OK book about Midway battle at sea during WW II. Not exactly sure when I read it. ( )

This is my fourth book on this topic and as always, I find the topic engrossing and fresh. While the battle was fought over a relatively small area of the Pacific 1000 miles from Hawaii elements of it stretched to the Aleutians, Sydney, and the west coast of Africa. I really enjoyed this version as, while accurate and related to in-depth aspects, it read like an adventure novel and really I couldn't put it down. The most readable and enjoyable work I've read in ages. If you want to learn something about this most important of battles - a key WWII turning point like El Alamein or Kursk or Stalingrad - a just enjoy a ripping read then go for it! ( )

Of course I'd seen the Charleton Heston movie about the Midway battle, but that excluded so much detail that this book ably filled in. It was fascinating to see what was done with the scant amount of intelligence information they had in order to prepare for the battle to come. They had some very ancient air power and nothing as quick as the Japanese had, but they made the best use they could of it. They beefed up Midway island with everything they could think that would help in the case of a Japanese landing and quickly repaired and gathered as many carriers and support craft as possible, allowing the US at least some ability to give the Japanese a good battle. The crux of the matter, though, was that the Japanese were so sure that they could win and that the US had only one possible carrier in the area that the Japanese psyched themselves out of the game. I also thought that the battle was over after the second air strike again the Yorktown, which badly crippled it, but did not sink it. I don't think I ever knew about the submarine attack 2 days later that sank both the Yorktown and one of the battleships. Nor did I know about the attacks on the other Japanese battleships after the main battle was over. A very educational read. ( )

A stunning combination of research and extremely skillful writing. In a thrilling multi-faceted account Walter Lord details the events leading up to the Battle of Midway, the many aspects of the battle itself, and the aftermath. Switching between many points of view – including the Japanese side – Lord pieces it all together in a way that reads more like a thriller than the meticulously researched classic of naval war history that this is. ( )

I first read this well over 30 years ago. It was an amazing read then and it has not lost any of its power.

Walter Lord was a great historical writer. He took information from a large number of sources and pulled it all together into an account that encompasses the full breadth of the story. A large part of the book's power comes from his ability to tell the story. However, it is an incredible story, and his opening sums this up well - this was a turning point in history.

If you like naval history this is something you should definitely have on your bookshelf. ( )