New Book Please

[John 3rd]

About six months ago I asked the Forum for some good book recommendations and I chose to buy both books of "The First Team" and "Sunburst." The First Team books were EXCELLENT reads and I am now looking for something new.

What might be good for me to look at pertaining to the Pacific?

Parameters:
1. Don't have a lot of $$$ so that throws out any of the really expensive stuff.
2. Would like to buy 2-3 books so am open to anything that has been written in a set.

Comment/Suggestions?

[tc464]

W.E.B. Griffin, "The Corps" series.

[Nikademus]

Max Hasting's "Retribution" is proving to be a good and informative read.

[John 3rd]

What is Retribution about?
 

[John 3rd]

What was the name of those books regarding the creation of American air bases in the SE/SW Pacific duirng the early phase of the war?
 

[treespider]

I recommend Bloody Shambles etc...

[mdiehl]

Depends on your taste. General histories or details enough to please a critical minded analyst that wants always to know more... of the latter, some good selections:

Munda Trail by Eric Hammel
Lt. Ramsey's War by Ramsey and Rivele
Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors by James Hornfischer
Ship of Ghosts by James Hornfischer
Corregidor: The Rock Force Assault by E.M. Flanagan
The Battle for Manila by Connaughton, Pimlot and Anderson
Combined Fleet Decoded by John Prados
Shattered Sword by Parshall and Tulley
The Rape of Nanking by Alice Chang
Guadalcanal by Richard Frank
Pigboat 39 by Bobette Gugliotta
Downfall by Richard Frank
Tennozan by George Feifer

[John 3rd]

I have Shattered Sword, Combined Fleet Decoded, and Last Stand...
 
I've read a few of the Eric Hammel books.  They are pretty good.  What on the rest of your list is really interesting?
 
Bloody Shambles---is that the book on the SW/SE Pacific bases and the build-up there?
 

[mdiehl]

They are all really interesting. I've read pretty much everything written in English on the Pacific War that one can easily get their hands on. The stuff I listed is a fraction of the stuff that I kept. It really depends on how much detail and fact checking you want.

I have vol 1 of Bloody Shambles. It's not on my recommended list because there are insufficient in-text citations as to sources for aircraft losses. But it is a somewhat interesting read. B.S. Vol 1 & 2 are hard to obtain cheaply these days. They're not about the establishment of bases part of the war but rather about the early SE Asia campaign.

You may be thinking of Eric Bergerud's Touched with Fire and Fire in the Sky. They're interesting but not as detailed as the other SWPac books that I mentioned.

[Nikademus]

ORIGINAL: John 3rd

What is Retribution about?

Retribution covers the last two years of the War against Japan, including the war in China.

[Nikademus]

ORIGINAL: John 3rd

I have Shattered Sword, Combined Fleet Decoded, and Last Stand...

I've read a few of the Eric Hammel books.  They are pretty good.  What on the rest of your list is really interesting?

Bloody Shambles---is that the book on the SW/SE Pacific bases and the build-up there?

Bloody Shambles (3 volumes) covers the air war on a day by day basis in the SRA during the 1st and 2nd Operational phases of Japan's offensive while vol. 3 covers the air war in Burma from 43-45. An excellent series....very well researched and detailed. I recommend them as well as other air campaigns covered by Shores and his associates.

[Terminus]

Concur. Superb scholarly accounts.

[Nemo121]

Kaigun. Everything you ever wanted to know about why the IJN is the way it is on December 7th 1941. A superlative work which, as a bonus, also covers the Russo-Japanese naval war in an extremely cogent and elucidating manner.

[John 3rd]

I LOVE Kaigun!  I was disappointed with Sunburst.
 
Thanks for the Bloody Shambles recommendation.  This is an area I don't know a lot about.  Could be a possiblity.  The same can be said for Bergerud's books.  Those are the ones I was thinking about earlier.  Those five books are worth looking into.
 
In the spirit of areas I don't know much about, what is available (beyond the above) and good regarding the DEI, British action in the DEI in 1944/1945, good recent naval biographies (Black Shoe Sailor) or early War Planning (is War Plan Orange good?).  
 
Maybe these help focus the discussion some.
 

[Nikademus]

in addition to Frank and Hastings, i'd recommend John Caputo's "The Pacific War." It contains good chapters on those lesser well documented areas, early and late war along with good political analysis on the decisions made.

Louis Allen's "Burma, the Longest War" is probably the definitive accounting of the entire Burma campaign from the British retreat in 42 to the ceasing of hostilities.

[mdiehl]

Louis Allen's "Burma, the Longest War" &c

I concur.

[John 3rd]

Got Caputo's book and enjoyed it as a general history.
 
Haven't heard of 'Longest War' so I will check that out.
 

[krishub1492]

How about a book that is scheduled to be published on June 15.

If Mahan Ran the Great Pacific War: An Analysis of World War II Naval Strategy


http://www.amazon.com/Mahan-Ran-Great-P ... 084&sr=8-1

[John 3rd]

COOL!  I will take a look at that right now.
 

[John 3rd]

Has anyone read the new War Plan Orange book?  I can afford to get both of the Bergerud books and think I can get one more...