New York Times bestseller: The true story of the WWII naval battle portrayed in the Roland Emmerich film is "something special among war histories" ( Chicago Sun-Times).
Six months after Pearl Harbor, the seemingly invincible Imperial Japanese Navy prepared a decisive blow against the United States. After sweeping through Asia and the South Pacific, Japan's military targeted the tiny atoll of Midway, an ideal launching pad for the invasion of Hawaii and beyond.
But the US Navy would be waiting for them. Thanks to cutting-edge code-breaking technology, tactical daring, and a significant stroke of luck, the Americans under Adm. Chester W.Nimitz dealt Japan's navy its first major defeat in the war. Three years of hard fighting remained, but it was at Midway that the tide turned.
This "stirring, even suspenseful narrative" is the first book to tell the story of the epic battle from both the American and Japanese sides ( Newsday). Miracle at Midway reveals how America won its first and greatest victory of the Pacific war-and how easily it could have been a loss.
Autorentext
Gordon W. Prange (1910-1980) was a professor of history at the University of Maryland and a World War II veteran. He served as the chief historian on General Douglas MacArthur's staff during the postwar military occupation of Japan. His 1963 Reader's Digestarticle "Tora! Tora! Tora!" was later expanded into the acclaimed book At Dawn We Slept. After Prange's death, his colleagues Donald M. Goldstein and Katherine V. Dillon completed several of his manuscripts, including At Dawn We Slept. Other works that Goldstein and Dillon finished include Miracle at Midway; Pearl Harbor: The Verdict of History; December 7, 1941: The Day the Japanese Attacked Pearl Harbor; and Target Tokyo: The Story of the Sorge Spy Ring.
Donald M. Goldstein (1931-2017) was a retired United States Air Force officer; professor emeritus of public and international affairs at the University of Pittsburgh, where he taught for thirty-five years; a winner of two Peabody Awards; and author of many books. He also taught at the Air Force Academy, the Air War College, the Air Command and Staff College, the University of Tampa, and Troy State University. He was considered the leading authority on the Pearl Harbor attack.
Katherine V. Dillon (1916-2005) was a chief warrant officer, United States Air Force (retired), and longtime collaborator with Gordon W. Prange and Donald M. Goldstein on their work. She served during World War II and the Korean War.
Zusammenfassung
The inside story of the historic battle that turned the tide in the war for the PacificSix months after Pearl Harbor, the seemingly invincible Imperial Japanese Navy prepared a decisive blow against the United States. After sweeping through Asia and the South Pacific, Japan's military targeted the tiny atoll of Midway, an ideal launching pad for the invasion of Hawaii and beyond. The United States Navy would be waiting for them. Thanks to cutting-edge code-breaking technology, tactical daring, and a huge stroke of luck, the Americans under Admiral Chester W. Nimitz dealt the Japanese navy its first major defeat of the war. Three years of hard fighting remained, but it was at Midway that the tide turned. This vivid, in-depth bestseller is the first book to tell the story of the epic battle from both the American and Japanese sides. In Miracle at Midway, Gordon W. Prange, Donald M. Goldstein, and Katherine V. Dillon show how America won its first and greatest victory of the Pacific warand how easily it could have been a defeat.
Inhalt
- Cover Page
- Introduction
- Preface
- Key Personnel
- 1. "A Breath of Fresh Air"
- 2. "We Should Occupy Midway"
- 3. "A Shiver over Japan"
- 4. "One Touch of an Armored Sleeve"
- 5. "The Expected and Constant Threat"
- 6. "Required to Aim at Two Hares"
- 7. "There Was No Rest"
- 8. "Can You Hold Midway?"
- 9. "An Admiral's Admiral"
- 10. "The Moment of Fulfillment"
- 11. "The Principle of Calculated Risk"
- 12. "On a Major Mission"
- 13. "Constant Vigilance Has to Be Maintained"
- 14. "Not the Least Doubt About a Victory"
- 15. "The Clock Was Running Ever Faster"
- 16. "In High Spirits and Full of Confidence"
- 17. "Take Off for Attack!"
- 18. "Extra Luck Riding with Us"
- 19. "Even the Midst of the Pacific Is Small"
- 20. "This Was to Be the Day of Days"
- 21. "Hawks at Angels Twelve"
- 22. "There Is Need for a Second Attack"
- 23. "A Complete Failure"
- 24. "There They Are!"
- 25. "The Japanese Were Not As Yet Checked"
- 26. "What the Hell Is Headquarters Doing?"
- 27. "At Last They Have Come"
- 28. "They Were Almost Wiped Out"
- 29. "A Burning Hell"
- 30. "A Calamity Like This"
- 31. "We, with Hiryu Alone"
- 32. "Determined to Sink an Enemy Ship"
- 33. "Don't Let Another Day Like This Come to Us Again!"
- 34. "There Is No Hope"
- 35. "I Will Apologize to the Emperor"
- 36. "Why Should I Not Sleep Soundly?"
- 37. "I Trembled with Great Sorrow"
- 38. "A Sober and Sickening Sight"
- 39. "Midway to Our Objective"
- 40. Analysis-Japan: "A Mass of Chaos"
- 41. Analysis-United States: Brilliance "Shot with Luck"
- 42. The Meaning of Midway-Forty Years Later
- Appendix
- Notes
- Abbreviations
- Order of Battle
- Chronology
- Selected Bibliography
- Index
- Image Gallery
- About the Authors
- Copyright Page