Bibliography

Adcock, Al (color by Don Greer and Perry Manley; illustrated by Joe Sewell). 1991. OS2U Kingfisher In Action. New York: Signal Publications. ISBN 0-89747-270-5

Tons of great pictures; not much on the aircraft itself beyond the design and specifications.But then this was a workhorse, not a front-line combat aircraft.

Agawa Hiroyuki (translated by John Bester). 1979. The Reluctant Admiral: Yamamoto and the Imperial Navy. New York: Kodansha American Inc. ISBN 4-7700-2539-4

Probably the definitive biography of the admiral. Published in Japan in 1969, a time when the Japanese were beginning to cautiously rediscover their war heroes.

Alden, John D. 1979. The Fleet Submarine in the U.S. Navy: A Design And Construction History.. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-187-0

A superb design history of the various classes of American fleet submarines. Superior in many respects to Friedman's history.

Alden, John D. 1989. U.S. Submarine Attacks During World War II. Annapolis, Maryland: United States Naval Institute.

Tabulates all U.S. submarine attacks during World War II, listing the location; target name, type, and tonnage; and outcome.

Aldrich, Richard J. 1993. The Key to the South: Britain, the United States, and Thailand during the Approach of the Pacific War, 1929-1942. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0 19 588612 7

A thorough treatment of the political, economic, and diplomatic aspects of the competing Axis and Allied efforts to woo Thailand during the run-up to war. Its chief weakness is an almost complete lack of information on the military capacity of Thailand, which is only hinted at.

Alexander, Joseph H. 1995. Utmost Savagery: The Three Days of Tarawa. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1557500312.

A thorough, wrenching account of the bloody battle.

Alexander, Larry. 2009. Shadows in the Jungle: The Alamo Scouts Behind Japanese Lines in World War II. NAL Caliber. ISBN 978-0-451-22593-1.

A popular account of the Alamo Scouts, with lots of synthetic dialog. A good read, but for a somewhat more scholarly account, turn to Zedric (1995) on which Alexander's book is partially based.

Allen, Louis. 1984. Burma: The Longest War, 1941-1945. London: Phoenix Press. ISBN 1-84212-260-6.

An entertaining and very thorough account of what has been described as Britain's last imperial adventure.

Ambrose, Steven E. 2001. Band of Brothers. New York: Simon and Schuster.

Though not bearing directly on the Pacific War, this oral history of a parachute company in Europe gives valuable insight into the basis of morale and fighting power.

Atkinson, Rick. 2007. The Day of Battle: The War in Sicily and Italy, 1943-1944. Henry Holt and Co. ISBN 978-0805062892.

A thorough and unsparing account of the war in Italy. Both an operational history and an oral history, though clearly stronger on the former.

—. 2013. The Guns at Last Light: The War In Western Europe, 1944-1945. Henry Holt and Co. ISBN 978-0-8050-6290-8.

A thorough and unsparing account of the war in northwest Europe. Both an operational history and an oral history, though clearly stronger on the former.

Badsey, Stephen. 2000. The Hutchinson Atlas of World War II Battle Plans: Before And After. Oxford: Helicon Publishing.

Examines several crucial battles of the Second World War, comparing the battle plans with the actual outcomes of the battles.

Bagnasco, Erminio. 1977. Submarines of World War Two. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-85368-331-X.

A fairly comprehensive encyclopedia of the submarines of the Second World War, comparable to Whitley's books for other ship types.

Bailey, J.B.A. 2004. Field Artillery and Firepower. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-59114-029-3.

The definite work on the history and development of artillery firepower. Massive yet highly readable. Recommended.

Ballantine, Duncan S. 1947. U.S. Naval Logistics in the Second World War. Princeton University Press. Republished 1997 by Naval War College Press.

A turgid, meandering discussion of naval logistics during the war, devoid of any tables, graphs, or figures.  Succeeds in packing perhaps 30 paragraphs' worth of valuable information into a mere 296 pages.

Barnhart, Michael A. 1987. Japan Prepares for Total War: The Search for Economic Security, 1919-1941. Cornell University Press. ISBN 0-8014-9529-6

Discusses how the Japanese quest for autarky helped precipitate the Pacific War.

Bartov, Omer. 1992. Hitler's Army: Soldiers, Nazis, And War In The Third Reich. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-507903-5.

Makes the case that ideology was far more important, and the primary group far less important, to maintaining unit cohesion in the German Army than van Creveld and others have acknowleged. While focused almost entirely on the Germany Army on the Eastern Front, the analysis and conclusions may have some applicability to the Pacific War also.

Benedict, Ruth. 1954. The Chrysanthemum and the Sword: Patterns of Japanese Culture. Mariner Books (reprint). ISBN 0395500753.

A somewhat dated look at Japanese culture that nonetheless sheds some important light.

Bergerud, Eric M. 1996. Touched With Fire: The Land War in the South Pacific. New York: Penguin Books

Not a chronological history, but a study of the character of the land war in the South Pacific. Much good oral history. One of my favorites.

—. 2000. Fire in the Sky: The Air War in the South Pacific. Boulder, CO: Westview Press.

Not a chronological history, but a study of the character of the air war in the South Pacific and its participants. Much good oral history. One of my favorites.

Berman, Robert. 2011. The Sun's Heartbeat: And Other Stories From the Life of the Star That Powers Our Planet. Little, Brown, and Company. ISBN 978-0316091015.

Of interest for the discussion of night vision.

Bevis, Mark. 2003. British and Commonwealth Armies 1944-1945. Solihull, England: Helion and Company Limited.

An incomplete but nontheless useful order of battle. 

Bishop, Chris, and Drury, Ian. 1987. Combat Guns: An Illustrated Encyclopedia of 20th Century Firearms. Chartwell Books Inc. ISBN 1-55521-161-5.

A broad listing of the most important small arms of the 20th Century.

Bix, Herbert P. 2001. Hirohito and the Making of Modern Japan. Harper Perennial. ISBN 978-0060931308

A recent biography of Hirohito that sees the Emperor in a rather dark light.

Black, Robert W. 1992. Rangers in World War II. Ballantine Books. ISBN 0-8041-0565-0

Describes the history of the Army Rangers during the Second World War for a popular audience.

Blair, Clay. 1975. Silent Victory: The U.S. Submarine War Against Japan. New York: J.P. Lippincott Company.

The definitive work on U.S. submarine operations during the war. Written after ULTRA was declassified and enough time had passed for realistic critiques of individual leaders and submarine commanders.

Blank, D.A., Bock, A.E., and Richardson, D.J. 1985. Introduction to Naval Engineering (2nd ed.) Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-320-2

Though written long after the war, and focused on the naval technology of the U.S. Navy of the 1980s, this book is a fascinating read and an excellent introduction to the basic concepts involved in ship machinery, piping, electrical systems, and naval architecture.

Boatner, Mark M., III. 1996. The Biographical Dictionary of World War II. Novato, California: Presidio Press. ISBN 0-89141-548-3.

Contains brief biographies of a vast number of World War II leaders or players.

Bodie, Warren M. 1991. The Lockheed P-38 Lightning: "It Goes Liek Hell" ... Kelsey. Bookbuilders Ltd, Hong Kong. ISBN 0-9629359-0-5

A hagiography of the P-38, complete with descriptions of skeptics of the Lightning as "unbelievers." One will find quite a number of dubious opinions here. And it is distressing to find a book focused on the technical history of an aircraft model that does not give a table of specifications anywhere, even in the appendices, preferring to scatter the information across 250+ pages of text.

Boot, Max. 2013. Invisible Armies: An Epic HIstory of Guerrilla Warfare from Ancient Times to the Present. Novato, Liverwright Publishing Company. ISBN 978-0-87140-424-4

A sweeping account of guerrilla warfare from the Akkadians to Iraq and Afghanistan.

Boyne, Walter J. 1994. Clash of Wings: World War II in the Air. New York: Touchstone. ISBN 0-671-79379-5.

A useful general history of the air war in both the Pacific and European theaters.

—. 2001. Aces In Command: Fighter Pilots as Combat Leaders. Brassey's. ISBN 1-57488-310-0.

A study of four aces who were also effective leaders. Offers some insights on the elusive qualities that make a top fighter ace.

Boyd, Carl, and Yoshida Akihiko. The Japanese Submarine Force and World War II. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-080-0.

Discusses in some detail the technical characteristics of Japanese submarines and submarine force infrastructure. Also covers most of the major submarine operations of the war.

Bradley, John H.; Dice, Jack W.; Buell, Thomas B.; Griess, Thomas E. 1992. The Second World War: Asia and the Pacific (West Point Military History Series) Avery Publishing Group. ISBN 0895294257.

A good discussion of the causes of the war, the state of preparedness of the two sides, and the military aspects of the major land campaigns. The companion map set is also valuable.

Branfill-Cook, Roger. 2014. Torpedo: The Complete History of the World's Most Revolutionary Naval Weapon. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-1-59114-193-8

A quite good history of the naval torpedo, comprehensive and surprisingly detailed. Somewhat eccentric in its organization, which is by narrow topic rather than time period.

Breuer, William B. The Great Raid: Rescuing the Doomed Ghosts of Bataan and Corregidor. John Wiley & Sons,Inc. ISBN 0-7868-8780-X

An account of the raid on Cabanatuan. Meanders badly and marred by an embarrassingly hagiographic treatment of MacArthur, but the raid portion itself is good.

Brown, Captain Eric N, RN. 1988. Duels in the Sky. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press.

A Royal Navy pilot describes the various aircraft used in the Pacific War and predicts the likely outcome of duels between the different types, assuming equally qualified pilots.

Brown, D.K. 2000. Nelson to Vanguard: Warship Design and Development 1923-1945. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-492-X.

A good discussion of British warship design in the interwar period. The appendices are valuable for their discussions of various aspects of naval architecture.

Brown, Louis. 1999. A Radar History of World War II: Technical and Military Imperatives. Philadelphia: Institute of Physics Publishing. ISBN 0 7503 0659 9

A very good discussion of how radar was developed and used during the war. A bit light on technical specifications of specific radars, however.

Browne, Courtney. 1967. Tojo: The Last Banzai. Da Capo Press. ISBN 0-306-80844-7

Browne succeeded in winning the trust of Tojo's widow, which allows him to throw some added light on the enigmatic Japanese wartime leader, but his book is still a bit light on Tojo and a bit heavy on his times.

Buderi, Robert. 1998. The Invention That Changed the World: How a Small Group of Radar Pioneers Won the Second World War and Launched a Technical Revolution. Touchstone. ISBN 0684835290.

A good discussion of the political dynamics of the research organizations that developed the various Allied radars of the Second World War. One will come away astonished at the technological sophistication that was achieved by the time the war ended. Unfortunately, this work is rather light on technical details and even on some of the basic physical principles of radar. Still a worthwhile read.

Budiansky, Stephen. 2000. Battle of Wits: The Complete Story of Codebreaking in World War II. The Free Press. ISBN 0-684-85932-7

A fascinating history of both of the breaking of codes and of the use to which the resulting intelligence was put. Focused more on the European war, but does not neglect the Far East and Pacific.

— 2013. Blackett's War: The Men Who Defeated the Nazi U-Boats And Brought Science to the Art of Warfare. Alfred A. Knopf. ISBN 978-0-307-59596-6

Tells the story of the development of operational research, with particular emphasis on the Battle of the Atlantic and the contribution of Patrick Blackett.

Burleigh, Michael. 2011. Moral Combat: Good and Evil in Wold War II. HarperCollinsPublishers. ISBN 978-0-06-058097-1

An examination of issues of morality and international law in the Second World War. Raises more questions than it answers but well worth the read.

Buell, Thomas B. 1980. Master of Sea Power: A Biography of Fleet Admiral Ernest J. King. Little, Brown, and Company. ISBN 0-316-11469-3.

A biography of the U.S Navy commander during the Second World War.

— 1987. The Quiet Warrior: A Biography of Admiral Raymond A. Spruance. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press.

A fine biography of the victor at Midway and the Philippines Sea.

Campbell, John. 1985. Naval Weapons of World War Two. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press.

The definitive work on the naval weapons used during the war.

Cannon, Peter. 2015. "Night Action, Malaya 1942."  Warship 2015. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-1-59114-600-1

An interesting description of a minor engagement during the Malaya campaign.

Carpenter, Dorr, and Polmar, Norman. 1986. Submarines of the Imperial Japanese Navy. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-682-1.

Probably the definitive technical reference on the Japanese submarine force during the Pacific War. Nicely complements Boyd and Yoshida's more operationally-oriented book.

Carter, W.R. 1953. Bean, Bullets, and Black Oil: The story of fleet logistics afloat in the Pacific during World War II. Department of the Navy.

Lacks any consistent set of hard figures, but gives a good feel for how the fleet train operated during the Pacific War.

Chang Jung and Holliday, Jon. 2005. Mao: The Unknown Story. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. ISBN 0-679-42271-4.

An account of Mao's life and career by a non-admirer and her husband. If even half of what is in the book is true, then there is no excuse for anyone to continue defending Mao's record.

Chesneau, Roger, ed. 1980. All the World's Fighting Ships 1922-1946. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-913-8

Very broad coverage of all types of warships during the period in question. However, and inevitably, the individual entries lack  much depth.

Chesneau, Roger. 1992. Aircraft Carriers of the World, 1914 to the Present: An Illustrated Encyclopedia. Brokhampton Press. ISBN 1-86019-87-5-9.

A good collection of statistics and service records, comparable to Whitley's volumes on other ship types.

