Miracle at Midway [Paperback]

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

Book Description

Publication Date: November 17, 1983

Here is the definitive history of the battle of Midway, an American victory that marked the turning point of the war in the Pacific during World War II. Told with the same stylistic flair and attention to detail as the bestselling At Dawn We Slept, Miracle at Midway brings together eyewitness accounts from the men who commanded and fought on both sides. The sweeping narrative takes readers into the thick of the action and shows exactly how American strategies and decisions led to the triumphant victory that paved the way for the defeat of Japan.

"A stirring, even suspenseful narrative . . . The clearest and most complete account so far." (Newsday)

"Something special among war histories . . . No other gives both sides of the battle in as detailed and telling a manner."(Chicago Sun- Times)

"A gripping and convincing account." (The Philadelphia Inquirer)

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

11 1.5-hour cassettes --This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 512 pages
• Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics) (November 17, 1983)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140068147
• ISBN-13: 978-0140068146
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (36 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #138,689 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

45 of 49 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Terrific & Entertaining Narrative of The Midway 'Miracle'!, July 19, 2000

By 

Barron Laycock "Labradorman" (Temple, New Hampshire United States) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Miracle at Midway (Paperback)

Just how fortunate the United States was in winning the closely contested navy engagement at Midway in the central Pacific in mid 1942 is evident to any reader of this very well documented and quite balanced account of one of the largest and most famous exchanges between the US navy and their Japanese counterparts during the course of World War Two. By using extensive inputs from both Japanese and American participants and observers of the sea battle, the authors thread together a memorable and engaging narrative of the events leading up to and involving both sides during the summer months of that fateful year. It was one for the record books, and one that demonstrated conclusively that the rules of war at sea had changed forever from one dominated by capital ships like battleships and cruisers to one dominated by aircraft carriers and attack airplanes.

In the devastating aftermath of Pearl Harbor, the American Navy was looking for an opportunity to engage the Japanese in a "mano-a-mano" confrontation, hoping to even the odds and shorten the war by using what we felt would be surprise and tactics to overcome the numerical advantage the Japanese enjoyed in numbers of both ships (especially in terms of aircraft carriers) and launchable aircraft. Even though the Japanese had blundered badly at the battle of the Coral Sea, they left the scene believing the fracas had been won, and that they had further damaged the American fleet by sinking three carriers. And though the U.S. Navy did in fact limp away having lost some of its few carriers either through sinking or damage, in actuality they had inflicted more damage than they had incurred. Furthermore, soon one of the badly damaged U. S. Navy carriers (the Yorktown) would be repaired and ready to sail in support of the Midway engagement.

Also, by cracking certain aspects of the Japanese Navy's wireless communication codes, the Americans were able to determine not only what the Japanese were ostensibly planning in terms of a strategy to take Midway, but also what the specific positioning and disposition of the various aspects of the Japanese naval force would be. Obviously, this information added to the element of surprise gave the Americans a huge tactical advantage, and made victory much more possible. Yet it did not guarantee anything. It was the tactical brilliance and contemporaneous innovation of the on-site commanders in the American force that won the day. In a series of engagements that did not change the course of the battle until the last few remaining waves of American aircraft suddenly sank or damaged the majority of the Japanese carriers, the Americans succeeded both through their own daring and a few fatal tactical errors on the part of the Japanese commanders.

The results were devastating for the Japanese, who never again could muster the kind of raw carrier power, or just as importantly, ever replace the huge number of experienced carrier-based aircraft pilots needed to successfully engage and threaten the expanding American task forces that within another 12 to 18 months would virtually transform the character of the war in the Pacific, leading the Japanese into waging an almost suicidal war of attrition which they had no chance to win. This is a well-written, well-documented, and entertaining book that helps the reader to understand just how critical to both the Americans and the Japanese the fateful naval engagement at Midway was, and how the results determined the course of the rest of the war in the Pacific. Enjoy!

22 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Prange does it again!, May 25, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Miracle at Midway (Paperback)

In the same tradition as At Dawn We Slept, Miracle At Midway engulfs and captivates the reader. This book describes in great detail both American and Japanese plans for battle. The apprehensions of the Japanese staff to approve the Midway mission are described, as well as Washington's uncertainty of the Japanese intentions. Many believed that Japan would try to attack Hawaii or the West Coast. Thanks to the codebreakers, Midway was found to be the true objective. Prange describes in great detail how the brave torpedo bomber pilots flew undaunted against the Japanese carriers, clearing the way for the deadly attacks by the Dauntless dive bomber pilots. Also, the Japanese blunders in rearming their aircraft after the Midway strike are described. This book is a must read for any fan of naval warfare.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gordon Prange-the Master Researcher, July 15, 2000

By 

A Customer - See all my reviews

This review is from: Miracle at Midway (Paperback)

Gordon Prange, the late author of At Dawn We Slept, Miracle at Midway, Pearl Harbor, the Verdict of History and The Pearl Harbor Papers does an unmatched job of researching the beginnings of the Pacific War from the Japanese perspective, interviewing many of the participants of the Nihon Kaigun (Imperial Japanese Navy) especially the Kido Butai (First Striking Force). Midway was an extremely close call and victory for the Japanese might have meant conquest of Hawaii and therefore a war lasting some two years longer for America (my opinion). Prange excellently presents the intelligence dilemma and the precise interpretation which presented Admiral Nimitz with his opportunity to ambush Nagumo Chuichi and his four carriers. The author gives credit to the American commanders, Spruance and Fletcher for their flexibility and all the Americans for their courage and stamina. Midway was won by American naval airmen and Prange makes that clear.