Pearl Harbor – Japan’s Greatest Disaster, Mark E. Stille.
A detailed examination of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, looking at the planning on the Japanese side (both for the attack itself and the overall war), the American defences of Hawaii, how the attack was actually carried out, and its long term impact. Makes a very good argument that the attack was a major strategic mistake for the Japanese, uniting the Americans in a way little else might have done, while doing spectacular but surprisingly unimportant damage to the US Pacific Fleet. Also argues that the Japanese plan included a series of major flaws and only the poor American response saved them from a costly setback
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