Churchill, Winston S. 1950. The Second World War. 6 volumes. Mariner Books. ISBN 039541055X.

Churchill's massive memoirs of the Second World War. Like all memoirs, they reflect well on the writer, and tend to paper over differences and controversies. They were also written at a time when many valuable records (particularly the ULTRA transcripts) were still hidden in secret archives. However, Churchill was an excellent writer and he was at the center of things, making the works of lasting value.

Coen, Ross. 2014. Fu-go: The Curiousd History of Japan's Balloon Bomb Attack on America. University of Nebraska Press. ISBN 978-0-8032-4966-0

The best study of the Fu-go campaign.

Cohen, Jerome B. 1949. Japan’s Economy in War and Reconstruction. Minneapolis: University of Minneapolis Press.

A fascinating nonmathematical discussion of the economic challenges faced by Japan during the war.

Collie, Craig, and Marutani Hajime (2009) The Path of Infinite Sorrow: The Japanese on the Kokoda Track. Australia: Allen & Unwin. ISBN 978-174175-839-9.

An account of the Papua campaign from the Japanese perspective. Flawed by an over apologetic attitude towards Japanese atrocities throughout the campaign, but valuable for its unit histories and descriptions of Japanese personalities.

Collingham, Lizzie (2011) The Taste of War: World War II and the Battle For Food. New York: Penguin Press. ISBN 978-1-59420-329-9.

A fascinating if grim study of the role of food, and the lack thereof, on the origins and conduct of the Second World War.

Connaughton, Richard. 2001. MacArthur and Defeat in the Philippines. New York: The Overlook Press.

The definite work on MacArthur's character and conduct of operations during the first Philippines campaign. An objective and not very flattering portrait.

Cook, Haruko Taya and Theodore F. 1992. Japan at War: An Oral History. New York: The New Press.

A haunting collection of oral histories from the Japanese side of the war. Each history is presented exactly as the interviewee remembered it, with just enough introductory material to put each interview in its context. The recollections have a dreamlike, or perhaps I should say nightmarish, quality to them. Highly recommended.

Coombe, Jack D. 1991. Derailing the Tokyo Express: The Naval Battles for the Solomon Islands that Sealed Japan's Fate. Harrisburg, PA: Stackpole Books.

Coombe was a radar operator who served in the Solomons during the Guadalcanal campaign.  He briefly summarizes each surface battle of the Solomons campaign. An interesting and useful book, though marred somewhat by the author's willingness to invent dialog and by the absence of any information on the role Ultra played in the campaign.

Cooper, Paul W. 1996. Explosives Engineering. Wiley-VHC. ISBN: 978-0471186366

An excellent introduction to explosives and their effects, at least for the non-terrorist: There are no detailed recipes for explosives manufacture here.

Coox, Alvin. 1986. Nomonhan: Japan Against Russia, 1939. Stanford University Press. ISBN: 0804711607

The definitive work on this major border clash between Russia and China. Two volumes.

Corrigan, Gordon. 2010. The Second World War: A Military History. New York: Thomas Dunne Books/St. Martin's Press. ISBN 978-0-312-57709-4

This deeply flawed work is tendentious and poorly cited, but it does offer some interesting insights into the workings of the British Army during the Second World War.

Costello, John. 1981. The Pacific War. New York: Rawson, Wade.

A good one-volume history of the war, with a particularly good summary of the hours leading up to Pearl Harbor. Could have stood some more editing; in particular, the constant confusion of east and west in geographical descriptions is irritating.

Cowdrey, Albert E. 1994. Fighting for Life: American Military Medicine in World War II. New York: The Free Press. ISBN 0-68-486379-0

A comprehensive account of American military medicine during the Second World War. Neither a medical textbook nor a nonfiction "M*A*S*H," this book focuses precisely on what is of interest to the military historian: How the medical corps of the Army and Navy operated to prevent casualties from illness and treat casualties from combat. Recommended.

Craig, William. 1967. The Fall of Japan. New York: Galahad Books. ISBN 0-88365-985-9.

The classic account of the end of the war in the Pacific, with particular focus on the nuclear attacks and on the Japanese struggle to make the decision to surrender. Highly recommended.

Creed, Roscoe. 1985. PBY: The Catalina Flying Boat. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-526-4.

An excellent operational history of the Catalina flying boat, with some technical material on the aircraft itself.

Crenshaw, Russell Sydnor, Jr. 1995. The Battle of Tassafaronga. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-1-59114-14604

An excellent postmorten of the battle of Tassafaronga written by a survivor of the losing side. Has some excellent analysis of the weaknesses of American weapons systems that contributed to the debacle.

Cutler, Thomas J. 1994. The Battle of Leyte Gulf: 23-26 October 1944. Harper Colins Publishers. ISBN 0-06-016949-4

A recent, relatively short telling of the story of the Battle of Leyte Gulf. Rather light as an operational history, but has some good analysis of the chain of responsibility for the debacle off Samar.

Cutler, Thomas J. 1994. The Battle of Leyte Gulf: 23-26 October 1944. Harper Colins Publishers. ISBN 0-06-016949-4

A recent, relatively short telling of the story of the Battle of Leyte Gulf. Rather light as an operational history, but has some good analysis of the chain of responsibility for the debacle off Samar.

Davis, Tenney L. 1943. The Chemistry of Powder and Explosives. Las Vegas, Nevada: Angriff Press. ISBN 0913022-00-4.

Great fun and contemporary with the Pacific War. However, it does not include the most modern explosives used during the war, such as HMX. There is much discussion of industrial production, as well as laboratory preparation, the latter decidedly not recommended for the casual reader.

Deacon, Richard. 1983. Kempei Tai: A History of the Japanese Secret Service. ISBN 0-425-07458-7

Not entirely recommended. Deacon is prone to using flimsy sources and seeing nonexistent connections, and at times is very nearly a Japanese apologist. His admiration for the accomplishments of Japanese military intelligence is not shared by more scholarly writers, such as Prados or Kotani. However, he has collected a large number of anecdotes regarding Japanese espionage that are at least a starting place for further reading.

Dolan, R.E., and Worden, R.L. September 1990. Japan: a country study. Federal Research Division, Library of Congress.

A survey of Japan today.

Domes, Jurgen. 1985. Peng Te-huai: the Man and the Image. Stanford University Press. ISBN 0-8047-1303-0

A biography of the Chinese Communist marshal with emphasis on the political images created for him in his later life, when he was left to die then posthumously rehabilitated.

Doolittle, James H. and Glines, Carroll V. 1995. I Could Never Be So Lucky Again. Schiffer Publishing.  ISBN-10: 0887407374

Doolittle's memoirs of his long and eventful life. Somewhat sanitized, with no great revelations, it nonetheless offers interesting insights into the man and a gripping account of the Doolittle Raid.

Dorn, Frank. 1974. The Sino-Japanese War, 1937-41: From Marco Polo Bridge to Pearl Harbor. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company, Inc.

A tendentious account of the China origins of the Pacific War. Its usefulness is further limited by the fact that the account ends abruptly on 7 December 1941. The maps are beautifully rendered but almost useless, because no dates or unit identities are given. However, there is so little written about the Sino-Japanese War that one can glean much valuable information even from this account.

Dorny, Louis B. 2007. US Navy PBY Catalina Units of the Pacific War. Osprey Publishing.  ISBN-13: 978-1-841769110

A thorough account of the develoment and employment of the PBY Catalina during the Pacific War. However, notwithstanding the title, it lacks a comprehensive listing of Catalina-equipped patrol squadrons.

Drea, Edward J. 2003. In the Service of the Emperor: Essays on the Imperial Japanese Army. Bison Books. ISBN-13: 978-0803266384.

— 2009. Japan's Imperial Army: Its Rise and fall, 1853-1945. University Press of Kansas. ISBN 978--0-7006-1663-3.

A history of the Japanese Army from the time of the Meiji Restoration to its dismantling after the Pacific War.

Dull, Paul S. 1978. A Battle History of the Imperial Japanese Navy (1941-1945). Naval Institute Press.

An authoritative history of the combat actions of the Japanese Navy during the Pacific War.

Dullin, Robert O. Jr., and Garzke, William H. Jr. 1976. Battleships: United States Battleships, 1935-1992. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-1557501745

Offers some service history and analysis that supplement Friedman.

Dunlop, Richard. 1979. Behind Japanese Lines: With the OSS in Burma. Chicago: Rand McNally and Company.

Describes the work of the OSS with the Kachin tribesman of northern Burma.

Dunnigan, James, and Nofi, Albert. 1995. Victory at Sea. New York: William Morrow and Company, Inc.

A near-encyclopedic discussion of numerous aspects of the war. Mostly superseded by The Pacific War Encyclopedia.

—. 1998. The Pacific War Encyclopedia. New York: Checkmark Books.

Like most of Dunnigan's works, this book is packed with interesting little facts about the war, although some qualify as urban legend. It makes a good first reference, but requires significant follow-up fact checking.

Dupuy, Trevor N.; Johnson, Curt; and Bongard, David L. 1992. The Harper Encyclopedia of Military Biography. HarperCollins Publishers.

Covers all human history, not just the Pacific War, and the number of relevant entries are correspondingly limited. However, those that are present are highly reliable.

Dupuy, Trevor N.; Johnson, Curt; and Hayes, Grace P. 1986. Dictionary of Mlitary Terms: A Guide to the Language of Warfare and Military Institutions. New York: The H.W. Wilson Company. ISBN 0-8242-0717-3.

Covers a broad range of terminology in a relatively short volume and is correspondingly lacking in depth. However, most of the basic terminology is usefully covered.

Edgerton, Robert B. 1997. Warriors of the Rising Sin: A History of the Japanese Military. Westview Press. ISBN 0-8133-3600-7.

An interesting but flawed history of the Japanese Army from an anthropologist's perspective. I found the discussion of the Boxer Rebellion and the Russo-Japanese War quite interesting, but there are some glaring errors in his discussion of the Pacific War, and I find his conclusions unconvincing.

Ellis, John. 1980. The Sharp End: The Fighting Man in World War II. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons.

Discusses the life of the common soldier in all theaters of the war. Bergerud does a better job for the South Pacific theater.

—. 1995. World War II: A Statistical Survey. Facts On File: Great Britain.

An extensive tabulation of war statistics. Tremendous breadth, but lacking in depth.

Epstein, Katherine C. 2014. Torpedo: Inventing the Military-Industrial Complex in the United States and Great Britain. Harvard University Press. ISBN 978-0-674-72526-3

An interesting history of the early development of the torpedo, and the legal and political issues that arose from the need for navies to work closely with inventors and manufacturers to improve this crucial weapon. Regrettably, the history ends with the First World War.

Evans, David C., and Peattie, Mark R. 1997. Kaigun: Strategy, Tactics, and Technology in the Imperial Japanese Navy. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-0-87021-192-8

Another wonderful Naval Institute Press book published with an incredibly crappy binding [/snark]. A doctrinal and technological history of the Imperial Japanese Navy from the Meiji era to the end of the Second World War. Deliberately light on operations during the Pacific War, which have been so thoroughly covered elsewhere, but an excellent source for background on the frame of mind of the Navy going into that war.

Feifer, George. 1992. Tennozan: The Battle of Okinawa and the Atomic Bomb. Houghton Mifflin Company. ISBN 0-395-59924-5

Feifer writes a highly readable if painful account of the devastation inflicted on Okinawa in the course of the great battle. There is unusually good coverage of the Japanese side of the land battle, but almost nothing on the air and naval campaign.

Felton, Mark. 2009. Japan's Gestapo: Murder, Mayhem and Torture in Wartime Asia. Pen & Sword Bools Limited. ISBN 978-1-84415-912-3.

This rather unsatisfactory book is written in a sensationalistic style and gets a number of background facts wrong. (For example, Tojo was not a member of the Imperial Way Faction, but of the rival Control Faction.) However, the catalog of horrors Felton presents is real enough, and given the paucity of reliable English-language works on the Kempeitai, this book is not without some value.

Fenby, Jonathan. 2003. Chiang Kai-shek: China's Generalissimo and the Nation He Lost. New York: Carrol and Graf Publishers. ISBN 0-7867-1318-6.

A balanced portrait of Chiang Kai-shek and his times.

Feuer, A.B. (ed). 1992. Coast Watching in World War II: Operations against the Japanese on the Solomon Islands,1941-1943. Stackpole Books. ISBN 978-0-8117-3329-8.

The title is misleading: This is a heavily edited collection of reports from coastwatchers Jack Read and Paul Mason on Bougainville, with almost nothing on coastwatching activities elsewhere in the Solomons and with very little analysis of the organization. Has some useful insights nonetheless, particularly about the attitude of the indigenous population.

Ferguson, Ted. 1980. Desperate Siege: The Battle of Hong Kong. Doubleday Canada Limited.

Focuses on the experience of the two poorly-trained Canadian battalions sent to Hong Kong just before war broke out. It gives the reader a good feeling for British smugness and racism in the Far East, and the collapse of morale when it was discovered just how well the Japanese fought. There is extensive coverage of Japanese atrocities during and after the battle.

Murphy, Francis X. 1954. Fighting Admiral: The Story of Dan Callaghan. New York: Vantage Press

An almost embarrassingly hagiographic biography of the admiral.

Fleming, Thomas. 2001. The New Dealers' War: Franklin D. Roosevelt and The War Within World War II. Basic Books. ISBN 0-465-024645.

A highly critical account of FDR's wartime Presidency.

