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.

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

Excellent account

Even better than Gordon Prange's book. Very good narration. Highly detailed but never boring. Lost sleep in trying to finish the book.

Good performance

The narrator gave a good show, but there are better tellings of the battle of Midway from a tactical, personal, and story perspective.

OUTSTANDING

This book is a great insight into the events that lead to the battle of Midway as well as the battle itself.

battle of midway

So much information and put in a way that keeps your attention. Enjoyed every aspect of this book filled with so much that it keeps you on the edge even though you know the outcome.

Best Book about Midway

The battle of Midway is a complicated subject . I've read several books about it. None of them explain the battle in such an understandable and entertaining way as this one.

good retelling of the tale

What did you love best about The Battle of Midway (Pivotal Moments in American History)?

corrections that were made due to new information

What did you like best about this story?

the reading kept moving

Have you listened to any of James Lurie’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

no

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

This time we get it right

Narrator is fantastic

One of the very few audio books that I’ll listen too more than once. The history we know-yet James Laurie’s narration makes it new & exciting, as if heard for the 1st time

So much new I did not previously know…

I have been a naval aviator for over 40 years, and long thought I knew and understood this battle. Prof Symonds revealed so much that I had not known or understood, much of it pertinent to developing future naval aviators (e.g., the pre-war design and training philosophies of the opposing fleets, the heroic performance of Yorktown, the embarrassment of Hornet’s air wing, the US losses apart from Bombing 8). I was humored to learn that the chaplain’s center at the Naval Academy was named for an admiral (“Pete” Mitscher) who took 6 years to graduate, due to gross misconduct and lousy grades. Much of the book I’ve listened to twice to capture what I might have missed.
I’ve one disappointment. At the outset, the author takes issue with others’ characterizations of Midway as “Miraculous,” asserting he believes the outcome was more probable than historians have allowed. I would have liked the author to have circled back at the end and summarized his argument. He left the reader/listener to marshall the details and threads that would overrule that consensus. Sure, Japanese admirals’ arrogance made them vulnerable, but a few US pilots had to make up for an appalling inability to get weapons on target for most of the battle. Gifted US leadership’s foresight was for naught if the pilots couldn’t score hits, and the weapons didn’t fuse.