![The Battle of Midway (Pivotal Moments in American History) | [Craig L. Symonds]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51517dPwDcL._SL175_.jpg "The Battle of Midway (Pivotal Moments in American History) | [Craig L. Symonds]")
The Battle of Midway (Pivotal Moments in American History)
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- Regular Price :$24.95Special Offer: Learn how to get this for $7.49 !
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Average Customer Rating
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LENGTH14 hrs and 52 mins
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RELEASE DATE05-22-12
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AUDIO FORMATS
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Program TypeAudiobook
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PUBLISHER
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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.
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What Members Say
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Jeremy NEW YORK, NY, United States 11-22-12 Member Since 2010- HELPFUL VOTES
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"A unique tale of tactical wars"
Most history books talk about wars a lot, but they tend to focus on the strategic decisions, those big decisions that change the course of a war, like a major military offensive, the supply channels, the number of troops or equipment commandeered, etc.
This book is very different in that it is about the tactical detail of one military operation. For this reason it is also unique and I recommend to anyone who is interested about how war really work, on the field. For example, the general story about Midway is that the Japanese did not know that the aircraft carriers would be there and were taken by surprise. But what does it mean to be taken by surprise? Didn't they have their own carriers (and more of them) if the US carriers were actually on site? The tactical side explains that a single bomb will sink a carrier and that, silly enough, the Japanese had indicated their position as a result of a ship chasing a US submarine, that they had sent many of their attack planes on a raid instead of against the US carriers, that they couldn't even locate the latter, and that they had armed their bombs up on the carrier making them even more vulnerable.
These are just many things that emerge from the tactical analysis, but there is much more interesting tale about how specific individuals did affect the entire operation, another testimony to the importance of just one person for an entire war.1 of 1 people found this review helpful -
"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
1 of 1 people found this review helpful -
Dan McGrew Safford, AZ 05-09-13 Member Since 2012Military History and Archaeology
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"Midway Revisited"
What other book might you compare The Battle of Midway (Pivotal Moments in American History) to and why?This is a good book that has some very interesting new information, that some of the other books on Midway don't have. There are also flaws in this book as well, such as the deployment of the F4F Wildcat in 1942, Wildcats were operational in Dec 1941, on Wake and Midway, the F2B Buffalos deployed to Midway late in May-June of 1942 were sold to the Dutch government for their use in their colonies but absorbed into the USMC after Java and other Dutch colonies fell to the Japanese.
Would you listen to another book narrated by James Lurie?I would have to be very interested in the book to listen to him again, I almost returned the book but the story held my interest.
Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?No but remembering the sacrifice of the Torpedo Squadrons and VMF 211 is a part of the battle that needs to be remembered
Any additional comments?Despite its short comings this is a book worth reading or listening too.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful -
"Sorry, I can't stand listening to this guy."
What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?A narrator that didn't sound condescending and half asleep. This is without doubt the most important battle of the Pacific, maybe of the entire 2nd World War and this narrator makes the listener go to sleep!
What did you like best about this story?The history!! I am obsessed by the facts of history.
Who would you have cast as narrator instead of James Lurie?Someone who wasn't so self absorbed in his own voice.
What character would you cut from The Battle of Midway (Pivotal Moments in American History)?Absolutely none.
Any additional comments?I want to exchange this for another WWII history book til someone else is able to be the narrator.
0 of 2 people found this review helpful