Flynn, George Q. 1993. The Draft, 1940-1973. University Press of Kansas. ISBN 0-7006-0586-X

A history of the draft from the passage of the Selective Service Act to the move to an all-volunteer army in 1973. Primarily a social and political history, with much less material on specifics such as the classification scheme.

Foss, Christopher F. 1981. An Illustrated Guide to World War II Tanks and Fighting Vehicles. New York: Arco PUblishing, Inc. ISBN 0-668-05232-5.

A short work describing the major tank types of the Pacific War. In spite of the title, no other types of armored fighting vehicles are described except in passing.

Francillon, R. 1979. Japanese Aircraft of the Pacific War. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press.

The definitive work on Japanese aircraft types used in the Pacific War.

Frank, Richard B. 1990. Guadalcanal. Penguin Books. ISBN 0-14-01-6561-4

Probably the definitive work on the battle that turned the tide in the Pacific.

—. 1999. Downfall: The End of the Imperial Japanese Empire. Random House. ISBN 0-679-41424-X

Analyzes the strategic bombing campaign against Japan, including the nuclear bombings, and their influence on the Japanese decision to surrender. Highly recommended.

Fraser, George MacDonald. 2007 Quartered Safe Out Here: A Harrowing Tale Of World War II. Skyhorse Publishing. ISBN 978-1-60239-190-1

A particularly honest memoir of the final stages of the Burma campaign by an enlisted British soldier.

Friedman, Norman. 1978. Battleship Design and Development 1905-1945. New York: Mayflower Books. ISBN 0-8317-0700-3

Friedman's first book, and an almost indispensable preface to everything he's written since. Although the focus is on battleships, there's a lot that is applicable to all warship design. Very highly recomended.

—. 1981. Naval Radar. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0870219677.

This hard-to-find work supplies the technical details missing from Buderi's otherwise excellent history.

—. 1983. U.S. Aircraft Carriers: An Illustrated Design History. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press.

Discusses the process whereby designs were selected in great detail, and gives fairly complete statistics on class characteristics.

—. 1984. U.S. Cruisers: An Illustrated Design History. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-718-6

Like all of Friedman's books, discusses the process whereby designs were selected in great detail without giving as complete technical specifications as I would like.

—. 1985. U.S. Battleships: An Illustrated Design History. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press.

Discusses the process whereby designs were selected in great detail, and gives fairly complete statistics on class characteristics.

—. 1995. U.S. Submarines Through 1945: An Illustrated Design History. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press.

Discusses the process whereby designs were selected in great detail, and gives fairly complete statistics on class characteristic.

—. 2002. U.S. Amphibious Ships and Craft: An Illustrated Design History. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-250-1.

Discusses the process whereby designs were selected in great detail, and gives fairly complete statistics on class characteristics.

—. 2004. U.S. Destroyers: An Illustrated Design History. Revised Edition. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-442-3.

Discusses the process whereby designs were selected in great detail, and gives fairly complete statistics on class characteristics.

—. 2006. British Destroyers and Frigates. Minnesota: MBI Publishing. ISBN 19781861761378.

Discusses the process whereby designs were selected in great detail, with particular attention to the tactics and strategy driving the designs.

—. 2008. Naval Firepower: Battleship Guns and Gunnery in the Dreadnought Era. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-1-59114-555-4

Focuses almost entirely on the fire control problem and its solutions, with only a short appendix on the material aspects of naval guns. Almost excruciatingly detailed, and sometimes a bit hard to follow. Not Friedman's best book, though this is praising with faint damnation: Still a very good book. 

—. 2013. Naval Anti-Aircraft Guns and Gunnery. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-1-59114-604-9

A broad-ranging look at the naval air threat, the challenges of providing adequate antiaircraft protection, and the solutions that were found. There is information here on fire control, gun design, gun placement, and tactics. The portions on fire control regrettably seem to me to be a bit incoherent, perhaps assuming too much familiarity with the material in Friedman's previous work.

Fuller, Richard. 1992. Shokan: Hirohito's Samurai. London: Arms and Armor. ISBN 1-85409-151-4

Describes the Japanese officer corps, with short sections on war chronology, command structure, and surrender ceremonies. Most of the book consists of biographies of important general and flag officers.

Gailey, Harry A. 1991. Bougainville 1943-1945 The Forgotten Campaign. The University of Kentucky Press. ISBN 0-8131-1748-8

Probably the definitive account of the Bougainville campaign, with good introductory material and coverage of the subsidiary Treasury and Choiseul campaigns.

Gamble, Bruce. 2010. Fortress Rabaul: The Battle for the Southwest Pacitic, January 1942-April 1943. Zenith Press. ISBN 978-0-7603-2350-2

An excellent and highly readable detailed history of the Japanese capture and early Allied campaign against Rabaul. Recommended.

Gandt, Robert. 2010. The Twilight Warriors: The Deadliest Naval Battle of World War II and The Men Who Fought In It. New York: Broadway Books. ISBN 978-0-7679-3241-7

An account of the battle of Okinawa that reads like a Tom Clancy novel, though it is in no sense historical fiction. An easy and entertaining read that is also a moderately decent history.

Garfield, Brian. 1965. The Thousand-Mile War. University of Alaska Press.

Tells the story of the Aleutian campaigns. Though written as a popular history, and not without errors, it is a very thorough and valuable work. The 1995 University of Alaska reprint includes a number of corrections by the author as footnotes.

Garzke, William H. Jr., and Dulin, Robert O. Jr. 1985. Battleships: Axis and Neutral Battleships in World War II. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-101-3

Has good descriptions of the design tradeoffs facing the Japanese with the Yamatos.

Gilbert, Martin. 1989. The Second World War: A Complete History, 2nd ed. New York: Henry Hold and Company. ISBN 0-8050-0534-X.

A strictly chronological account of events from 1 September 1939 on. There is particular emphasis on the horrors of the war.

Gilbert, Oscar E. 2001 Marine Tank Battles in the Pacific. Da Capo Press. ISBN 1-58097-050-8.

A thorough and intelligent popular account of Marine tank combat in the Pacific. The pictures, however, are a mess. I am told they are much superior in a rare earlier edition with a different publisher.

Glantz, David M. 2003. Soviet Operational and Tactical Combat in Manchuria, 1945: "August Storm". Frank Cass. ISBN 0-7146-5300-4

Covers ten operations that were part of the Soviet invasion of Manchuria in 1945, illustrating many aspects of the Soviet mastery of the operational art.

Glines, Carroll V. 1989. The Doolittle Raiders. Crown Publishers.

Tells the story of the raid and each of the raider crews. Hagiographic rather than a scholarly historical work.

Goldman, Stuart D. 2012. Nomonhan, 1939: The Red Army's Victory that Shaped World War II. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-1-59114-329-1.

An excellent if relatively short account of the pivotal battle, with considerable background and analysis of its causes and consequences. Considerably more readable than Coox if far less detailed and focused.

Goldstein, Donald M., and Dillon, Katherine V. (ed.) 1993. The Pearl Harbor Papers. Brassey's. ISBN 0-02-881001-5.

A collection of translated primary documents relating to the Pearl Harbor attack, such as ship's diaries and memoirs of participants.

Goodwin, Mike, and Starkings, Peter 2017. Japanese Aero-Engines 1910-1945. ISBN 978-83-65281-32-6

Probably the definitive reference on Japanese aircraft engines of the Pacific War.

Graff, Cory. 2009. F6F Hellcat At War. Zenith Press. ISBN 978-0-7603-3306-8.

A good discussion of the design, production, and operational history of the Hellcat fighter.

Gregg, Howard F. 1984. Tarawa. Sein and Day. ISBN 0-8128-2906-9.

Less focused and detailed than the Alexander book. More information on the context and background of the battle.

Grossnick, Roy A., and Armstrong, William J. 1997. United States Naval Aviation, 1910-1995. Naval Historical Center. ISBN 978-0160491245.

Has some valuable statistical appendices on pilots on active duty and completing training during the war years.

Gruhl, Werner. 2010. Imperial Japan's World War II: 1931-1945. Transaction Publishers. ISBN 978-0-7658-0352-8

A prosecutor's case against the Japanese Empire of 1931-1945, rather than a balanced history. Makes some important points, but should be used with caution.

Grunden, Walter E. 2005.. Secret Weapons and World War II: Japan In the Shadow of Big Science. University Press of Kansas. ISBN 0-7006-1383-8

An organizational history of the secret weapons programs of Imperial Japan, contrasted with those of Nazi Germany and the Allies. Scholarly and a bit dry, but there is some good information on the nuclear weapons, radar, aeronautics, and chemical and biological warfare programs of the Japanese.

Guerlac, Henry E. 1987. The History of Modern Physics 1800-1950, Volume 8: Radar in World War II. American Institute of Physics. ISBN 0-88318-486-9. Two volumes.

An impressively detailed description of the development of radar during the war, with a fair amount of technical detail on specific sets. Heavily weighted towards the Allied effort, but not devoid of descriptions of German and Japanese radars.

Gunston, Bill. 1978. The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Combat Aircraft of World War II. New York: Bookthrift Publications.

Discusses the major fighting aircraft of World War II, with a large number of photographs and cutaway diagrams of important models.

— 1986. American Warplanes. New York: Crescent Books.

A handy quick reference on American warplanes. Not specific to the Pacific War.

— 1988. The Illustrated Dictionary of Fighting Aircraft of World War II. New York: Prentice Hall Press.

A handy quick reference on the major fighting aircraft of World War II, with some nice pictures of period and restored aircraft.

— 1999. Development of Piston Aero Engines (Second Edition). Patrick Stephens Limited. ISBN 978-1-85260-619-0.

A really wonderful discussion of the basic concepts of piston aircraft engine design and the history of their development.

— 2006. World Encyclopedia of Aero Engines:  From the Pioneers to the Present Day. Sutton Publishing Limited.  ISBN 0-7509-4479-X

A comprehensive listing of aircraft engine manufacturers and their products.

Hammel, Eric. 1992. Aces Against Japan: The American Aces Speak, v.1. Novato, CA: Presidio Press.

An interesting collection of oral histories of American pilots in the Pacific.

Hammer, Ellen J. 1966. The Struggle for Indochina 1940-1955: Viet Nam and the French Experience. Stanford University Press.

Published just as the Vietnam War was heating up, this book has some valuable material on French Indochina during the Pacific War.

Hara Tameichi, with Saito, Fred, and Pineau, Roger. 1961. Japanese Destroyer Captain. New York: Ballantine Books.

The war through a Japanese destroyer captain's eyes. His arrogance, pride, and contempt for his opponents shines through.

Harmsen, Peter. 2013. Shanghai 1937: Stalingrad on the Yangtze. Casemate Publishers. ISBN 978-1-61200-167-8.

A thoroughly researched account of the 1937 battle.

Harries, Meirion and Harries, Susie. 1991. Soldiers of the Sun: The Rise and Fall of the Imperial Japanese Army. New York: Random House. ISBN 0-679-75303-6.

A study of the Japanese Army from its creation in the Boshin Civil War to its dissolution at the end of the Pacific War.

Harrison, Mark (editor). 1998. The Economics of World War II : Six Great Powers in International Comparison. Cambridge University Press.

A rather technical discussion of the economies of the major powers during the war. If you don't already know enough about monetary theory to know what M2 money is, it's probably not for you.

Hastings, Max. 2007. Retribution: The Battle for Japan, 1944-45. Alfred A. Knopf. ISBN 978-0-307-26351-3

A superb discussion of the final year of the war in the Pacific, with a good summary of earlier events. Particularly strong in its discussion of lesser theaters, such as China, Burma, and Borneo.

—. 2011. Inferno: The World At War, 1939-1945. Alfred A. Knopf. ISBN 978-0-307-27359-8

As much a reflection on the horror of war as a history, focusing on war at the level of the common man, with only a cursory treatment of grand strategy and operations. Superb on its terms.

—. 2016. The Secret War: Spies, Ciphers, and Guerillas. HarperCollins. ISBN 978-0-06-2125927-1

Hastings examines special intelligence in the Second World War with a duly skeptical eye, questioning whether (with rare exceptions, such as Midway) it made much of a difference.

Hata Ikuhiko and Izawa Yasuho. Gorham, Don, trans. 1989. Japanese Naval Aces and Fighter Units in World War II. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-31506.

The definitive reference on Japanese Navy fighter units of the Pacific War. However, it is uncritical about combat claims.

—. Shores, Christopher, trans. 2002. Japanese Army Air Force Fighter Units, and Their Aces. Grub Street. ISBN 978-1-902304-89-2

The definitive reference on Japanese Army fighter units of the Pacific War. However, it is uncritical about combat claims.

Hayashi Saburo with Cox, Alvin D. 1959. Kogun: The Japanese Army in the Pacific War. Quantico, VA: The Marine Corps Association.

A quite interesting operational analysis of the Japanese Army during the war by a former Japanese Imperial General Staff officer.

Heal, S.C. 2003. Ugly Ducklings: Japan's WWII Liberty Type Standard Ships. Naval Institute Press. IBSN 1-59114-999-X.

A discussion of Japan's attempt at mass production of standardized ship types. Rather rambling and filled with personal reminiscences, some of them relevant.

Hess, William N, Johnsen, Frederick A., and Marshall, Chester. 1998. Big Bombers of WWII. Lowe & B. Hould. IBSN 0-681-07570-8

A compendium of three distinct books under one cover written by the respective authors. Covers the B-17, B-24, and B-29.

