Book(s) about the war in the Pacific

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RichardGeorgia
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Book(s) about the war in the Pacific

#1

Post by RichardGeorgia » 16 Dec 2019, 14:25

Hi,

I was wondering if you could please name the most comprehensive and reliable book (or list them, if it's impossible to name just one) about the war in the Pacific? I'd love to have a more solid background, something to "unify" my knowledge, a reference point. I read multiple books about seperate battles (Guadalcanal, Pearl Harbor, Leyte Gulf, Iwo Jima, Coral Sea, etc.) but still haven't come across a single, "bible-like" book.

Thanks in advance.

And hello, I guess, it's my first post :)

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Re: Book(s) about the war in the Pacific

#2

Post by OpanaPointer » 16 Dec 2019, 17:34

Samuel Eliot Morison's "Two Ocean War" for starters. He was the Navy's official historian and wrote the multi-volume history. It's somewhat dated, secret material had not been released yet, but he hits the important parts.
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Takao
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Re: Book(s) about the war in the Pacific

#3

Post by Takao » 17 Dec 2019, 02:56

In my opinion, there is no single, "bible-like" book the covers the Pacific War. Morison is a start, but he knew nothing about carrier warfare, and that aspect of the Pacific War is poorly covered in his books. Also, from what I remember the Army receives short shrift too.

Your best bet is Ian W. Toll's Pacific War trilogy. However, the last book "Twilight of the Gods" does not come out until the middle of 2020.

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Re: Book(s) about the war in the Pacific

#4

Post by Pips » 20 Dec 2019, 04:04

There are several books (single volume) well worth reading Richard, that will give you a good, broad appreciation of the Pacific theatre of war. Just keep in mind that single volume, broad-brush approach books to the whole campaign do lack in the finite details of battles, personalities, decisions etc. But they are a good starting point for future research and understanding.

A few books that I would recommend are:
Eagle Against The Sun, by Ronald Spector
Hirohito's War, by Francis Pike
The Pacific War, edited by Bernard Nalty
The Pacific War 1931 -1945, by Saburo Ienaga
The Rising Sun, by John Toland

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Re: Book(s) about the war in the Pacific

#5

Post by Dann Falk » 20 Dec 2019, 05:07

From the US point of view, but very good...

The Fleet at Flood Tide by James D. Hornfischer
The First Team and The First Team and the Guadalcanal Campaign by John B. Lundstrom
Fire In The Sky: The Air War In The South Pacific by Eric m. Bergerud

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Re: Book(s) about the war in the Pacific

#6

Post by Carl Schwamberger » 20 Dec 2019, 05:12

For a general overview Costellos 'The Pacific War' is a good start.

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Re: Book(s) about the war in the Pacific

#7

Post by Mark in Cleveland, Tn. » 22 Dec 2019, 06:39

I liked all the first person accounts,from the Japanese point of view books such as ...Sunk,Kamakazi,Zero Pilot, The Kaiten Weapon-aka Suicide Submarine, lots of the old Ballantine published pocketbooks of the 60,s are surprisingly good with details of battles, first person accountgs,all the small details of *soldiering* in the jungles and the sea

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Re: Book(s) about the war in the Pacific

#8

Post by OpanaPointer » 27 Dec 2019, 12:46

Mark in Cleveland, Tn. wrote:
22 Dec 2019, 06:39
I liked all the first person accounts,from the Japanese point of view books such as ...Sunk,Kamakazi,Zero Pilot, The Kaiten Weapon-aka Suicide Submarine, lots of the old Ballantine published pocketbooks of the 60,s are surprisingly good with details of battles, first person accountgs,all the small details of *soldiering* in the jungles and the sea
Avoid "God's Samurai" by Fuchida Mitsuo. The fictions run rampant.
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Re: Book(s) about the war in the Pacific

#9

Post by Carl Schwamberger » 28 Dec 2019, 06:39

If you are fluent in Japanese there is a complete history of the war from the Japanese record, complied in the 1940s & 50s by a group of retired Japanese military officers. As I understand very little has been translated into English.

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Re: Book(s) about the war in the Pacific

#10

Post by Takao » 29 Dec 2019, 03:08

Senshi Sosho, 104 volumes complete(2 were published in the 1980s).

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Re: Book(s) about the war in the Pacific

#11

Post by OpanaPointer » 31 Dec 2019, 23:03

Takao wrote:
29 Dec 2019, 03:08
Senshi Sosho, 104 volumes complete(2 were published in the 1980s).
Any in English?
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Re: Book(s) about the war in the Pacific

#12

Post by Futurist » 01 Jan 2020, 00:22

Takao wrote:
29 Dec 2019, 03:08
Senshi Sosho, 104 volumes complete(2 were published in the 1980s).
How many pages per volume (approximately), on average?

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Re: Book(s) about the war in the Pacific

#13

Post by OpanaPointer » 01 Jan 2020, 00:56

Futurist wrote:
01 Jan 2020, 00:22
Takao wrote:
29 Dec 2019, 03:08
Senshi Sosho, 104 volumes complete(2 were published in the 1980s).
How many pages per volume (approximately), on average?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Senshi_S%C5%8Dsho
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Re: Book(s) about the war in the Pacific

#14

Post by OpanaPointer » 01 Jan 2020, 02:09

Takao wrote:
29 Dec 2019, 03:08
Senshi Sosho, 104 volumes complete(2 were published in the 1980s).
Takao, I value your opinion and expertise. Would you recommend the Monographs and if so with what reservations?
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Re: Book(s) about the war in the Pacific

#15

Post by jwsleser » 06 Jan 2020, 18:46

Two volumes (3 covering the Army and 26 covering the Navy) of the Senshi Sosho have been published in English by the Corts Foundation. These volumes cover the Japanese invasion of the Dutch East Indies. Vol 34 is currently being translated covering the Japanese Air Force during the same campaign. These are the only volumes Corts is planning to translate. The volumes are available as free .pdfs or as hardback books (I have the latter purchased from Univ Chicago Press). If you Google the titles of the two volumes, you will find the link to the .pdfs.

Corts Foundation

University of Chicago Press

The books are a complete translation except for many of the large maps contained in the map volumes were not reproduced.

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