Remembering Pearl Harbor: Eyewitness Accounts by U.S. Military Men and Women [Mass Market Paperback]

Robert S. La Forte (Author), Ronald E. Marcello (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 22, 1992

from soldiers, sailors, airmen, nurses, chaplains, and wives who were at Pearl Harbor describe their horrible experiences at the scene of the inferno of battleship row. Reprint. PW.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 344 pages
• Publisher: Ballantine Books (January 22, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345373804
• ISBN-13: 978-0345373809
• Product Dimensions: 4.2 x 0.8 x 6.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #343,160 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #39 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > History > Americas > United States > 20th Century
  • #52 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > History > Military > World War II > General

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Veritas, May 25, 2001

By 

Forrest Broom (Corinth, TX United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Remembering Pearl Harbor: Eyewitness Accounts by U.S. Military Men and Women (Mass Market Paperback)

Veritas - the truth. That is what this book presents from the best evidence possible - eyewitnesses. While this volume does not address the precursor events that led to this milestone event in world history, the accounts from the eyewitnesses are riveting. If your imagination can put you in their place, a cold sweat is sure to follow. The accounts are congruent with the personal stories my dad has related. He was aboard the USS Dale DD-353 on that fateful day, and thankfully was not even injured. Drs. Marcello and LaForte must be congratulated for compiling and chronicling such important recollections while they are still available. Their work on the Oral History collection at the University of North Texas will be a gold mine for those interested in avoiding the mistakes of the past. Keep America alert! - Remember Pearl Harbor

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Personal memories of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, May 23, 2007

By 

AgedWireHead (Houston TX USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Remembering Pearl Harbor: Eyewitness Accounts by U.S. Military Men and Women (Mass Market Paperback)

I enjoy listening to old folks remember and witness to what they have seen. Their experience-laden viewpoints often provide insight into significant issues. So often today we are left with the vacuous opinions of self-appointed experts with limited exposure to reality, and are poorer as a result.

This book provides a method of listening to a large number of the survivors of the attack on Pearl Harbor. But more, it provides the salient portions of their memories in well-written context.

As I read the book, I found myself exploring Pearl Harbor, much as if I were able to control time and position and witness this historical event from many simultaneous vantage points. However, in each position, I saw through the unique eyes of these witnesses. Their memories are revealing and frank. Mr. La Forte provides just enough background on each eyewitness for me to picture each character as a friend.

I have enjoyed talking and listening to many of this now-vanishing generation. We have in our hands the technology to preserve what they say, but I wonder if future generations will be able to profit from this bounty. As the years stream by, who will be able to appreciate the accents, the state of mind, the resourcefulness, the discipline, and the determination of this generation?

Great regional accents have almost disappeared in the last 50 years, and with them much regional culture and experience. All has been caught up in the In-sink-erator(tm) of life. I can see how difficult it is to learn from History: much of it vanishes. It slips though the fingers of even the most dedicated historians, just as dry sand at the seashore.

Robert La Forte's books help capture some of the essence of our heritage and provide us a bit of clarity on our current situations. Other of Mr. La Forte's books include, "With Only the Will to Live: Accounts of Americans in Japanese Prison Camps 1941-1945", and "Building the Death Railway: The Ordeal of American POWs in Burma, 1942-1945", both also available on Amazon.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gripping...Riveting from Start to Finish, May 8, 2006

By 

Jerry Wilt "JBW857" (Katy, TX USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Remembering Pearl Harbor: Eyewitness Accounts by U.S. Military Men and Women (Mass Market Paperback)

Remembering Pearl Harbor is, I believe, one of the best oral histories I have ever read. The book is composed of personal memories of the military men and women who were there when the attack began. It is their story, in their words.

The book relates their stories from several different areas at or near Pearl Harbor: battleship row, Schofield Barracks, Wheeler and Hickham Fields, Ford Island and other locales. Each narration begins with a one to two page introduction of the person relating the story, followed by their narrative of that eventful day. The stories conclude with a followup of their WWII service followed by what they did after the war. The authors indicated that some of the veterans later died from cancer or other illness in the 70s and 80s; it is absolutely heartbreaking to read these finales - to have survived one of the greatest attacks and then die from cancer.

I was quite touched by all of the stories. One should add this book to their WWII library as it is one of the greatest stories ever told!