Hezlet, Arthur. 1975. Electronics and Sea Power. New York: Stein and Day. IBSN 0-8128-1811-3.

A history of the use of electricity in warships from the 19th century to the time of publication. Covers the early days of radar.

Hicks, George. 1994. The Comfort Women: Japan's Brutal Regime of Enforced Prostitition in the Second World War. ISBN 0-393-31694-7

Lays out the case that the comfort women system was both massive and largely involuntary. There is considerably discussion of the historiography and current legal and diplomatic battle over the issue.

Hoffman, Jon T. 2001. Chesty: The Story of Lieutenant General Lewis B. Puller, USMC. Random House. ISBN 0-375-76044-X

A biography of Marine legend "Chesty" Puller, who participated in most of 1 Marine Divisions's campaigns in the Pacific, first as a battalion and then as a regimental commander. Offers some fascinating perspectives on the Corps and its leadership and men during the time period of the Pacific War.

Hogg, Ian V. 1977. The Encyclopedia of Infantry Weapons of World War II. Thomas Y. Crowell Company, Inc. IBSN 0-690-01447-3.

A fairly comprehensive listing of infantry weapons of the Second World War, with numerous photographs. Oddly, the specifications given do not include such basic information as muzzle velocity or weight of round. Valuable in spite of this flaw.

—., intr. 2001. The American Arsenal: The World War II Official Standard Ordnance Catalog of Small Arms, Tanks, Armored Cars, Artillery, Antiaircraft Guns, Ammunition, Grenades, Mines, Etcetera. Stackpole Books. ISBN 1-85367-470-2.

A compilation from official publications with many specifications and photographs.

—. 2002. Anti-Aircraft Artillery. Ramsbury, United Kingdom: The Crowood Press Ltd. IBSN 1-86126-502-6.

A valuable reference on antiaicraft artillery, including the Pacific War period.

Hornfischer, James D. (2004) The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors : The Extraordinary World War II Story of the U.S. Navy's Finest Hour. Bantam.

Tells the story of the destroyer, destroyer escort, and escort carrier sailors who managed to repel an attack by the heavy units of the Japanese fleet at the Battle of Samar. Highly recommended in spite of the hagiographic tone.

—. (2011) Neptune's Inferno: The U.S. Navy at Guadalcanal. Bantam. ISBN 978-0-553-80670-0

A superb history for general audiences of the naval side of the Guadalcanal campaign. The hagiographic tone of Hornfischer's previous book is much less heavyhanded which, perversely, makes it all the more effective. Highly recommended.

Hotta, Eri (2013) Japan 1941: Countdown to Infamy. Alfred A. Knopf. ISBN 978-0-307-59401-3

A though-provoking reexamination of the Japanese decision to go to war.

Hoyt, Edwin P. 1983. Submarines at War: The History of the American Silent Service. New York: Stein and Day.

Not as good as Blair.

—. 1993. The Last Kamikaze: The Story of Admiral Matome Ugaki. Westport, Connecticut: Praeger

A sympathetic portrait of Yamamoto's Chief of Staff, based on the diary he left behind.

—. 1993. Warlord: Tojo Against The World. Westport, Lanham, MD: Scarborough House. ISBN 0-8128-4017-8.

A balanced portrait of Tojo Hideki emphasizing his consolidation of power in wartime Japan.

Hsiung, James C., and Levine, Steven I. 1992. China's Bitter Victory: The War With Japan, 1937-1945. Armonk, New York: M.E. Sharpe, Inc.  ISBN 1-56324-246-X

A collection of scholarly essays on China's experience in the Second World War. Emphasizes the social, political and cultural aspects of the war rather than operations.

Huie William Bradford. 1944. Can Do! The Story of the Seabees. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-1-55750-379-4

A contemporary account of the Seabees, with all the strengths and weaknesses that implies, but with an immediacy and wealth of detail that gives the work considerable value.

Huston, James A. 1966. The Sinews of War: Army Logistics 1775-1953. Office of the Chief of Military History. Library of Congress 66-60015.

The chapters on the Second World War focus mostly on Europe, but the Pacific is not entirely neglected.

Inoguchi Rikihei, Nakajima Tadashi, and Roger Pineau. 1958. The Divine Wind: Japan's Kamikaze Force in World War II. New York: Ballantine Books. ISBN 345-01877-x-095

A classic account of the kamikaze campaign, told from the Japanese side. Somewhat dated in light of more recent research.

Iriye, Akira. 1987. The Origins of the Second World War in Asia and the Pacific. New York and London: Longman. ISBN 0-582-49349-8.

A comprehensive account of the origins of the Pacific War from a diplomatic perspective, which when packed into just 186 pages makes for rather dense reading. Invaluable nonetheless.

Jablonski, Edward. 1965. Flying Fortress: The Illustrated Biography of the B-17s and the Men Who Flew Them. Doubleday & COmpany, Inc. Library of Congress 65-19886.

A fairly complete history of the B-17, though somewhat uncritical of the contributions of either the plane or the strategic bombing campaign of which it was the backbone.

Jablonski, Edward, and the editors of Time-Life. 1982. The Epic of Flight: American in the Air War. Time-Life Books. ISBN 0-8094-3341-9.

Part of a series on the history of aviation, this volume has some interesting pictorials on American aviation during the Second World War.

James, Lawrence. 1997. Raj: The Making and Unmaking of British India. New York: St. Martin's Press. ISBN 0-312-19322-x.

A one-volume history of the British Raj, told primarily from the British point of view.

Jenkins, Roy. With Richard E. Neustadt and Arthur M. Schlesinger. 2003. The American Presidents: Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Times Books. ISBN 0-8050-6959-3.

A hagiography of Roosevelt by a British Labour politician. Its chief merit is that it is relatively short at 170 pages.

Jentschura, Hansgeorg; Jung, Dieter; and Mickel, Peter. Translated by Brown, J.D. 1977. Warships of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1869-1945. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-893-X.

A comprehensive listing of every ship of the Imperial Navy. Not surprisingly, this means that the treatment of the major types is inferior to that of other references of more limited scope; but for the lesser types, this is the definitive work.

Johnson, Frederick A. 2000. B -17 Flying Fortress: the symbol of Second World War air power. McGraw-Hill. ISBN 0-07-134445-4

A good and reasonably short introduction to the iconic aircraft.

Johnson, Paul. 1983. Modern Times: The World from the Twenties to the Eighties. Harper & Row. ISBN 0-06-091210-3.

A fascinating, if sometimes tendentious, history of the world during the title period. Includes some fascinating insights into the modern development of Japan and the position of Western powers prior to the Pacific War.

A hagiographic account of Destroyer Squadron 23 and the battle of Cape St. George, based on historical accounts but with much invented dialogue. Nevertheless, within its limitations, an awfully good read.

Jordan, Roger. 1999. The World's Merchant Fleets: 1939. The Particulars and Wartime Fates of 6000 Ships. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press.

An excruciatingly detailed tabulation of all the oceangoing merchant vessels afloat in September 1939, along with a separate tabulation of their fates. Its biggest flaws are the lack of documentation of the lowest tonnages included and the failure to adequately cross-reference the two tabulations.

Jowett, Philip (illustrated by Stephen Andrew). 2002. The Japanese Army 1934-1945 Part 2: 1942-1945. Osprey Publishing. ISBN 1-84176-354-3.

Not one of Osprey's better publications, this booklet is a bit of a confused mess. However, there are some good descriptions of equipment, uniforms, and rank insignia, and on the employment of Koreans and Formosans in the Japanese Army.

Keating, Bern. 1976. Chopper: The Illustrated Story of Helicopters in Action. Rand McNally and Company. ISBN 0-528-81842-2.

Includes a brief discussion of the early history of helicopters and autogyros.

Keegan, John. 1988. The Price of Admiralty: The Evolution of Naval Warfare. Penguin Group. ISBN 0-670-81416-4.

Discusses the battles of Trafalgar, Jutland, Midway, and the Atlantic.

Keegan, John. 2003. Intelligence In War: Knowledge of the Enemy From Napoleon to al-Quada. Alfred A. Knopf. ISBN 0-375-40053-2

Discusses the the role and limitations of intelligence in warfare, with case studies that include the Battle of the Atlantic and Midway. Recommended.

Kehn, Donald M., Jr. 2008. A Blue Sea of Blood: Deciphering the Mysterious Fate of the USS Edsdall. Zenith Press. ISBN 978-0-7603-3353-2.

Unravels the mystery of what happened to the Edsall after she sailed away from a rendezvous south of Java and was never seen by Allied eyes again. Has some nice background on the Centrifugal Offensive but also a somewhat tendentious and tangential discussion of the attempted Allied partition of Anatolia and consequent disaster at Smyrna (Izmir).

Kershaw, Ian. 2007. Fateful Choices: Ten Decisions That Changed the World, 1940-1941. New York: The Penguin Press. ISBN 978-1-59420-123-3.

A detailed discussion of ten geopolitical decisions in the critical time period of 1940-1941 that shaped the course of the remainder of the Second World War and the postwar world. The chapter on the decision by Japan to sign the Tripartite Pact is an excellent discussion of how Japan came into the Axis camp, and put herself on a collision course with Britain and the United States.

Klein, Maury. 2013. A Call To Arms: Mobilizing America For World War II, Bloomsbury Pre.. ISBN 978-1-59691-607-4.

A comprehensive but surprisingly readable account of the industrial mobilization of the United States from May 1940.

Kotani, Ken. Trans. Chiharu Kotan. 2009. Japanese Intelligence in World War II. Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84603-425-1.

Discusses the Japanese intelligence apparatus during the Pacific War from the Japanese point of view, using the few surviving documents and some interviews with veterans.

Kuehn, John T. 2008. Agents Of Innovation: The General Board And The Design Of The Fleet That Defeated The Japanese. Naval Institute Press.  ISBN 978-1-59114-448-9

An interesting monogram on how the restrictions of the naval disarmament treaty forced the U.S. Navy to think innovatively, laying the foundations for naval air power and the fleet train.

Lacey, James G. 2011. Keep From All Thoughtful Men: How U.S. Economists Won World War II. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-1-59114-491-5.

A short history of how economists helped shape Allied grand strategy by planning the American production miracle. Lacey debunks a number of hoary myths associated with this buildup, including the myth that Wedemeyer's Victory Program had anything to do with the Victory Plan that ultimately guided production. Recommended.

Lacroix, Eric, and Welles, Linton II. 1997. Japanese Cruisers of the Pacific War. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-311-3.

The definitive technical reference on Japanese cruisers of the Pacific War. Detailed descriptions of hulls, protection, armament, and machinery, with some operational history. Not much analysis, however.

Lamont-Brown, Raymond. 1998. Kempeitai: Japan's Dreaded Mlitary Police. Sutton Publishing. ISBN 0-7509-2806-9.

A sensationalistic and tendentious account of the Kempeitai, but there is more information here than in any other popular writings I've come across. There isn't much to suggest that the Kempeitai weren't really that bad.

Lane, Frederic C. 1951. Ships for Victory: A History of Shipbuilding under the U.S. Maritime Commission in World War II. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press.

A turgid and nearly unreadable but excruciatingly detailed discussion of the U.S. wartime shipbuilding program. Sadly, the tables that could have made this a valuable reference are mostly omitted.

Larrabee, Eric. 1987. Commander in Chief: Franklin Delano Roosevelt, His Lieutenants, and Their War. Simon & Schuster Inc. ISBN 0-671-66382-8.

A highly readable discussion of the character and role of Roosevelt and the most senior American military commanders in the war.

Lawson, Robert, and Tillman, Barrett. 1996. Carrier Air War In Original WWII Color. New York: Barnes and Noble.

A nice, mostly oral, history of the carrier war, with numerous color photographs.

Leckie, Robert. 1962. Strong Men Armed: The United States Marines Against Japan. Da Capo Press. ISBN 978-0-306-81887-5

A lengthy but highly readable account of the Marines in the Pacific War. Written like a novel, but with an unsually high caliber of scholarship for a popular work. Recommended.

— 1995. Okinawa. Viking. ISBN 0-670-84716-X

A fairly short but clear account of the final battle of the Second World War.

Leighton, Richard M., and Coakley, Robert W. 1955. United States Army in World War II. Global Logistics and Strategy: 1940-1943. Washington, D.C.: Office of the Chief of Military History, Department of the Army.

Part of the voluminous U.S. Army counterpart of Morison's Navy history. Not nearly as readable, but generally much more detailed and complete.

Lengerer, Hans. 2015. "The Aircraft Carriers of the Shokaku Class."  Warship 2015. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-1-59114-600-1

Probably the best English-language description of the Shokakus available in print.

Lewin, Ronald. 1976. Slim the Standardbearer: A Biography of Field-Marshal The Viscount Slim, KG, GCB, GCMG, GCVO, GBE, DSO, MC. Great Britain: Wordsworth Editions Limited. ISBN 1-84022-214-X

An excellent short biography of the best British general of the Pacific War.

Linebarger, Paul M.A. 1954. Psychological Warfare (2nd ed.) New York: Duell, Sloan and Pearce.

The classic reference on psychological warfare. Though it is now probably badly dated, its author was deeply involved in psychological warfare during the period of the Pacific War.

Lindsay, O. 2005. The Battle For Hong Kong: 1941-1945. Hostage to Fortune. Ithaca: McGill-Queen's University Press. ISBN 978-0-7735-3162-8.

An interesting work on the battle for Hong Kong. Lindsay interleaves his analysis of the battle with the memoirs of John R. Harris, a young engineer who participated in the battle.

