Customer Reviews

TARGET: AMERICA: Hitler's Plan to Attack the United States

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
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Well-written and illustrated, Duffy's book is a readable introduction to the varied plans of both Germany and Italy to attack the United States from a distance during the Second World War. The book is wide-ranging, though lacking in some detail at points. However, there are endnotes and a bibliography (which also lists some websites), so the advanced reader can investigate further.

This was a fairly easy read, with decent illustrations to help the reader picture in his/her mind the various plans and vehicles that the Axis had in its plans.

A good introduction to this topic.

This book serves to bring ALL the projects Germany was working on in order to attack the United States and possibly knock it out of the war. This includes long-range bombers (which Germany easily had the technical know-how to build), advanced rockets, saboteurs, submarine attacks, etc. The book does not go deep into all the projects and the illustrations give the impression that the book is almost entirely about the bomber option. The book refers to a map that was recently discovered which illustrated possible air routes for bombing attacks outside Europe but this is not included. Nonetheless, a good effort on a subject which is rarely looked at today.

While it can't completely resolve the mystery, it does lend many insights. James P. Duffy's TARGET AMERICA: HITLER'S PLAN TO ATTACK THE UNITED STATES argues that Hitler intended to bring war to America once he'd succeeded fully in Europe: for the first time Hitler's plans for worldwide offensives using his new secret weapons are revealed, with chapters recounting other Axis schemes for attack and how planners considered various options for conquest.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

This is an interesting book that deals with the different technologies that both the Germans and Italians were attempting to use in their quest to bring the war to the USA mainland.I learned what the Italians had to offer was more surprising than you might think.

These book is about the many plans about attacking the USA, and not just from Germany. They also deal with the attacks launched by the Japanese and the planned attacks by the Italians. Bombers, submarines, rockets, and spacecraft are all here. I have to say, some of the plans, such as the idea that Italy had with midget subs seemed like they just might work. And I was kind of surprised on how long the whole idea of attacking the USA has been kicked about by Germany. I would suggest, if you liked this book, also reading both Hitler, the Victory That Nearly Was and 1945 in which some of these ideas do make a appearance, in one form or another. I would even suggest the novel, 1901, for a what-if set before World War Two.

Perhaps the most significant single comment in this book is a section heading in Chapter 2. It is 'Underestimating America. This underestimation began with King George in 1776, continued through the Tripoli pirates, the Spanish in 1898, and continued through Hitler, the Japanese, Saddam Hussein and the governments of Iran and North Korea.

In 1942 Hitler became interested in the development of long range bombers with the capability of attacking the United States from bases in Europe (not a bad thought, after all, that was the original intent of the B-29). He instructed the aircraft companies to begin the construction of such bombers.

This book is the story of the development of the planes and the plan to attack the United States. Could it have been done? Probably. Would it have made any difference in the outcome of the war? No. Among other things, think of the loss rate of American bombers when unescourted by fighters. And the Germans didn't build planes with nearly the defensive armament of the B-17/B-24.

Quite an interesting book on one of the what if's of World War II history.

Not much more I can think of to say then what the other reviewers said, except that it contains some strange and amazing information. If you are looking for a gift for a history lover, then this is not a bad choice.