War in the Pacific

June 2, 1997
Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor climaxed half a century of rivalry with the U.S. in the Far East. Early in this impressive history of the Pacific theater, Gailey (``Howlin' Mad'' vs. the Army) thoroughly examines the roots of the conflict, the buildup of the U.S. armory during a period of isolationism and complacency and the more methodical Japanese military preparations. In the unfolding narrative of the 1941-45 conflict itself, Gailey addresses operational areas often neglected by historians, such as the central and northern Solomons campaigns and the bloody confrontation at Peleliu. He offers a fresh interpretation of the great naval battle of Midway, a turning point of the war, the use of Australian troops in New Guinea--a campaign he calls ``an unnecessary offensive that did little more than showcase the valor and determination of the Australian soldier''--and the U.S. Army/Marine Corps dispute on Saipan. Finally, he describes preparations for the dreaded invasion of the Japanese home islands, during which the planners simultaneously tried to create strategies to make it unnecessary. Gailey has written a solid account of the Pacific war. Illustrations.