Liu, F.F. 1956. A Military History of Modern China: 1924-1949. Princeton University Press.

Good references on the war in China are lacking. This is one of the few that is available. However, it is probably overly deferential to Chiang and the Kuomintang.

Lord, Walter. 1977. Lonely Vigil: Coastwatchers of the Solomons. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-59114-466-3

An excellent popular account of the activities of the "Ferdinand" coastwatcher network in the Solomon Islands.

Lundstrom, John B. 2006. Black Shoe Carrier Admiral: Frank Jack Fletcher at Coral Sea, Midway, and Guadalcanal. Naval Institute Press.

A reexamination of Fletcher as carrier admiral in the first year of the war. Lundstrom is much more sympathetic to Fletcher than previous historians, which is sure to make this book controversial. However, Lundstrom's scholarship is excellent, and the book is a terrific read.

Maas, Peter. 1999. The Terrible Hours: The Man Behind the Greatest Submarine Rescue in History. HarperCollins Publishers Inc. , New York. ISBN 0-06-019480-4.

Tells the story of the rescue of the survivors of the submarine Sailfish, which foundered on builder's trials off Cape Cod. But it is also a hagiography of the legendary submariner "Swede" Momsen, who directed the rescue and salvage.

MacKinnon, Stephen R. 2008. Wuhan, 1938: War, Refugees, and the Making Of Modern China. University of California Press. ISBN 978-0-520-25445-9

A monograph on the role of Wuhan in the Sino-Japanese War, emphasizing the social aspects but with a decent summary of the military campaign.

Madej, W. Victor. 1981. Japanese Armed Forces Order of Battle 1937-1945. 2 vols. Allentown, PA: Game Marketing Company.

This rare pair of volumes is a digest of the final version of the Order of Battle of the Japanese Armed Forces issued by the Military Intelligence Division, U.S. Army, in September 1945. It has a wealth of information that, unfortunately, has not been checked against Japanese sources. It is highly valuable nonetheless.

Maga, Tim. 2001. Judgement at Tokyo: The Japanese War Crimes Trials. The Universty Press of Kentucky. ISBN 0-8131-2177-0.

A fairly brief account of the war crimes trials in the Far East. Unsatisfyingly brief regarding the actual conduct of the Tokyo Tribunal, but has good information on the Army and Navy military tribunals and on the sociological meaning of the trials, particularly within Japan itself. However, the verdict on Maga's main thesis, that the trials were an honest effort at justice, must be "Not proved."

Mansoor, Peter R. 1999. The GI Offensive in Europe: The Triumph of American Infantry Divisions, 1941-1945. University Press of Kansas. ISBN 978-0-7006-1226-0.

A good discussion of the strengths and weaknesses of U.S. infantry divisions during the Second World War. However, it is highly focused on the European theater, and it fails to make its case that U.S. infantry were the equal of German infantry at the small unit level.

Marston, Daniel. 2005. The Pacific War Companion: From Pearl Harbor to Hiroshima. Osprey Publishing Ltd. ISBN 978-1-84603-212-7

A nice collection of essays, arranged roughly in order of chronology of the topic covered, by such distinguished historians as Richard B. Frank and H.P. Willmott. Recommended.

Massie, Robert K. 2003. Castles of Steel: Britain, Germany, and the Winning of the Great War at Sea. Random House. ISBN 0-679-45671-6.

A gripping account of the naval struggle during the First World War. Relevant to the Second World War for its description of the effects of convoys and the conduct of naval operations with large surface units.

Maurer, M. 1982. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force: World War II. Office of Air Force History.

A comprehensive listing of all U.S. Army Air Force combat squadrons that were active during the Second World War. Out of print but available online at http://www.airforcehistory.hq.af.mil/Publications/Annotations/maurercombat.htm

Maurer, M. 1983. Air Force Combat Units of World War II. Office of Air Force History.

A comprehensive listing of all U.S. Army Air Force combat units above squadron level that were active during the Second World War.

Mayo, Lida. 1974. Bloody Buna. New York: Doubleday and Company, Inc. ISBN 0-385-06268-0

A history of the early New Guinea campaign written for a general audience. Lays out the command failures but stops short of condemning McArthur.

McAulay, Lex. 1991. Battle of the Bismarck Sea. St. Martin's Press. ISBN 0-312-05820-9

An extremely detailed account of the battle and its aftermath.

McCartney, Innes (i/b Bryan, Tony). 2006. British Submarines 1939-45. New Vanguard 129. Osprey Publishing.

Compact and not very deep discussion of British wartime submarine designs. Does contain fairly complete design specifications.

McClain, James L. 2002. Japan: A Modern History. New York: W.W. Norton and Co.

A general reference on the modern history of Japan.

Melton, Buckenr F., Jr. 2007. Sea Cobra: Admiral Halsey's Task Force and the Great Pacific Tyhpoon. Guilford, CT: The Lyons Press. ISBN 978-1-59228-978-3.

Melton is in his depth in the description of the typhoon itself, its effects on the ships, and the subsequent Courts of Inquiry. His description of the course of the Pacific War and the military situation in the Far East is a touch shakier, as when he describes Spruance as the victor at Midway and claims MacArthur had a remarkably solid grasp of naval power.

Merriam, Ray. 2006. Japanese Landing Craft of World War II. Bennington, VT: Merrian Press. ISBN 1-57638-049-1

A brief monograph based on a report from the U.S. Naval Technical Mission to Japan.

Mesko, Jim. 1994. A-20 Havoc In Action. Squadron/Signal publicatins, Inc. ISBN 0-89747-317-5.

A thorough design history with good descriptions of each variation and numerous line drawings and photographs. Weaker on technical specifications and interiors (except for the cockpit.)

Mercado, Stephen C.. 2002. The Shadow Warriors of Nakano: A History of the Imperial Japanese Army's Elite Intelligence School. Brassey's, Inc.. ISBN 1-57488-443-3

A history of the Nakano School and its graduates through the postwar era. Interesting but a little too credulous at times.

Mikesh, Robert C. 2004. Japanese Aircraft Equipment 1940-1945. Schiffer Military History. ISBN 0-7643-2097-1

Contains a wealth of information about Japanese aircraft equipment, from instrumentation through radios and cameras to guns, gunsights, and bombsights. Even has information on the chemical makeup of interior paint.

Miller, John Jr. 1959. United States Army in World War II. The War in the Pacific: CARTWHEEL: The Reduction of Rabaul. Washington, D.C.: Office of the Chief of Military History, Department of the Army.

The U.S. Army counterpart of Morison's Navy history. Not nearly as readable, but much more detailed and complete. This volume covers the breaking of the Bismarck Barrier.

Miller, Edward S. 1991. War Plan Orange: The U.S. Strategy to Defeat Japan, 1897-1945. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press.

A fascinating history of the development of contingency plans for war against Japan.

—. 2007. Bankrupting the Enemy: The U.S. Financial Siege of Japan before Pearl Harbor. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press.

An expert yet highly readable account of the economic and financial sanctions imposed on Japan prior to war. A fascinating look at the financing of war.

Miller, Russell. 1981. The Commandos. Time-Life Books. ISBN 0-8094-3401-6

A popular history of special forces in the Second World War.

Millman, Nich2013olas.  Ki-27 "Nate" Aces. Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84908-662-2.

Devoted almost entirely to the aces, particularly the Nomonhan aces. Almost no technical information on the aircraft itself.

Miscamble, Wilson D. 2011. The Most Controversial Decision: Truman, the Atomic Bombs, and the Defeat of Japan. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-73536-0.

A monograph on the decision to the use nuclear weapons against Japan and its consequences in the postwar world. Very nicely summarizes the present evidence and understandings.

Mitter, Rana. 2013. China's War With Japan, 1937-1945: The Struggle for Survival. Penguin Books. ISBN 978-1-846-14010-5

A recent and thorough treatment of the war between Japan and China from an almost exclusively Chinese point of view. Recommended.

Molesworth, Carl. 2008. P-40 Warhawk vs. Ki-43 Oscar: China 1944-45. Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84603-295-0.

A brief monograph giving some design history and specifications for these two aircraft, plus a brief operational history for central China in the last two years of the war.

Morison, Samuel Eliot. 1948. History of United States Naval Operations in World War II, Volume III: The Rising Sun in the Pacific, 1931-April 1942. Boston: Little, Brown, and Company.

Morison is the definite American historian of the naval war, despite the fact that he was not free to mention Ultra and was writing too recently after the war to bring much perspective. He also was writing when most of the principles were alive, which seems to have muted some well-deserved criticisms. In spite of these flaws, the whole series of volumes constitutes a classic reference of tremendous value. Volume III focuses on the Pearl Harbor attack and the intial Japanese offensive in southeast Asia.

—. 1949. History of United States Naval Operations in World War II, Volume IV: Coral Sea, Midway, and Submarine Actions, May 1942-August 1942. Boston: Little, Brown, and Company.

Morison is the definite American historian of the naval war, despite the fact that he was not free to mention Ultra and was writing too recently after the war to bring much perspective. He also was writing when most of the principles were alive, which seems to have muted some well-deserved criticisms. In spite of these flaws, the whole series of volumes constitutes a classic reference of tremendous value. This volume focuses on the operations that restored the naval balance of power in the Pacific in the spring and summer of 1942.

—. 1949. History of United States Naval Operations in World War II, Volume V: The Struggle for Guadalcanal, August 1942-February 1942. Boston: Little, Brown, and Company.

Morison is the definite American historian of the naval war, despite the fact that he was not free to mention Ultra and was writing too recently after the war to bring much perspective. He also was writing when most of the principles were alive, which seems to have muted some well-deserved criticisms. In spite of these flaws, the whole series of volumes constitutes a classic reference of tremendous value. This volume deals with the decisive Guadalcanal campaign.

—. 1950. History of United States Naval Operations in World War II, Volume VI: Breaking the Bismarck Barrier, 22 July 1942-1 May 1942. Boston: Little, Brown, and Company.

Morison is the definite American historian of the naval war, despite the fact that he was not free to mention Ultra and was writing too recently after the war to bring much perspective. He also was writing when most of the principles were alive, which seems to have muted some well-deserved criticisms. In spite of these flaws, the whole series of volumes constitutes a classic reference of tremendous value. This volume deals with MacArthur's campaign to isolate Rabaul.

—. 1951. History of United States Naval Operations in World War II, Volume VII: Aleutians, Gilberts, and Marshalls, June 1942-April 1944. Boston: Little, Brown, and Company.

Morison is the definite American historian of the naval war, despite the fact that he was not free to mention Ultra and was writing too recently after the war to bring much perspective. He also was writing when most of the principles were alive, which seems to have muted some well-deserved criticisms. In spite of these flaws, the whole series of volumes constitutes a classic reference of tremendous value. This volume deals with the operations to clear the Aleutians and with the intial campaigns of the Central Pacific drive.

—. 1953. History of United States Naval Operations in World War II, Volume VIII: New Guinea and the Marianas, March 1944-August 1944. Boston: Little, Brown, and Company.

Morison is the definite American historian of the naval war, despite the fact that he was not free to mention Ultra and was writing too recently after the war to bring much perspective. He also was writing when most of the principles were alive, which seems to have muted some well-deserved criticisms. In spite of these flaws, the whole series of volumes constitutes a classic reference of tremendous value. This volume deals with the parallel offensives in New Guinea and the Marianas that opened the road to the Philippines.

—. 1958. History of United States Naval Operations in World War II, Volume XII: Leyte, June 1944-January 1945. Boston: Little, Brown, and Company.

Morison is the definite American historian of the naval war, despite the fact that he was not free to mention Ultra and was writing too recently after the war to bring much perspective. He also was writing when most of the principles were alive, which seems to have muted some well-deserved criticisms. In spite of these flaws, the whole series of volumes constitutes a classic reference of tremendous value. This volume deals with the battle of Leyte Gulf and the securing of Leyte itself.

—. 1959. History of United States Naval Operations in World War II, Volume XIII: The Libration of the Philippines: Luzon, Mindanao, the Visayas, 1944-1945. Boston: Little, Brown, and Company.

Morison is the definite American historian of the naval war, despite the fact that he was not free to mention Ultra and was writing too recently after the war to bring much perspective. He also was writing when most of the principles were alive, which seems to have muted some well-deserved criticisms. In spite of these flaws, the whole series of volumes constitutes a classic reference of tremendous value. This volume deals with the struggle for the control of Luzon and the other islands of the Philippines.

Morton, Louis. 1953. United States Army in World War II. The War in the Pacific: The Fall of the Philippines. Washington, D.C.: Office of the Chief of Military History, Department of the Army.

The U.S. Army counterpart of Morison's Navy history. Not nearly as readable, but much more detailed and complete. This volume covers the first Philippines campaign.

Murray, Williamson, and Millett, Allan R. 1996. Military Innovation in the Interwar Period. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-55241-9

A collection of scholarly essays on the development by the various major powers of the innovative tactics and weapons systems used in the Second World War.

Muth, Jörg. 2011. Command Culture: Officer Education in the U.S. Army and the German Armed Forces, 1901-1940, and the Consequences for World War II. University of North Texas Press. ISBN 978-1-57441-303-8

A stunning assessment of the failures of U.S. Army officer training in contrast with its purported German model.

Myers, Ramon H., and Peattie, Mark R. (ed.) 1984. The Japanese Colonial Empire, 1895-1945. Princetone University Press. ISBN 0-691-10222-8.

