The Pacific War Encyclopedia [Paperback]

James F. Dunnigan (Author), Albert A. Nofi (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Veteran writers of popular military history and strategy, the authors have done a credible job of compiling numerous entries on all aspects of the Pacific Theater in World War II. Besides the expected identifications of battles, campaigns, and people, they include weaponry, warship classes, and aircraft types as well as units and orders of battle. Statistical data appear in frequent tables and information boxes. In a reference work of this nature, much depends upon the resources and skills of the compilers, and though some of the facts and figures here can inevitably be nit-picked, overall the information is accurate and clearly presented. In addition, the authors share their opinions as freely as their basic knowledge, presenting an insider's viewpoint and frequently taking sides in controversies. The result is lively as well as informative, and the book will be attractive to military buffs while still useful to more serious researchers. A futuristic addition to the volume's back matter is a "Cyberlist," a handy collection of appropriate web sites and hyperlink resources for use by readers with Internet access. Recommended for larger public libraries.?Raymond L. Puffer, Edwards Air Force Base, Victorville, CA
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

More than a chronology of battles and campaigns, this source provides background material that allows the reader to comprehend the factors, developments, and results of World War II's Pacific Theater of Operations (PTO). The authors are a military analyst for NBC and an author of numerous books on military history.

Entries are arranged alphabetically and include the expected people (military personnel and politicos from all sides, as well as persons such as Charles Lindbergh and Ernie Pyle), places (Manchukuo, Melbourne, Nagasaki, Timor, etc.), and events (Battle of Iwo Jima, Port Chicago mutiny). Entries such as black Americans in the Pacific War, prisoners of war, sunglasses, and torpedoes cover other aspects of the conflict. Throughout the text, tables are used to provide information on such topics as casualties, troop strength, and weapons, and to compare resources and losses in the PTO with those in the European arena and with those in other wars. Especially interesting are tables that address logistical matters, such as food rations, and those that compare personnel, such as Allied and Japanese aces. Less heroic aspects of the war are discussed in entries such as altitude sickness; friendly fire; Pearl Harbor, the doomed survivors; and Tokyo Rose. Entries generally range in length from a paragraph to around five pages for deception and American citizens, relocation of, with most being less than a page. Longer entries include citations to one or more references. Entries for individual battles and campaigns were kept short because the authors "wanted to focus . . . on matters not usually covered in standard histories."

A 75-page chronology follows the entries, and there is a nine-page bibliography (including Web sites). A nice feature for today's researchers is the table of Modern Equivalents of Notable Pacific War Place-Names. Another is the table of Code Words and Code Names. There are numerous illustrations from the National Archives.

Well written, albeit with an admitted American perspective, this is a useful source that many will enjoy reading and browsing for background material that enhances understanding. Recommended for high-school, public, and academic libraries as a good starting point for more in-depth research. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 800 pages
• Publisher: Checkmark Books; 1st edition (September 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0816043930
• ISBN-13: 978-0816043934
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.4 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,695,551 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable and Worthwhile--Buy it!, August 8, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: The Pacific War Encyclopedia (Paperback)

Highly enjoyable encyclopedia on WWII in the Pacific. Lots of unusual and interesting information about the Pacific War. Presented in encyclopedia format similar to the Oxford Companion on WWII. Contains entries covering battles, geography, logistics and military hardware. You'll find interesting tidbits on things like typical magazine loads for various classes of A/C carriers, discussions on aircrew training and tactics and economic factors. This book covers a lot of ground and highlights some of the areas that are overlooked by other books. The only thing I was disappointed with was the brevity of some of the entries. I would have preferred a thicker volume with more intensive coverage (and a consequently higher $). This book is a good value and worthwile for anyone with an interest in history and especially WWII.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating Information On "Stepchild" Theater of WWII, November 16, 2005

By 

Doug P. "Pushin' 40" (Lafayette, LA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Pacific War Encyclopedia (Paperback)

I generally agree with the review by "A Reader". This book is a compendium of numbers and lists as well as fascinating info from this step-child of the WWII theaters. The book seems to give a lot more ink to Australian/Canadian/British forces in the Pacific than any other I have read, i.e. it appears to be a book written by and maybe mostly for our Aussie, Brit, & Canadian cousins - not TOO much, just more than I expected. That was not info that I needed for purposes of researching my Grandfather's service in the Paciifc Theater with the U.S. Army. Also, it did not go into great detail about each island hop in the campaigns as I was hoping, but it does offer lots of information that I have never seen in print elsewhere. Overall, a must for any Pacific War library.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Book That Got Me Interested In The Pacific War! (018), August 12, 2007

By 

Troy Tempest (Sydney, New South Wales, Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Pacific War Encyclopedia (Paperback)

I had only a minimal knowledge of the PTO, my interest being overwhelmingly with the ETO, and when I first bought this book, it sat on my shelf for nearly a year before I really looked at it. At first I thought I could read two pages a night, and I'd have the thing read in a year. Imagine my surprise when I averaged 10 pages a night! It really opened my eyes to this side of WWII, and one of the biggest things that struck me was the huge industrial output of the US, especially in ship building. The expansion of the USN was monumental, and the book also gave me an extensive overview of this and all other aspects of the Pacific War. Personalities, aircraft and ship types, numbers, tactics, propaganda, casualties, everything I wanted to know. After finishing it, it gave me an urge to further my understanding of this conflict, which I'm still undertaking today. I can't recommend this book too highly!

A top read!