The Battle of Midway (Pivotal Moments in American History)

By: Craig L. Symonds

Narrated by: James Lurie

Length: 14 hrs and 47 mins

Publisher's summary

There are few moments in American history in which the course of events tipped so suddenly and so dramatically as at the Battle of Midway. At dawn of June 4, 1942, a rampaging Japanese navy ruled the Pacific. By sunset, their vaunted carrier force (the Kido Butai) had been sunk, and their grip on the Pacific had been loosened forever.

In this absolutely riveting account of a key moment in the history of World War II, one of America's leading naval historians, Craig L. Symonds, paints an unforgettable portrait of ingenuity, courage, and sacrifice. Symonds begins with the arrival of Admiral Chester A. Nimitz at Pearl Harbor after the devastating Japanese attack and describes the key events leading to the climactic battle, including both Coral Sea - the first battle in history against opposing carrier forces - and Jimmy Doolittle's daring raid of Tokyo. He focuses throughout on the people involved, offering telling portraits of Admirals Nimitz, Halsey, Spruance, and numerous other Americans, as well as the leading Japanese figures, including the poker-loving Admiral Yamamoto. Indeed, Symonds sheds much light on the aspects of Japanese culture - such as their single-minded devotion to combat, which led to poorly armored planes and inadequate fire-safety measures on their ships - that contributed to their defeat.

The author's account of the battle itself is masterful, weaving together the many disparate threads of attack - attacks which failed in the early going - that ultimately created a five-minute window in which three of the four Japanese carriers were mortally wounded, changing the course of the Pacific war in an eye-blink.

Symonds is the first historian to argue that the victory at Midway was not simply a matter of luck, pointing out that Nimitz had equal forces, superior intelligence, and the element of surprise. Nimitz had a strong hand, Symonds concludes, and he rightly expected to win.

©2011 Craig L. Symonds (P)2012 Audible, Inc.

You may knock US down, but you can't knock US out

Would you listen to The Battle of Midway (Pivotal Moments in American History) again? Why?

Absolutely. I had already planned on doing that when I was still listening. There is simply too much information to fully absorb at one time. I've studied Midway in the past and each time I learn more about how close we were to the edge, but how those who fought there never felt defeated.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Not a character because this is non-fiction, but my most heroic person, individually, would be Lt. Commander John C. Waldron of VT-8. A real life leader and hero.

Which scene was your favorite?

None. This was a horrible, but necessary event in history.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Yes the story of all of the torpedo squadrons and their attacks, but in particular the attack by squadron eight (VT-8) from the U.S.S. Hornet; this piece of history get's me every time. Here were 15 aircraft each carrying three young men in the prime of life. They didn't want to be there and they didn't want to die. Despite that and knowing full well they were outgunned, without fighter air cover, without dive bomber help for a coordinated attack, and flying slow obsolete aircraft; they went in on their attack runs. They knew the odds were heavily against them, but they brought the planes down low, slow and straight and pressed forward their attack. Each in turn. And they were slaughtered. Only one man survived the attack and none of their torpedoes did any damage to the enemy ships. That is real honor and heroism; not that stuff the enemy was shoveling.

Any additional comments?

I actually liked the narrator. His voice, inflection and cadence were appropriate for the telling of this story.

Superb

This was an excellently researched book and narrated marvelously. The author is to be commended for the level of detail which allows the reader to have a crystal clear view of both the battle and the circumstances surrounding it. One of the best books I have ever had the pleasure of both reading and listening. Thank you

History is in the details

It's always interesting to me to hear about the details of an epic event in history. This story comes alive with all the background stories of the people involved in this battle - both Americans and Japanese. It makes me proud to be an American when I hear about the sacrifices our sailors and soldiers made when we were still reeling from the devastating attack on Peal Harbor, on this day, December 7, 1941.

The self-sacrifice of our armed services appears even more impressive because I get the feeling that it was their singular focus to protect and serve their comrades and country. My father (U.S. Navy) and grandfather (British Navy) both dedicated many years serving in the Navy. So on a very personal level, I'm very proud of them for their service. The more I learn about the details of a historical event, in this case Midway, the more grateful I feel to be fortunate enough to live in America.

I think if people were more aware of these details, the more we would be proud of our country and understand that, while we make mistakes, we have in many, many cases sought to fight for just causes in order to give people the right to determine how they want to be governed.

Being friendly with dictators and allowing countries to get away with murdering their citizens and ours is not the American way and is anathema to what our country should stand for. I forgot where I heard this, but someone told me once "if you don't stand for something you will follow for anything."

I think books like, "The Battle of Midway," remind me that thank God (or whoever) that our service members and their leaders stood for something back in WWII or else it would be a much nastier world than it is today.

Enjoy this Great read and keep looking for the details...that's the only way to get closer to the truth!

Absolutely one of the best.....

The Battle of Midway by Craig Symonds is, in my opinion, one of the best compilations of the history of the battle. His writing style is excellent and keeps the readers attention. I've read several books about the battle of Midway and this one is excellent. From the opening paragraphs to the extremely interesting summary of the lives of the combatants following the battle it is a great read.

gripping and thoroughly inciteful.

The level of detail used to set the table for the battle, and the blow by blow recounting gave me new appreciation for the significance.

Outstanding research, analysis, and narration.

Craig Symonds is an exceptional historian. His World War 2 at Sea is must reading.

Great Audio

It was fast paced and the narrator did a great job. Learned a great deal about the battle that I did not know.

Great

very good story of the battle, Fletcher and Yorktown finally getting some credit for their efforts.

A solid book to listen to...

The author writes the history in a very clear narrative style. The amount of background is sufficient, and introduced in the proper way. In the end he explains not only the Battle of Midway, but the thinking, strategies, limitations, and advantages that eventually led to the US victory at Midway and in the Pacific War.

Mr Lurie has a smooth speaking style. He is the kind of narrator that makes you forget that he didn't actually write the book - he is only reading it.

Good read (listen) for history buffs

What made the experience of listening to The Battle of Midway (Pivotal Moments in American History) the most enjoyable?

This is a tale told over and over again. This version was told in a very fresh manner and I enjoyed the narration.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Nimitz: did he have balls!

Which scene was your favorite?

The absolute divine intervention of getting the right mix upstairs and on the deck.

Any additional comments?

I did not realise how badly the Hornet flyers actually did... I was not aware of the Flight to Nowhere