense of soy beans being the cause of WW2.

In this survey you have a section on the Japanese economy.

http://www.anesi.com/ussbs01.htm

This may be what you're looking for. Have no idea of how it is, but considering the source it may be pretty "dry"

http://books.google.com/books?id=zA4eRW ... q=&f=false

[Zebedee]

ORIGINAL: sfbaytf

That's a difficult one, but would be a good thesis paper for a PHD...instead of the nonsense of soy beans being the cause of WW2.

Thanks sfbaytf. The Strategic bombing report I've read but obviously it has its limits. The book on economic security may well be worth a punt although it stops at 1941 - cheers for pointing it out for me.

Definitely is a shortage of good works on the economic aspects of the Pacific theatre as they relate to Japan. Mind you, it's only recently that that we've started to get re-evaluations on the war economies of three of the major European powers so perhaps it's not too surprising. The issue of good academics able to write well in English who also understand Japanese is also a major factor I guess.

[Herrbear]

ORIGINAL: Mike Scholl

ORIGINAL: Zebedee

Could anyone recommend a good work on the Japanese economy 1930s - 1945? If it's in the mould of Harrison's work on the SU and Britain or Tooze's on Germany, then that would be a boon too.

I'd definately like to see something like this as well. Everyone says Japan's economy was weak and over-specialized (many even give examples). But I've never found a solid overview of the whole system showing exactly how all the parts interacted.

While this does not cover all aspects of the Japanese economy, I would recommend Edward S Miller Bankrupting the Enemy - The US Financial Siege of Japan Before Pearl Harbor.

Mike if you don't have it and want to read it, PM me.

[Pascal_slith]

ORIGINAL: Mr.Custer

I would recommend two books,both from the West Point Military History Series. "THE SECOND WORLD WAR ASIA AND THE PACIFIC" and "WEST POINT ATLAS FOR THE SECOND WORLD WAR ASIA AND THE PACIFIC" by Thomas E.Griess.Be sure to get both books.They compliment the game very well,excellent maps.

The West Point atlases are available for free online. Check the US Army CMH (Center for Military History).


As a general suggestion for the forum, could we not set up a 'sticky' post with suggest reading? A kind of 'annotated bibliography' by forum members?

[Valgua]

Good idea Pascal!
Thanks to everyone for all the answers. I have ordered Costello's book, and I will probably also order Naval Weapons of World War 2. I will thereafter buy books about individual battles such as Midway and Guadalcanal.