Could Someone recommend a book on history of the Pacific Theatre?

[Fallschirmjager]

ORIGINAL: dwesolick

ORIGINAL: Fallschirmjager

I was looking for a website where I could purchase all 14 or 15 volumes together as a boxed set.

I bought the entire set brand new in hardcover at Amazon.com for $149. This was about a year ago, but I think they still have it at the same price.

Oh, and I think shipping is free on orders over $25.

Thank you very much.
It was a special order and it will be 5-8 weeks before they are shipped and their is a chance I might never see them. But all the same I ordered them anyways.

[JamesM]

The Pacific War by John Costello

Brisd

That is a very good one (1) volume history of the Pacifc War.

Highly recommended!

[Tectororch]

Kev,

Morison's set are the "hard boiled egg" of the Pacific War (can't be beat). I was able to get the whole set, used but in very good condition, for under $100 at Barnes and Noble's used book store, and via Alibris.

"Touched With Fire" by Eric Bergerud is a thorough history of the land campaigns in the South Pacific.

"Day of Infamy" for Pearl Harbor.

Hope this helps.

ORIGINAL: kev_uk

Subject says it all, cheers.
I am just after a general history, with politcal/social ramifications on all sides and good military history. Does such a book exist?

[brisd]

ORIGINAL: jamesm

The Pacific War by John Costello

Brisd

That is a very good one (1) volume history of the Pacifc War.

Highly recommended!

Thanks for the feedback, I ordered it already and look forward to reading it prior to getting my hands on WITP. [8D]

[TIMJOT]

For an excellent read on the overall political, Military, Strategic aspects of prewar-earlywar-midwar period and a lot of detail and insite on areas not always covered adequately in other books. I highly reccomend J.P. Wilmont's two Volumes

"Empires in the Balance" & "The Barrier and the Javeline"

Regards

[Apollo11]

Hi all,

ORIGINAL: kev_uk

Subject says it all, cheers.
I am just after a general history, with politcal/social ramifications on all sides and good military history. Does such a book exist?

Although I read many books about specific battles in Pacific I read 3 books that cover entire war:


Eagle Against the Sun: The American War With Japan
by Ronald H. Spector
ISBN: 0394741013


The Rising Sun: The Decline and Fall of the Japanese Empire, 1936-1945
by John Toland
ISBN: 0812968581


Samurai!
by Saburo Sakai
ISBN: 0743412834


Toland's book is very good for understanding Japan and it offers unique perspective from Japanese standpoint.

Sakai's book is equally interesting because it offers perhaps the only inside view available in non Japanese language written by Japanese WWII pilot.

Spector's book is a bit different (and perhaps a bit dull) but it list all major campaigns and offers US side of war.



Leo "Apollo11"

[jhdeerslayer]

I am reading Admiral Ugaki's diary called Fading Victory. His diary ends when he takes a Kamikaze flight at wars end... This book is an often quoted source in other books and a good read. I found at a used book store and not sure it is in print anymore or not. Many excellent reads recommended above.

[tanjman]

Try http://www.cibmedia.com/ $249.00 for all 15 volumes.

ORIGINAL: Fallschirmjager

I was looking for a website where I could purchase all 14 or 15 volumes together as a boxed set.

[Reichenberg]

ORIGINAL: Apollo11
Sakai's book is equally interesting because it offers perhaps the only inside view available in non Japanese language written by Japanese WWII pilot.

Another really interesting book written from a Japanese combatant is

Hiromichi Yahara, The battle for Okinawa, John Wiley & Sons, Inc, ISBN 0-471-12041-3

Yahara was the highest ranking Japanese officer who survived Okinawa. He was senior staff officer of the 32nd Japanese Army.

Uwe

[Hartley]

The Japanese Colonial Empire 1895-1945

for some broader angles.

[ChuckK]

Well, if anyone is in the mood for some beautiful full color glossies let met toss out, Carrier Air War: In Original WWII Color, by Robert Lawson and Barret Tillman, Motorbooks International Publishers and Wholesalers, 1996. It's a light read but has some priceless first-person accounts by those won fought in the P.T.O.

[Apollo11]

Hi all,

ORIGINAL: Deerslayer

I am reading Admiral Ugaki's diary called Fading Victory. His diary ends when he takes a Kamikaze flight at wars end... This book is an often quoted source in other books and a good read. I found at a used book store and not sure it is in print anymore or not. Many excellent reads recommended above.

Wasn't the Admiral Ugaki flying the very last suicide mission by Japanese (never was heard of that flight again and no info is known of him and his flight)?


Leo "Apollo11"

[Von Rom]

There are also a few good sites on the web that have some fascinating reading on the Pacific War:

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

http://www.army.mil/cmh-pg/books/amh/amh-23.htm

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

http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/PTO/Ris ... index.html

[Huskalator]

What are some good books with lots of pretty pictures for the geographically challenged?

I'll read books and mostly understand what is going on but when it gets down to movements from Island to Island or town to town I really get lost.

[jhdeerslayer]

Haven't read that far yet but I'll find out soon!

Fire in the Sky is another good one and I would think a bible for the WITP designers as much details about bases, supplies, etc...

[diesel7013]

Here's another great book written from the Japanese point of view:

ZERO by Masatake Okumiya and Jiro Horikoshi w/ Martin Caidin - Okumiya was Air Staff Officer for several of the major Carrier vs. Carrier battles during the war and at Rabul and Buin during '43 - so he has alot of good 1st person analysis of the battles being fought and in his opinion why Japan lost the war ( industrial might, lack of a comperable bomber to the B-17, lack of air base construction ability - nothing like the seabees in comparison and other interesting reasons )

Horikoshi was one of the engineers that designed the Zero and many other Jap aircraft....

The book is a favorite of mine because it goes into detail on OOB's, pilot strenght, warship building policy and many other topics that don't normally get covered...

This book also swayed me towards being interested in the Pacific Conflict and the Navy away from the army which ultimately led me to Annapolis instead of the Point...

Anyway - its my favorite and a couple of years ago I payed $100.00 for a hard bound copy as it wasn't in print anymore and just this week I saw it in Paperback at Books a Million - so if anyone wants it - its there for the taking...

[BarkhornXX]

ORIGINAL: freeboy

Author John Keegan, Price of Admiralty, anouther on WW2m, on on Normandy..

Keegan's book, The Price of Admiralty is crap, IMO. The section on Midway is riddled with errors and it suffers from too much "Rule Britannia" if you get my drift.

Barkhorn.

[BarkhornXX]

..ohh..and I would recommend;

A Battle History of the Japanese Navy by Paul S. Dull and
The Fast Carriers by Cark Reynolds.

[JamesM]

Also try this one:

Howarth, Stephen ed: "Men of War - Great Naval Leaders of World War II", Spartan Press, 1976. (ISBN: 0297810936)

Interesting read

[Stavka_lite]

Another good book, if it has not been mentioned already, is The Battle History of the Imperial Japanese Navy . This book only covers surface actions. A very good read with great detail and charts.