The Great Pacific War: A History of the American-Japanese Campaign of 1931-1933 [Paperback]

Hector Bywater (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2002

This blow-by-blow fictional account of a war between the United States and Japan was a forerunner of actual events, written 16 years before the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. Bywater, the world's leading naval authority in the period between the two world wars, prophesied the following: A Japanese surprise attack attacks U. S. naval forces in the Pacific. Japanese troops simultaneously invade the Phillippines and Guam. Recognizing their limits, Japanese commanders hold off from any attempt to capture Hawaii.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Hector C. Bywater was murdered in 1941

Product Details

• Paperback: 328 pages
• Publisher: Applewood Books (May 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1557095574
• ISBN-13: 978-1557095572
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #868,784 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Interesting Read, June 12, 2004

By 

J. Barr (Westerville, OH USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Great Pacific War: A History of the American-Japanese Campaign of 1931-1933 (Paperback)

Bywater explains the "inevitable" war in the Pacific between the United States and Japan if the Naval Treaty between the US, UK, and Japan hadn't been signed in the 1920's. What is interesting is the amount of detail that Bywater brings to the "war that never happened" and forecasts some of the steps that the US would enventually take in WW2. It's not for everyone but if you like the "What-If" genre of history you'll find it quite enjoyable. This book was out of print for years so if you want to read it buy the reprint now! I tried to find it for years from specialty shops and could never find it.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A day of infamy?, August 4, 2007

By 

P. Pearce "DanDare" (Melbourne, Australia) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Great Pacific War: A History of the American-Japanese Campaign of 1931-1933 (Paperback)

Who will forget Roosevelt's speech condemning the Japanes for their surprise attack on Pearl Harbor? But was it a day of infamy or a very predictable event that US intelligence failed to get right? After all In his book the naval authority Hector Bywater outlined in novel format a scenario for a Pacific war between Japan and the US in 1931. Japan made a surprise attack on the US Pacific Fleet based in the Philippines ( Pearl was not then the naval base). After initial setbacks the US employed a strategy of island hopping to cut back the Japanese. Finally they made a move on the Japanese so provocative that the Japanese fleet had no option but to come out and fight to save their honor. They were annihilated.
He was called a war mongerer. Roosevelt attacked him and disagreed that such a war would happen. Meanwhile a fellow called Yamamoto bought and read the novel as did most of the Japanese naval academy.
December 7th 1941 Hector Bywater's novel became reality.
Whilst the novel is old worldly quaint and focuses on pure ship power (aircraft at the time did not have the capability to inflict any significant damage) it is prophetic if only Roosevelt had listened.
A must read for all those interested in naval power and the war in the Pacific.

9 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Prophetic Book That Foretold the Coming War, June 25, 2002

By 

Bobby Dillard (Indiana, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Great Pacific War: A History of the American-Japanese Campaign of 1931-1933 (Paperback)

A surprise attack on a US installation in the Pacific by the Japanese? The US conducting a campaign of "island-hopping" to fight the enemy? The Japanese using suicide aircraft to defend themselves? This sounds like a history of WWII but it isn't from WWII but rather a novel written years before. What the author has done is basically use military logic to write a book that details a clash between the US and Japan. Some parts of the book are right on the mark with what would later happen for real in World War II. However, other parts miss wide such as the author having the US use gas as a weapon.

As novels go, this book really isn't that exciting. It's main interest is to the historian, both professional and amateur, who is interested in what was foreseen by some people in the 1920's.