1942

November 3, 2008
U.S. Army captain and intelligence officer Jake Novacek leads the charge against Japanese forces in the latest historical thriller from Conroy (1945
), a speculative narrative in which the Imperial Army attacks and occupies the Hawaiian Islands. Soon after the invasion, Jake is secretly sent to the Big Island to ensure the safety of Comdr. Joe Rochefort, a code breaker who is instrumental in U.S. efforts to take back Hawaii. Jake leaves behind a budding friendship with Alexa Sanderson, a Pearl Harbor widow and pacifist, who, during the occupation, is chosen to be the mistress of Col. Shigenori Omori, leader of the Japanese secret police. As the U.S. Navy plans a counterattack led by physically compromised President Roosevelt, Jake and Alexa struggle to stay alive. Multiple passages devoted to military strategy distract from the far more effective action sequences, especially Jake's guerrilla actions in occupied Hawaii. The book ends up an engaging alternative history lesson, but its many harrowing scenes of torture and brutality border on the distasteful; fans of Tom Clancy and Agent Jack Bauer should find a lot to like here.

February 1, 2009
A significant writer of alternate history turns here to the popular topic of Pearl Harbor, producing what is arguably his best book. The story begins with the crippling of Pearl Harbor as a fleet base and focuses on an army intelligence officer turned guerrilla and a navy widow surviving Japanese occupation. The cast also includes an American traitor, loyal Japanese-Americans, and exceedingly well-drawn historical figures, from FDR on down to J. Lawton Collins, chief of staff of the armys Hawaiian Department. There are lots of vivid action scenes from start to finish, although the climactic American victory involves stretching credibility to a degree that may raise eyebrows among serious students of military historythough even they are more likely than not to enjoy this rousing historical action tale.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2009, American Library Association.)