Pearl Harbor: The Verdict of History [Mass Market Paperback]

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

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2001

Examines the underlying causes of Pearl Harbor and the revisionist theories that high officials knew of the attack. Gordon W. Prange is the author of "Miracle at Midway" and "At Dawn We Slept". This title is the sequel to "At Dawn We Slept".

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

ea. vol: Penguin. 2001. photogs. bibliog. index. pap. $20.95.HIST Prange's twin volumes offer everything you always wanted to know about Pearl Harbor but were afraid to ask, plus pictures! Together, these tomes comprise an exhaustive study of the day that will live in infamy. Prange takes a long, hard look at President Roosevelt's relationship with Japan and implies that FDR all but goaded the empire into bombing the Hawaiian base. With the 60th anniversary of the attack approaching, there no doubt will be many volumes released and rereleased, but these are among the best.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From the Publisher

10 1.5-hour cassettes --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 736 pages
• Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics) (May 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140159096
• ISBN-13: 978-0140159097
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.1 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #341,953 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Totally Refutes the "Revisionist" Viewpoint, July 8, 2002

By 

Jeffrey T. Munson (Dixon, IL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Pearl Harbor: The Verdict of History (Mass Market Paperback)

Over the years, there has developed a "revisionist" group of historians who claimed FDR Knew in advance about the impending attack on Pearl Harbor and he did nothing to stop it. In this excellent book by Gordon Prange, this somewhat questionable viewpoint is thoroughly destroyed. One of the revisionists' claims is that the radio stations on the West Coast were able to track the Japanese fleet due to their radio signals. This is impossible, since the Japanese fleet NEVER broke radio silence, and, in fact, had their transmitters removed from thier radios all together. Mitsuo Fuchida, the pilot who led the attack, also said that "the force maintained the strictest radio silence throughout the cruise". Revisionists also believed, according to Prange, that if the Japanese task force would have been discovered, it would have turned back. Again, this is not true. The Japanese hoped to attain surprise, but if they were to have been discovered, they were prepared to fight all the way to Pearl Harbor to deliver their attack. What Prange attempts to achieve in this excellent book is who really was to blame? In this aspect, the War Department and the commanders, Kimmel and Short, are held responsible. Prange comes down hard on the War Department for failing to notify the commanders of the intercepted "bomb plot" message. This message, intercepted by "Magic", was transmitted to Japan by a Japanese spy. It broke Pearl Harbor into several sections, which, in effect, could be interpreted as a bombing grid. This information was not transmitted to Kimmel and Short, and could have proven invaluable. But the bulk of the blame appears to fall on Kimmel, Short, and the subordinate commanders. Kimmel and Short both grossly misinterpreted the "War Warning" message dated November 27, 1941, and sent to them by Washington. Short only alerted his troops against possible sabotage and maintained his training schedule. The War Department is also to blame here, because they failed to follow up to make sure Short understood the meaning of the message. Kimmel also failed to grasp the meaning of this message, and, unfortunately, communication between the army and navy was poor at best, so very little information was shared between the commands. One must also realize, and Prange makes excellent reference to this in the book, is that the Japanese placed tremendous amounts of time, thought, and training into this mission, and they must be credited with the success of the attack. America's belief of their huge superiority in both ships and personnel was totally destroyed. Prange also covers each of the resulting investigations fully and includes excellent testimony throughout the book. In summary, this is an excellent book about the aftermath of Pearl Harbor and does a good job of refuting the revisionists and acurately placing blame.

16 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Background to the Attack, August 27, 2001

By 

Alan Dale Daniel (Carson City, Nevada, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Pearl Harbor: The Verdict of History (Mass Market Paperback)

This is an excellent book that examines the background to the Pearl Harbor attack, and does not detail the attack itself. This book takes an in depth look at the men and the assumptions that made Pearl Harbor. It searches out the flaws in the American communication system, and the flaws in the commander's thinking which determined the outcome at Pearl. The reader will be surprised at the bureaucratic stumbles that pleagued the American effort. And the reader will quickly recongnize that these same flaws exist in every government (and private) institution today. The authors take great care to quote from the hearings and documents to show their points and leave little room for argument about their conclusions. The research and the analysis are excellent in every way. And the Japanise side of the issue is examined as well. The Japanise pulled off a great feat in surprising the US at Pearl, and they managed it in large part because the US Navy recognized it would be so hard to do; thus, Kimmel and Short (the two US Commanders on the spot) thought it would not be attempted. They also thought it would not be a smart move for the Japanise, and so they assumed the Japanise would play it "smart". The Japanise, for their part, did not think the US would hesitate to fight once Japan moved toward Southeast Asia; however, they also thought the Americans would not fight for long being weak willed, and too comfortable to risk much. The interplay of this thinking makes the Pearl Harbor story compelling. What makes the book so good is the interplay between all the assumptions made by the US and its commanders and Japan and its commanders. How different the outlooks and assumptions were. It is also interesting to see how even within the US Army and Navy men of intelligence and candor could totally miscommunicate their intentions. Knowing about the details of how the attack took place is great, and one would want to read several books, including At Dawn We Slept, to discover this information - however, unless you know the information in this volume one would have missed the biggest part of the Pearl Harbor story. The "why" it happened. I highly recommend this book. AD2

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Definitive Volume on Pearl Harbor, April 6, 2009

By 

Just Another Opinion (USA) - See all my reviews

The tragedy at Pearl Harbor is one of the most analyzed events in American history, as well as the subject of much speculation and outright fabrication. However, in this volume, the author presents a thoroughly researched study of the events, and puts the speculation and rumors to rest. For any student of history who wants the real story on Pearl Harbor, this is the one. Very highly recommended.