Midway Inquest

Why the Japanese Lost the Battle of Midway

By: Dallas W. Isom

Narrated by: Mark Sando

Midway, the most famous naval battle in American history, has been the subject of many excellent books. However, none satisfactorily explain why the Japanese lost that battle, given their overwhelming advantage in firepower. While no book may ever silence debate on the subject, Midway Inquest answers the central mystery of the battle. Why could the Japanese not get a bomber strike launched against the American carrier force before being attacked and destroyed by American dive bombers from the Enterprise and Yorktown? Although it is well known that the Japanese were unable to launch an immediate attack because their aircraft were in the process of changing armament, why wasn't the rearming operation reversed and an attack launched before the American planes arrived? Based on extensive research in Japanese primary records, Japanese literature on the battle, and interviews with over two dozen Japanese veterans from the carrier air groups, this book solves the mystery at last.

©2007 Dallas Woodbury Isom (P)2016 Redwood Audiobooks

Excellent

Somewhat ponderous discussion of the critical few minutes of the battle. Interesting discussion of IJN carrier pilots (training, how many existed, and their centrality to the Japanese war effort against the USA). Also excellent job of placing Midway in the context of other carrier battles. Interesting discussion of war in the Pacific IF Japan had won at Midway.

Excellent book.

Excellent book. Provides a lot of previously unreleased information. Narrator is a little dull. I disagree with a little of his scenario at the end of the book.

Tedious/Repetitive

Although this was a very detailed review of the battle of Midway with significant insight and surprising assertions backed up by new evidence, it was simply tiresome and repetitive. Points were made over and over and the prose was tedious. Unfortunately the author’s use of the word “moreover” became the focus of the listener, cringing each time it was used as the book wore on. It was as if the author had a word-of-the-day calendar and it was stuck on “moreover”, never a “further”, “also” or “in addition” in sight…

Good, detailed history of the battle, and the war in the Pacific…if you can make your way through it.