The stunning and decisive battle of Midway was perhaps the most crucial naval battle in the Pacific theater during World War II. Walter Lord explained away the US victory at Midway against a numerically superior and apparently more skilled Japanese fleet due to 'Lady Luck.' Luck had little to do with it. Instead the authors show how the forces of industrial dynamism and innovation were central to the US being able to win the war in the Pacific. Engineers, machinists, test pilots, and a willingness to experiment at scale were vital to the creation of the decisive element that would sink the hopes of Japan along with the pride of their aircraft carrier fleet.
A distinctive retelling ... By focusing on three German Americans, this work casts a unique light on the Pacific war effort ... This non-specialist history will appeal to general readers of World War II and naval history.
While nearly all histories of the battle pay close attention to the actual fighting, the authors work hard to deliver new information ... The authors conclude with a look at China, which now possesses the world’s largest navy, and they urge American leaders to pay attention to the underfunded, overstretched U.S. Navy. Satisfying World War II history.