A collection of essays presented at a conference of the Joint Committee on Japanese Studies of the American Council of Learned Societies and the Social Science Research Council. Rather dry reading, and restricted to the colonies of the Empire proper (Taiwan, Korea, and the Mandates) with almost no discussion of the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere. Good for a thorough treatment of early Japanese colonial policy.

Nakagawa Yasuzo; ed. Brown, Louis, Bryant, John H., and Koizumi Naohiko. 1993. Japanese Radar and Related Weapons of World War II. Washington, Aegean Park Press. ISBN 0-89412-271-1

An English translation of two works by Nakagawa. Probably the best easily accessible account of radar from the Japanese side.

NAVPERS 16116. 1944 Naval Ordnance and Gunnery. 2013 reproduction by Periscope Film LLC. ISBN 978-1-937684-22-9

A good introduction to U.S. naval guns and gunnery as they existed during the Pacific War.

Nelson, Curtis L. 1998. Hunters in the Shallows: A History of the PT Boat. Washington: Brassey's. ISBN 1-57488-601-0

Probably the best modern study of the U.S. Navy's PT boats in the Second World War. Curtis' obvious affection for the boats does not prevent him from delivering some sharp critiques of their effectiveness.

Ness, Leland. 2014. Rikugun: Guide to Japanese Ground Forces 1937-1945. Volume 1: Tactical Organization of Imperial Japanese Army and Navy Ground Forces. Helion & Company Ltd. ISBN 978-909982-00-0

Probably the best work on the topic, detailed and thorough.

Newcomb, Richard F. 1961. The Battle of Savo Island. New York: Henry Holt and Company.

A brutally honest history of the disaster that was the battle of Savo Island. Paints a very unfavorable portrait of Crutchley.

Newman, Robert P. 1995. Truman and the Hiroshima Cult. Michigan State University Press

Argues the case that the bombing of Hiroshima was military and morally justified. Particularly interesting in that the author is clearly no advocate of the postwar nuclear weapons complex.

Newpower, Anthony. 2006. Iron Men and Tin Fish. Praeger Security International.

A history of the development and long debugging process for the Mark 14 torpedo. Likely to become the definitive work on this subject.

Norman, Michael, and Norman, Elizabeth M. 2009. Tears in the Darkness: The Story of the Bataan Death March and Its Aftermath. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux. ISBN 978-0-374-27260-9.

A harrowing account of the Bataan Death March and the subsequent experiences of the American prisoners of war who survived it. Focuses particularly on an Air Corps ground crewman, Ben Stiles, whose artwork illustrates the book throughout. I think I like it better than Prisoners of the Japanese, though it is far less comprehensive.

Okumiya, M., and Horikoshi, J., and Caidin, M. 1956. Zero. Simon and Schuster, Inc.

A view of the Pacific air war from the Japanese side.

Okun, Nathan. 2003. Armor Protection of the Battleship KM Bismark. http://www.combinedfleet.com/okun_biz.htm

An online article describing the armor protection of the German battleships Bismark in great detail and with much expert authority. Though not directly bearing on the Pacific War, the general principles discussed are of great interest.

Osborne, Eric W. 2005. Destroyers: An Illustrated History of Their Impact. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO. ISBN 9781851094844

Discusses the history of the destroyer from its origins in the 19th century through the Cold War. Has some good material on the impact of technological developments and some influential designs. Not an in-depth operational history.

Parillo, Mark P. 1993. The Japanese Merchant Marine in World War II. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-677-9

Discusses the fate of the Japanese Merchant Marine in the Pacific War, with a number of valuable tables and graphs. Also contains one of the best collections of photographs and diagrams of Japanese merchant ships around.

Parrish, Thomas, ed. 1978. The Simon and Schuster Encyclopedia of World War II. New York: Simon and Schuster.

A one-volume encyclopedia of the Second World War, with the lack of depth one might expect. Useful as a quick reference, and with the occasional tidbit not found elsewhere.

Parshall, J., and Tully, A. 2006. Shattered Sword: The Untold Story of the Battle of Midway. Washington, D.C.: Potomac Books.

A recent reexamination of the Battle of Midway from the Japanese perspective. Likely to become the definitive work on the Japanese side of Midway.

Pearce, E.A., and Smith, Gordon. 1990. The Times Books World Weather Guide. Random House, Inc., New York.

A helpful reference on climate conditions throughout the world, including monthly highs and lows, rainfall, and number of rainy days.

Peattie, Mark R. 2001. Sunburst: The Rise of Japanese Naval Air Power 1909-1941. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press.

An interesting history of the development of Japanese air power prior to the Pacific War.

Peattie, Mark R., Drea, Edward J., and van de Ven, Hans, ed. 2011. The Battle for China: Essays on the Military History of the Sino-Japanese War of 1937-1945. Stanford University Press. ISBN 978-0-8047-6206-9.

From the proceedings of a conference on the history of the Second Sino-Japanese War. With its publication, we finally have a detailed, critical, English-language account of the history of the war in China. Indispensable for that reason.

Perret, Geoffrey. 1991. There’s a War to Be Won: The United States Army in World War II. New York: Random House.

A hagiography of the U.S. Army during the war, with particular praise for George C. Marshall. Gives much insight into the character of the generals who fought the war, including the incompetent ones. The chapter on the Graves Services is particularly moving.

—. 1993. Winged Victory: The Army Air Forces in World War II. New York: Random House.

A hagiography of the U.S. Army Air Forces during the war. Gives considerable insight into the character of Hap Arnold and the other Air Force leaders.

Pettibone, Charles D. 2006. The Organization and Order of Battle of Militaries in World War II. Volume 2: The British Commonwealth. Trafford Publishing. ISBN 1-4120-8567-5

A valuable source on orders of battle from brigade level up.

—. 2006. The Organization and Order of Battle of Militaries in World War II. Volume 3: The United States. Trafford Publishing. ISBN 1-4251-0659-5.

A valuable source on orders of battle from brigade level up.

—. 2007. The Organization and Order of Battle of Militaries in World War II. Volume 4: Japan. Trafford Publishing. ISBN 1-4251-2422-4.

A valuable source on orders of battle from brigade level up.

Potter, E.B. 1976. Nimitz. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0870214926.

A deeply sympathetic portrait of the great admiral, with particular emphasis on his Pacific War service.

— 1985. Bull Halsey. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0870211463.

A sympathetic and somewhat sanitized portrait of the controversial admiral.

Powell, Jim. 2003. FDR's Folly: How Roosevelt and His New Deal Prolonged the Great Depression. New York: Crown Forum. ISBN 0-7615-0165-7.

A tendentious and scathing critique of the New Deal, written from the perspective of a modern libertarian economist. The economic analysis seems sound enough in spite of the polemics.

Prados, John. 1995. Combined Fleet Decoded: The Secret History of American Intelligence and the Japanese Navy in World War II. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press.

An operational history of the war with emphasis on the role of intelligence. Very complete and worthwhile even as a general history of the war.

Prange, Gordon W. 1981. At Dawn We Slept. McGraw-Hill. ISBN 0070506698.

The definitive history of the attack on Pearl Harbor. Should put to rest many revisionist claims.

— 1982. Miracle at Midway. New York: Penguin Books.

An excellent history of the pivotal battle, with particularly balanced coverage of both sides of the conflict.

Preston, Anthony. 1998. Jane’s Fighting Ships of World War II. New York: Random House Value Publishing, Inc.

A reproduction of the period Jane's entries for the fighting ships of the war. Much of the technical information is out of date and erroneous.

Price, Alfred. 2005. Instruments of Darkness: The History of Electronic Warfare, 1939-1945 (revised edition). Stackpole Books. ISBN 1-85367-616-0

While its emphasis is on the European war, where the electronic battle was better matched, there is some good material on the Pacific.

Ramsey, Edwin Price, and Rivele, Stephen J. 1990. Lieutenant Ramsey's War: From Horse Soldier to Guerrilla Commander. Washington: Brassey's. ISBN 1-57488-052-7.

A first-person account of the ordeal of Ed Ramsey, an American cavalry officer who escaped from Bataan and became a guerrilla leader in the Philippines.

Rhodes, Anthony R.E. 1976. Propaganda: The Art of Persuasion. World War II. New York: Chelsea House Publishers. ISBN 0-97754-461-1.

A two-volume set with numerous reproductions of wartime posters and leaflets.

Rhodes, Richard. 1995. The Making of the Atomic Bomb. Simon & Schuster. ISBN 978-0684813783.

Probably the definitive account of the development of the first nuclear weapons.

Roberts, Andrew. 2009. Masters and Commanders: How Four Titans Won the War In the Weset, 1945-1945. HarperCollins. ISBN 978-0-06-122857-5.

An in-depth discussion of the interactions between Roosevelt, Churchill, Brooke, and Marshall and their associates that shaped the grand strategy of the Anglo-American alliance in the Second World War.

— 2011. The Storm of War: A New History of the Second World War. HarperCollins. ISBN 978-0-06-122859-9.

Focuses primarily on the European war and the European war primarily on the person of Hitler. However, it has some telling observations about the Burma campaign, which Roberts assigns a higher importance than many other recent authors.

Roberts, John. 1982. Anatomy of the Ship: The Aircraft Carrier Intrepid. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-97021-901-4.

A very thorough description of the Essex class carriers.

Romanus, Charles F, and Sunderland, Riley. 1953. United States Army in World War II. Stilwell's Mission to China. University Press of the Pacific reprint. ISBN 0-89875-874-2.

Part of the voluminous U.S. Army counterpart of Morison's Navy history. Not nearly as readable, but generally much more detailed and complete. This volume covers military assistance to China from well before the Pacific War through Stilwell's early tenure in China. Also available online at http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USA/USA-CBI-Mission/index.html.

—. 1956. United States Army in World War II. China-Burma-India Theater: Stilwell's Command Problems. Washington, D.C.: Office of the Chief of Military History, Department of the Army.

Part of the voluminous U.S. Army counterpart of Morison's Navy history. Not nearly as readable, but generally much more detailed and complete.

Roscoe, Theodore. 1953. United States Destroyer Operations In World War II. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-726-7

A lengthy but very dated account of most of the destroyer actions, large and small, fought by the U.S. Navy during the Second World War. Has some interesting information on weapons and tactics.

Ross, Al. 1988. Anatomy of the Ship: The Destroyer The Sullivans. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-617-1

A very thorough description of the Fletcher class destroyers.

Rottman, Gordon L. 2002. U.S. Marine Corps World War II Order of Battle: Ground and Air Units in the Pacific War, 1939-1945. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press. ISBN 0-313-31906-5,

Probably the definite reference for the Marine Corps order of battle in the Second World War.

—. 2002. World War II Pacific Island Guide: A Geo-Military Study. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press. ISBN 0-313-31395-4

A very thorough guide to the islands of the Pacific, covering both geography and military operations.

—. 2003. Japanese Pacific Island Defenses 1941-1945. Osprey Publishing. ISBN 1-84176-428-0

A good introduction to Japanese fortification methods used in the Pacific War.

—. 2005. Japanese Army in World War II: Conquest of the Pacific 1941-42. Osprey Publishing. ISBN 1-84176-789-1,

A useful compact reference on the Japanese order of battle and sequence of operations for the Centrifugal Offensive. Some good material on Japanese small units and tactics as well.

—., and Takizawa Akira. 2005. Japanese Paratroop Forces of World War II. Osprey Publishing. ISBN 1-84176-903-7,

Probably the most readily available reference giving details of the organization, training, and operational history of the Japanese Army and Navy paratroop forces.

—., and Takizawa Akira. 2008. World War II Japanese Tank Tactics. Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84603-234-9

A tidy summary of Japanese tank doctrine and tank operations during the Pacific War. Not replete with specifications fo the tanks themselves.

Lord Russell of Liverpool. 1958. The Knights of Bushido: The Shocking History of Japanese War Atrocities. New York: E.P. Dutton & Co., Inc. Reprinted 2008 by Skyhorse Publishing, ISBN 978-1602391451.

A dated account that is nonetheless valuable for its comprehensiveness and its appendices discussing some legal issues relevant to the military tribunals before which allegations of war crimes were tried.

Sakai, S., Caidin, M. and Saito, F. 1957. Samurai! Simon and Schuster, Inc.

The memoirs of Sakai Saburo, the second-ranking Japanese ace to survive the war. Reveals much of his bitterness towards his wartime leaders.

Sakaidi, Henry. 1996. The Siege of Rabaul. St. Paul, MN: Phalanx Publishing Co., Ltd.

A disappointing collection of short articles on the Japanese forces at Rabaul during the last two years of the war.

Sakaida, Henry, Nila, Gary, and Takaki Koji. 2006. I-400: Japan's Secret Aircraft-Carrying Strike Submarine. Objective Panama Canal . East Sussex, England: Hikoki Publications Limited. ISBN 978-1-902109-45-7.

A very complete description of the I-400 project.

Sasgen, Peter. 2010. Hellcats: The Epic Story of World War II's Most Daring Submarine Raid. NAL Caliber. ISBN 978-0-451-23136-9.

An interesting popular account of the development of FM sonar, Operation BARNEY, and the fate of the Bonefish.

Schaller, Michael 1989. Douglas MacArthur: The Far Eastern General. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-503886-X

Like most recent biography of MacArthur, this compact volume paints a somewhat unflattering portrait of the general, emphasizing the Pacific War and Korean War years. Recommended.

Schultz, Duane. 1985. The Last Battle Station: The Saga of the USS Houston. New York: St. Martin’s Press.

