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Any good reference books on battles of the Pacific?

Discussion in 'War in the Pacific' started by The Birdman 472, Jan 4, 2013.

  1. The Birdman 472

    The Birdman 472 recruit

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    Are there any good books out there that are a good comprehensive record of the land and naval battles of the Pacific Theater during WWII?
     
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  2. TiredOldSoldier

    TiredOldSoldier Ace

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    If you are serious "bite the bullet" and go for the pacific volumes of Morrison's History of United States naval operation in WW2 it's somertimes a bit dated and he used practically no Japanese sources but it's the "official" history and shows the contemporary US mindset bertter than more recent works.
    For a Japanese side Dull's The Imperial Japanese Navy is good, though also a bit dated, but it's only naval ops.
    More recent works like The First Team or Shattered Sword go a lot deeper but are focused on individual battles.
     
  3. TD-Tommy776

    TD-Tommy776 Man of Constant Sorrow

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    Are you looking for books on naval battles, land battles or both?
     
  4. LRusso216

    LRusso216 Graybeard Staff Member

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    If you don't have the time or inclination to wade through the official histories, as recommended by TOS, you might be better served if you concentrated on such things as Hell to Pay or anything by Hornfischer, which concentrate on individual events and how they tied into the entire context of the war. There are many others, too numerous to mention.
     
  5. SymphonicPoet

    SymphonicPoet Member

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    I'll second TOS. I've read both First Team and Shattered Sword. Both are first rate. I'm working on The Imperial Japanese Navy as we speak. It was an serendipitous find in a used bookstore and I'm quite enjoying it even if it is, as TOS puts it, slightly dated. Still good information and this is the root of quite a lot that came after. For that same reason I myself really ought to break down and give the Morrison a read. (And reread Eagle Against the Sun and Two Ocean War for that matter.) There are some other good reads out there, but TOS hit some true gems and that's a darn fine start for anyone interested in WWII in the Pacific.
     
  6. belasar

    belasar Court Jester

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    I found "Eagle against the Sun" a pretty good single volume book, though it concentrates on US/Japanese operations. "The Two Ocean War" is also a good single volume (but Thick!) book that again dtresses US/Japanese operations.

    Note: its been awhile since I've read these, so I'm going from memory here.
     

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