Dec. 7, 1941: The Day the Japanese Attacked Pearl Harbor [Paperback]

Donald M Goldstein (Author), Gordon W Prange (Author), Katherine V Dillon (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1, 1989

With all the dramatic readability of a novel, Prange provides a richly detailed, chronological account of the day the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. Advertising in Army, Navy, Air Force Times, Military History and World War II magazines.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This is the final volume of Prange's Pearl Harbor trilogy, based in large part on interviews conducted immediately after World War II. A chronological account related mostly by eyewitnesses, it describes the hints and warning of the attack as perceived both in Washington and Oahu, covers the attack itself in starkly vivid detail, and shows the reactions of servicemen and civilians, which range from fear to heroism to bewilderment. The narrative is particularly interesting in its depiction of the stupified incredulity on the part of many, and on the involuntary flights of imagination that rendered an extraordinary number of people temporarily aberrant. Many "eyewitnesses" saw German planes over Pearl Harbor, for instance; others saw Japanese paratroops landing on Oahu. The riveting narrative concludes with President Roosevelt's declaration of war the following day. The first and second volumes of the trilogy (At Dawn We Slept and Pearl Harbor: The Verdict of History) were highly praised bestsellers. Prange died in 1981; Goldstein teaches history at the University of Pittsburgh; Dillon was Prange's editorial assistant. Photos not seen by PW.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

The final volume of the late Prange's seminal trilogy maintains the luminous quality of his earlier works. Like At Dawn We Slept and Pearl Harbor: the verdict of history , it is thoroughly documented and detailed yet captivatingly readable as well. Prange's collaborators have chosen the same approach used in Walter Lord's classic Day of Infamy (1957): an hour-by-hour recapitulation through the eyes of participants. This book, however, begins on December 6 and focuses as much upon the Japanese raiders as the American defenders. The diplomatic and high command levels are especially well represented. Highly recommended. Raymond Puffer, U.S. Air Force History Prog., Los Angeles
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 532 pages
• Publisher: Grand Central Publishing (December 1, 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0446389978
• ISBN-13: 978-0446389976
• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 8 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #620,488 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent, well researched book of the Day of Infamy., June 25, 1998

By 

J. S. Wrobleski (San Francisco Bay Area, California, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: December 7, 1941: The Day the Japanese Attacked Pearl Harbor (Hardcover)

This book is a must. Though difficult to obtain, it is well worth the wait. It is a usual Gordon Prange Book: Well researched, easy to read, and without errors. Prange's relentless search, and also of his "sucessors" after his death, for the TRUTH about the the attack on Pearl Harbor, make this a must read. It belongs with Prange's other works "Miracle at Midway", "At Dawn We Slept", and "At Dawn We Slept: The Verdict of History".

This book dispells many myths (as do the other books) about the December 7th attack: FDR's "guilt"(he was innocent), Kimmel and Short's responsibility (they were scapegoats), The USS Arizona (a bomb NEVER went down the smoke stack). Prange's exhaustive research gives an accurate account of Dec. 7th.

This book is a must for anyone interested in the Pearl Harbor attack, and should actually be the FIRST book to read on the subject.

I cannot praise this book and his other works enough. He IS the authority.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fact-filled history of the attack itself, May 11, 2001

By 

Andrew S. Rogers (Houston, Texas) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: December 7, 1941: The Day the Japanese Attacked Pearl Harbor (Hardcover)

This is the centerpiece of Prange's (and Goldstein and Dillon's) Pearl Harbor trilogy. 'At Dawn We Slept' set the stage for the attack, and 'Pearl Harbor: The Verdict of History' summarizes and draws conclusions. But this title, 'December 7, 1941,' tells the story of the attack itself, from the point of view of both American and Japanese planners, participants, and spectators.

Prange's research is stunning, and he presents his facts in a straightforward and non-sensationalist way. He doesn't point fingers or call names, he just lays things on the table. As someone who's read a fair amount of Pearl Harbor literature, I really appreciate that.

I recommend Prange's trilogy for anyone interested in serious Pearl Harbor scholarship. And if you're just looking for a fact-filled, yet easy to read, introduction to the event itself, 'December 7, 1941' is the title for you.

Highly recommended.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "Tora! Tora! Tora!", September 10, 2003

By 

Alex Diaz-Granados "fardreaming writer" (Miami, FL United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dec. 7, 1941: The Day the Japanese Attacked Pearl Harbor (Paperback)

Although Gordon W. Prange's At Dawn We Slept was a riveting book about the events that preceded and followed the attack on Pearl Harbor, many readers were disappointed by the very short description of the combat that took place over Oahu on December 7, 1941. Three other Prange books (which were actually completed by co-authors Donald Goldstein and Katherine Dillon)
chronicled the revisionist theories and Prange's rebuttal (Pearl Harbor: The Verdict of History); the battle of Midway (Miracle at Midway); and Soviet espionage against Japan (Target: Tokyo). Finally, in the late 1980s, Penguin published Prange & Co.'s final volume, December 7, 1941: The Day The Japanese Attacked Pearl Harbor.

To Pearl Harbor buffs, this is the gold mine for the most dramatic nuggets dealing with the raid itself. It tells the story of the attack's many phases from both Japanese and American viewpoints, including some heartrending recollections from military personnel and civilians who suddenly found themselves making an unexpected and sudden transition from peacetime to war.

Although Walter Lord's similarly themed Day of Infamy is somewhat more user-friendly as far as readability goes, December 7, 1941 is still a worthwhile entry in the crowded field of Pearl Harbor literature.