Paints a portrait of the confusion and demoralization that characterized the first few months of the war.

Scott, James M. 2018. Rampage: MacArthur, Yamashita, and the Battle of Manila. New York: W.W. Norton and Company. ISBN 978-0-393-24694-0

A searing account of the Battle of Manila and a balanced discussion of the issues surrounding Yamashita's trial for atrocities in the Philippines.

Sears, David. 2008. At War With the Wind: The Epic Struggle With Japan's Suicide Bombers. Citadel Press. ISBN 978-0-8065-2894-6.

A lengthy account of the kamikaze battles of the Pacific War, mostly in the form of oral history.

Sharpe, Michael; Scutts, Jerry; and March, Dan. 1999. Aircraft of World War II: A Visual Encyclopedia. London: PRC Publishing Ltd. ISBN 1-85648-552-8.

Notable primarily for its wealth of photographs of important aircraft models.

Sherman, Irwin W. 2011. Magic Bullets To Conquer Malaria: From Quinine to Qinghaosu. Washington, DC: ASM Press. ISBN 978-1-55581-531-1.

A fairly readable history of the discovery of the life cycle of malaria, and of chemotherapeutic agents for treating malaria.

Shimer, Barbara Gifford, and Hobbs, Guy, translators. 1986. The Kenpeitai in Java and Sumatra. Translation Series 65. Cornell Modern Indonesia Project. ISBN 0-87763-031-3.

In 1976, the Zenkoku Kenyukai Rengokai (National Federation of Kempeitai Veterans' Associations) published a history of Kempeitai operations from their own point of view. This is a translation of excerpts from that history, which though self-justifying and filled with historical distortions, gives the reader a frightening glimpse into the mind of this group of fanatics.

Sih, Paul K.T. (ed) Nationalist China during the Sino-Japanese War, 1937-1945. Hicksville, NY 1977

There is a dearth of good histories of the war in China. This one emphasizes the economic and social aspects of the war, and like many such histories is flawed by a deferential attitude towards Chiang and the Kuomintang.

Simons, Graham M. 2012. Consolidated B-24 Liberator. Pen & Sword Aviation. ISBN 978-1-84884-644-9

An exhaustive history of the B-24 Liberator.

Skwiot, Miroslaw. 2015. The Japanese Aircraft Carriers Soryu and Hiryu. Kagero. ISBN 978-83-64596-52-0

About as complete a reference on the two carriers as is possible, given the dearth of surviving Japanese documents.

Sledge, E.B. 1981. With The Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa. Novato,CA: Presidio Press.

Studs Terkel considered this the finest first-person history to come out of the Second World War. I agree.

Slim, William. 1956. Defeat into Victory. London: PAPERMAC

One of the finest Second World War memoirs by a senior officer.

Sloan, Bill. 2003. Given Up for Dead. New York: Bantam Books.

An excellent and detailed account of the siege of Wake Island. Paints a rather unflattering portrait of the naval commander of the island.

—. 2005. Brotherhood of Heroes: The Marines at Peleliu, 1944 -- The Bloodiest Battle of the Pacific War. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 978-0-7432-6009-1.

A detailed, mostly oral, history of the battle for Peleliu. Incorporates much of Sledge (1981) but fills out his story with material from other members of his company, as well as providing broader coverage of other aspects of the battle, such as the battle for the Point.

—. 2007. The Ultimate Battle: Okinawa 1945 -- The Last Epic Struggle of World War II. New York: Simon and Schuster. ISBN 978-0-7432-9246-7.

A detailed account of the battle of Okinawa, with a lot of good oral history.

Smith, Gaddis. 1985. American Diplomacy During the Second World War, 1941-1945. 2nd edition. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. ISBN 0-394-34202-X.

A fairly short but comprehensive account of American diplomacy during the Second World War.

Smith, Jean Edward. 2007. FDR. New York: William Morrow and Company. ISBN 978-1-4000-6121-1.

A recent biography that is fairly well-balanced and of moderate length. However, the war years receive relatively light, if proficient, coverage.

Smith, Michael. 2000. The Emperor's Codes: The Breaking of Japan's Secret Ciphers. New York: Arcade Publishing. ISBN 1-55970-586-X.

Emphasizes the British side of the crypanalytic attack on the Japanese code systems. Somewhat chauvanistic in outlook, but has interesting material on a wide variety of Japanese ciphers.

Smith, Michael S. 2000. Bloody Ridge: The Battle That Saved Guadalcanal. New York: Pocket Books. ISBN 0-7434-6321-8.

Covers the first half of the Guadalcanal campaign, from the initial landings to the Second Battle of Matanikau. The abrupt ending of the book suggests Smith plans a sequel, but none is yet listed at Amazon.

Smith, Peter C. 1998. Curtiss SB2C Helldiver. The Crowood Press. ISBN 1-86126-710-x

A history of the development and operation of the SB2C dive bomber. Stronger on the development history.

Smith, Robert Ross. 1963. United States Army in World War II. The War in the Pacific: Triumph in the Philippines. Washington, D.C.: Office of the Chief of Military History, Department of the Army.

Part of the voluminous U.S. Army counterpart of Morison's Navy history. Not nearly as readable, but generally much more detailed and complete.

Smith, S.E. 1966. The United States Navy in World War II. Random House. Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 66-22113.

A large collection of oral histories.

Sommerville, Donald. 1989. World War II: Day By Day. Greenwich, CT: Brompton Books Corporation

A strictly chronological listing of events during the war. Most articles are very brief. Useful as a reference rather than a comprehensive history.

Spector, Ronald. 1985. Eagle Against The Sun .

Probably the best single-volume history of the Pacific War.

Speller, Ian and Tuck, Christopher. 2001. Strategy and Tactics: Amphibious Warfare. MBI Publishing Company. ISBN 0-7603-1144-7

A rather unfocused discussion of amphibious warfare in modern times. Does touch on the right major issues.

Spick, Mike. 1997. Allied Fighter Aces: The Air Combat Tactics and Techniques of World War II. Stackpole. ISBN 1-85367-587-3.

An excellent brief account of the western Allied fighter aces of the Second World War, their aircraft, and their tactics.

Spurr, Russell. 1981.  A Glorious Way to Die: The Kamikaze Mission of the Battleship Yamato, April 1945. New York: Newmarket Pres.. ISBN 0-937858-17-X

An engrossing account of the suicide sortie by Yamato in the early days of the Okinawa campaign. Marred only by a fashionably 1970s sense of moral equivalence.

Spyrou. Andrew G. 2006. From T-2 to Supertanker: Development of the Supertanker, 1940-2000. iUniverse, Inc. ISBN 978-0-595-36068-0

A disconnected, incoherent mess of a book, but there are a few kernels to be picked out of the chaff.

Stanton, Shelby L. 2006. World War II Order of Battle, U.S. Army. Stackpole Books. ISBN 0-8117-0157-3

The definitive work on the ground combat organization of the U.S. Army in the Second World War.

Stern, Robert C. 2010. Fire From the Sky: Surviving the Kamikaze Threat. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-1-59114-267-6.

This work is the polar opposite of Gandt, being a comprehensive clinical history of the kamikaze campaign. From a scholarly Western pespective, probably the best work on the campaign.

Straus, Ulrich. 2003. The Anguish of Surrender: Japanese POWs of World War II. University of Washington Press. ISBN 0-295-98336-1.

A fairly comprehensive treatment of the experience of Japanese prisoners of war in Western hands, including extensive discussion of the Japanese no-surrender policy.

Sumrall, Robert F. 1988. Iowa Class Battleships: Their Design, Weapons, and Equipment. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press.

A thorough and interesting description of the Iowas.

Symonds, Craig L. 2011. The Battle of Midway. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-539793-2.

Solidly based on the latest historical understandings and written with an expert storyteller's feel for his material, this is the best general history of the battle. Particularly strong in its coverage of the background and the events leading up to the pivotal battle.

Symonds, Craig L. 2018. World War II at Sea. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-0243678.

An excellent one-volume history, with new insights, though of necessity broader than deep.

Taaffe, Stephen. 1998. MacArthur's Jungle War: The 1944 New Guinea Campaign.  University Press of Kansas.  ISBN 0-7006-0870-2.

Probably the best recent study of MacArthur's campaign on the north coast of New Guinea. Taaffe is sympathetic to MacArthur and his generals without ignoring their flaws.

Taaffe, Stephen. 2011. Marshall And His Generals: U.S. Army Commanders In World War II. University of Kansas. ISBN 978-0-7006-1812-5.

A study of the highest levels of command in the U.S. Army in the Second World War. Focused on corps commanders on up.

Tamayama Kazuo and Nunneley, John. 2000. Tales by Japanese Soldiers of the Burma Campaign: 1942-1945. Cassell: ISBN 0-304-35978-5

A collection of 62 brief oral histories from Japanese participants in the Burma campaign. Provides some interesting insights on Japanese attitudes during the campaign.

Tanaka Yuki. 1998. Hidden Horrors: Japanese War Crimes in World War II. Westview Press. ISBN 0-8133-2712-2.

I have mixed feelings about this book. On the surface, it is a frank discussion of Japanese war crimes from a Japanese perspective, with the author's theories on why such crimes took place. This should make it a valuable addition to the literature. On the other hand, it seems to me that the author dilutes both individual and cultural responsibility in his argument that Emperor-worship in the Japanese military was the primary influence bringing out the universal human propensity for evil in the particular individuals responsible for war crimes. His uncritical acceptance of claims of tens of thousands of rapes by occupying troops in Japan and his use of incredibly obscure sources (the Albuquerque Tribune!) to bolster an argument for moral equivalence in the chapter on medical experiments trouble me. In short, I have a gut sense that this book is important that conflicts with my gut instinct to hurl it forcibly across the room.

Taylor  2009. The Generalissimo:  Chiang Kai-shek and the Struggle for Modern China.  The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press.  ISBN 978-0-674-03338-2.

Draws upon Chiang's diaries, released long after his death, and other archival material to give perhaps the most balanced Western portrait of Chiang Kai-shek yet.

Thomas, Evan.  2006. Sea of Thunder:  Four Commanders and the Last Great Naval Campaign 1941-1945.  Simon and Schuster.  ISBN -13: 978-0-7432-5221-8.

A study of four of the naval commanders who would eventually clash at Leyte Gulf.  Though not without its flaws (for example, Thomas is badly confused on the concept of the Fleet in Being), the character analysis is highly insightful. 

Thompson, Peter.  2005. The Battle for Singapore: The True Story of the Greatest Catastrophe of World War II.  Piatkus.  ISBN 978-0-7499-5099-6.

A gripping account of the fall of Singapore and its aftermath. Its chief weakness is that it is written almost exclusively from the British point of view, and much of what is said from the Japanese point of view is wrong.

Tillman, Barrett. 1979. Corsair: The F4U in World War II and Korea. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-994-8.

Primarily an operational history, but there is a fair amount of technical information worked into the story.

—.  1997.  Helldiver Units of World War 2.  Osprey Publishing.  ISBN 1-85532-689-02

Discusses the SB2C Helldiver and the squadrons that were equipped with it during the Pacific War.

—.  1997.  U.S. Navy Fighter Squadrons in World War II.  North Branch, MN: Specialty Press. ISBN 0-933424-74-4.

As complete a listing of U.S. Navy fighter squadrons (VF, VBF, and VFN) as could be assembled at this late date. Contains squadron histories, including confirmed kills and losses, and extensive appendices of fighter aces tabulated every conceivable way and of commissioning dates of carriers that operated fighter squadrons during the war.

—.  1999.  TBF/TBM Avenger Units of World War 2.  Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-85532-902-7.

More an operational than a technical history, without even a table of specifications for the aircraft. But neither does it have a master table of Avenger squadrons with activation dates.

—.  2005.  Clash of the Carriers:  The True Story of the Marianas Turkey Shoot of World War II.  New American Library.

A fairly good discussion of the Battle of the Philippines Sea, which manages to meander over a broad range of interesting topics relevant to carrier warfare in the Pacific.

—.  2006.  The Dauntless Dive Bomber of World War Two.  Annapolis: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-1591148678

Everything you ever wanted to know about the aircraft that won the battle of Midway.

—.  2010.  Whirlwind: The Air War Against Japan 1942-1945.  Simon and Schuster. ISBN 978-1-4165-8440-7

An excellent history of the final air campaign against the Japanese home islands. The only flaw is the somewhat cursory dismissal of the difficult moral questions involved.

—.  2012.  Enterprise: American's Fightingest Ship and the Men Who Helped Win World War II.  Simon and Schuster. ISBN 978-1-4391-9087-6

A hagiography of the famous carrier and its crew. However, there is a wealth of interesting detail.

Toland, John.  1970.  The Rising Sun: The Decline and Fall of the Japanese Emperor.  Random House. ISBN 0-553-20462-9

The first comprehensive history of the Pacific War in English but from the Japanese point of view, and winner of the Pulitzer Prize. Sadly, Toland later tarnished his reputation with Infamy, a revisionist account of Pearl Harbor claiming FDR had prior knowledge of the attack, which cited anonymous sources and otherwise violated important maxims of scholarly history. In retrospect, some of the flaws and agendas of Infamy can be discerned in The Rising Sun, but it remains a valuable source.

Tong, Hollington K, ed.  1947.  China Handbook 1937-1945: A Comprehensive Surveyof Major Developments in China in Eight Years of War.  New York: The Macmillan Company.

A product of the Chinese Minstry of Information, to be used with caution. Contains a useful list of Who's Who with otherwise hard-to-find biographical information.

Tuchman, Barbara W. 1972. Stilwell and the American Experience in China, 1911-45. Grove Press. ISBN 0802138527.

Still the definitive history of Stilwell's mission to China during the Pacific War. However, it is not without its flaws. Tuchman was the niece of Roosevelt's Treasury Secretary, Henry Morgenthau, and her alignment with the anti-anti-Communist movement probably accounts for her rose-colored portrait of the Chinese Communists.

Tucker, Jonathan B. 2006. War Of Nerves: Chemical Warfare from World War I to al-Quaeda. Grove Press. Pantheon Books. ISBN 0-375-42229-3.

An interesting history of the development and use of chemical agents in warfare. Its greatest flaw is an almost complete neglect of chemical warfare in the Far East.

Tuohy, William. 2007. American's Fighting Admirals: Winning the War at Sea in World War II. Zenith Press. ISBN 978-0-7603-2985-6.

A retelling of the operational history of the Pacific War from the point of view of the U.S. admirals who fought it.

United States Army Air Forces. Army Air Forces Statistical Digest -- World War II

Contains an abundance of statistical tables on forces and equipment and their deployment to various theaters.

United States Navy. 1959-1991. Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.

DANFS has the biographies of over 7000 American warships, including almost all the warships that participated in the Pacific War. A version is available online at http://history.navy.mil/danfs.

United States War Department. 1944. Handbook on Japanese Military Forces. Reprinted by Louisiana State University Press: ISBN 0-8071-2013-8

An immensely valuable collection of contemporary intelligence on most aspects of the Japanese Army and of Japanese Navy ground and air forces. Produced late enough in the war that the intelligence stands up surprisingly well 70+ years later. A version is available online at http://ftp.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/Japan/IJA/HB/index.html.

Utley,Jonathan G. 1985. Going to War With Japan: 1937-1941. Knoxville: The University of Tennessee Press. ISBN 0-87-049-445-7.

An in-depth study of Cordell Hull and the Washington bureaucracy during the critical period leading to war in the Pacific.

Van Creveld, Martin. 1982. Fighting Power: German and U.S. Army Performance, 1939-1945. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press.

A comparison of the difference in fighting strength between the German and U.S. Armies, and the differences in doctrine and practice that were likely responsible. Highly recommended.

Van Dorn, William G. 1974. Oceanography and Seamanship. New York: Dodd, Mead, & Co.

A quick introduction for the landlubber.

Van Royen, W., and Bowles, O. 1952. Atlas of the World’s Resources, Volume II: The Mineral Resources of the World. New York: Prentice-Hall, Inc. for the University of Maryland.

This rare volume assesses the mineral resources of the world ca. 1948. A great source for estimating which nations were producing what during the war years.

Venzon, Anne Cipriano. 2003. From Whaleboats to Amphibious Warfare: Lt. General "Howling Mad" Smith and the U.S. Marine Corps. CT: Praeger Publishers. ISBN 0-275-94906-0.

The best extant biography of the controversial Marine general.

Victory Games, Incorporated. 1985. Pacific War Scenario Booklet. New York.

Pacific War was a hobbyists' war game from the era when these were still largely based on cardboard maps and counters and played with dice. Its massive scope and elaborate system of play pushed the limits of what human players could keep track of. The scenario booklet included a complete order of battle which, while sometimes inaccurate and never very detailed, is of some interest. Of greater interest is the air replacement system, which included a crude production and training model.

Ward, John. 2001. Submarines of World War II. St. Paul, MN: MBI Publishing Company. ISBN 0-7603-1170-6.

Focuses on individual ships rather than classes. However, specifications are provided for the ships discussed.

Watt, Donald Cameron. 1989. How War Came: The Immediate Origins of the Second World War, 1938-1939. Pantheon Books. ISBN 0-394-57916-X.

Though focused on events in Europe, there is a good chapter on the Japanese that includes the best short summary of the Nomonhan Incident that I have run across.

Webster, Donovan. 2003. The Burma Road: The Epic Story of the China-Burma-India Theater in World War II. New Yorkg: Farrar, Straus and Giroux. ISBN 0-374-11740-3

An enjoyable popular account of the war in Burma, tending to emphasize the role of Joseph Stilwell and largely telling the story from his perspective. Much oral history, though some of this has been published elsewhere. However, the book constantly gets small details wrong, requiring considerable checking against other sources.

Weeks, Albert L. 2004. Russia's Life-Saver: Lend-Lease Aid to the USSR in World War II. Lexington Books. ISBN 0-7391-0736-4.

A reevaluation of Lend-Lease to the Soviet Union, which was discounted as insignificant by Soviet Cold War-era historians but has now been shown to have been vital to Russia's survival. Also has some nice details on the Lend-Lease routes through the Pacific and Indian Ocean.

Weeks, John. 1979. World War II Small Arms. New York: Galahad Books. ISBN 0-88365-403-2.

A nice introduction to the small arms of the Second World War, with a brief introduction explaining basic small arms concepts.

Weinberg, Gerhard L. 1994. A World At Arms: A Global History of World War II. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-44317-2.

One of the best global histories of World War II I have read. You will find no oral history here, but rather an excellent and thorough survey of high-level events and decision making.

Weinberg, Gerhard L. 2005. Visions of Victory: The Hopes of Eight World War II Leaders. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-85254-8.

A collection of eight short essays, each outlining the vision of a postwar world held by one of the main national leaders during the Second World War.The essays are highly readable, though they cannot touch on more than the key points of the relevant literature. A very worthwhile read.

Weintraub, Stanley. 1991. Long Day's Journey Into War. Dutton Publishing.

A fascinating chronology of December 7, 1941, as seen across the globe. This means it actually covers a 48-hour period from 12:01 AM on 7 December 1941 just west of the International Date Line to 11:59 PM on 7 December 1941 just east of the International Date Line. Hence the "long day," a rather neat concept.

Wen Ha-hsiung (tr). 1971. History of the Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945). Tapei: Chung Wu Publishing Co.

An English translation of a fairly thorough account of the Sino-Japanese War from the Kuomintang perspective. Has a particularly valuable set of charts showing important campaigns and the units involved.

Werneth, Ron. 2008. Beyond Pearl Harbor: The Untold Stories of Japan's Naval Airmen. Schiffer Military History: ISBN 978-0-7643-2932-6.

A fine collection of oral histories from former Japanese naval airmen. The histories are annotated with combat statistics from official histories that do much to provide context. Recommended.

Wheeler, Richard. 2007. Iwo. Castle Books: ISBN 978-0-7858-2306-3.

An excellent account of the battle from the point of view of the Marine rifleman.

Whitley, M.J. 1988. Destroyers of World War Two: An International Encyclopedia. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press.

A good collection of statistics and service records of destroyers from every nation at the time of the Second World War.

—. 1995. Cruisers of World War Two: An International Encyclopedia. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press.

A good collection of statistics and service records of cruisers from every nation at the time of the Second World War.

—. 1998. Battleships of World War Two: An International Encyclopedia. London: Arms and Armour. ISBN 1-85-85409-386-X

A good collection of statistics and service records of battleships from every nation at the time of the Second World War.

Wildenberg, Thomas. 1996. Gray Steel and Black Oil: Fast Tankers and Replenishment at Sea in the U.S. Navy, 1912-1995. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-934-4.

An excellent history of tankers and refueling at sea in the U.S. Navy.

Wildenberg, Thomas, and Polmar, Norman. 2010. Ship Killer: A History of the American Torpedo. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-1-59114-688-9.

An excellent history of the design and capabilities of American torpedoes from the 19th century to the early 21st century. Has an excellent section of fire control,

Williams, A.G., and Gustin, E. 2003. Flying Guns: The development of aircraft guns, ammunition, and installations 1933-45. Wiltshire, England: Airlife Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84037-227-4.

A thorough technical discussion of airborne machine guns and cannon.

Williford, G., and McGovern, T. 2003. Defenses of Pearl Harbor and Oahu 1907-50. Oxford: Osprey Publishing.

A description of the defensive installations that led the American command into assuming that Oahu was the best-defended fortress in the world.

Willmott, H.P. with Tomatsu Haruo and W. Spencer Johnson. 2001. Pearl Harbor. New York: Sterling Publishing Co., Inc.

A brief, moderately interesting description of the Pearl Harbor attack, with numerous color graphics.

Willmott, H.P. 1982. Empires in the Balance: Japanese and Allied Pacific Strategies to April 1942. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press.

An excellent history of the grand strategy in the first few months of the Pacific war.

—. 1983. The Barrier and the Javelin: Japanese and Allied Strategies February to June 1942. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-1-59114-949-1

An excellent history of the grand strategy in the period from the collapse of ABDA through the Battle of Midway.

—. 2002. The War With Japan: The Period of Balance: May 1942-October 1943. Wilmington, Delaware: Scholarly Resources Inc.

An excellent history of the grand strategy in the period from Coral Sea to the beginning of the massive Allied counteroffensive.

Wilson, Dick. 1982.  When Tigers Fight: The Story of the Sino-Japanese War, 1937-1945. Viking Press.  ISBN 0-670-76003-X.

A sympathetic history of the Chinese resistance to the Japanese from the Marco Polo Bridge incident of 1937 to the end of the Pacific War.

Wilson, Stewart. 1998. Aircraft of WWII. Aerospace Publications Pty Ltd. ISBN 1-875671-35-8.

A comprehensive listing of aircraft employed in the Second World War. Particularly valuable for its consistent body of aircraft specifications.

Wise, William. 1968. Secret Mission to the Philippines: The Story of "Spyron" and the American-Filipino Guerrillas of World War II. New York: E.P. Dutton & Co., Inc. Library of Congress 69-13372.

The story of the remarkable "Chick" Parsons, who escaped the Philippines by passing himself off as a Panamanian diplomat, then returned to organize the guerilla movement. A popular rather than scholarly work, at about a junior high level, but a quick and entertaining read.

Witt, John Fabian. 2012. Lincoln's Code: The Laws of War in American History. Free Press. ISBN 978-1-4165-6983-1.

Winner of the prestigious Bancroft Award, this fine work discusses the origins of international humanitarian law with particular focus on the Lieber Code that guided the Union armies during the American Civil war.

Wolf,William. 2008. North American B-25 Mitchell. The Ultimate Look: From Drawing Board to Flying Arsenal. Schiffer Military History. ISBN 978-0-7643-2930-2.

An exhaustive reference on the bomber flown by the Doolittle Raiders.

Wolk, Herman S. 2010. Cataclysm: General Hap Arnold and the Defeat of Japan. University of North Texas Press. ISBN 978-1-57441-281-9.

A rather Air Force-centric discussion of Hap Arnold, the 20th Air Force, and the firebombing campaign in the Pacific. 

Wolters, Timothyu S. 2013. Information at Sea: Shipboard Command and Control In The U.S. Navy, From Mobile Bay To Okinawa. The Johns Hopkins University Press. ISBN \978-1-4214-1026-5

An excellent short history of naval communications, command, and control from the Civil War to the end of the Second World War.

Womack, Tom, 2006. The Dutch Naval Air Force Against Japan: The Defense of the Netherlands East Indies, 1941-1942. McFarland & Company, Inc. ISBN 0-7864-2365-X

A blow-by-blow history of the Marine Luchts Dienst (MLD), the Dutch naval air service, in the Far East in 1941-1942. Very complete information on equipment and order of battle.

Woolridge, E.T., editor. 1993. Carrier Warfare in the Pacific: An Oral History Collection. Washington: Smithsonian Institution Press.

A useful collection of oral histories by key players such as Jimmy Thatch.

Worth, Richard. 2001. Fleets of World War II. Da Capo Press.

An assessment of every navy that participated in the war. Suffers from a lack of detailed technical specifications.

Yeide, Harry. 2007. The Tank Killers: A History of America's World War II Tank Destroyer Force. Casemate Publishers. ISBN 978-1-932033-80-9.

A discussion of the Tank Destroyer Force whose greatest fault is that it utterly neglects the Pacific Theater, to the extent of not even mentioning the few TD battalions deployed to the Pacific in its appendix of battalion profiles. Has some value for its information on equipment and training and its insights on doctrine and practice.

Yokota Yutaka with Harrington, Joseph D. 1962. The Kaiten Weapon. Ballantine Books.

An interesting personal account by one of the pilots chosen for the Kaiten human torpedo.

Zaloga, Steven J. 2005. US Anti-tank Artillery 1941-1945. Osprey Publishing. ISBN 1-84176-690-9.

A short but useful reference on American antitank guns. Heavily oriented towards the European theater, but then that's where most of the antitank story was.

—. 2007. US Field Artillery of World War II. Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84603-061-1.

A short but useful reference on American field artillery.

Zedric, Lance Q. 1995. Silent Warriors: The Alamo Scouts Behind Japanese Lines. Pathfinders Publishing of California. ISBN 0-934793-56-5.

A thorough history of the Alamo Scouts in New Guinea and the Philippines.

Zimm, Alan D. 2011. Attack on Pearl Harbor: Strategy, Combat, Myths, Deceptions. Philadelphia and Newbury: Casemate Publishers. ISBN 978-1-61200-010-7.

A fascinating critique of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor from an operational analysis perspective. Makes a convincing case that the Japanese attack was a stunning tactical success only because the Americans were woefully unprepared and the Japanese astonishingly lucky.

The Pacific War Online Encyclopedia © 2006-2012 by Kent G. Budge. Index

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