Download The Aleutians 194243 Struggle for the North Pacific Campaign Brian Lane Herder Dorothy Hwee 9781472832542 Books

Product details Series Campaign (Book 333) Paperback 96 pages Publisher Osprey Publishing (March 19, 2019) Language English ISBN-10 147283254X

The Aleutians 194243 Struggle for the North Pacific Campaign Brian Lane Herder Dorothy Hwee 9781472832542 Books Reviews

• The beginning of the Second World War prompted U.S. recognition of the potential strategic value, and vulnerability, of its Alaska territory in the North Pacific. A frantic buildup of troops and infrastructure was underway when the Japanese struck in mid-1942, in the Aleutian Islands. The Japanese invasion would lock the two opponents into a long struggle in a shockingly difficult environment, where both sides were operating at the limits of their respective logistical capabilities.
  
  Author Brian Lane Herder provides a spirited account of the two year struggle for control of the Aleutians. His narrative is sometimes colorful and occasionally provocative, but he captures the essentials of the fighting. The text includes the clearest campaign maps and battle diagrams this reviewer has ever seen of the Alaska fighting, along with lots of period photographs and some excellent modern illustrations. His dissection of the Battle of the Komandorski Islands is particularly readable. Well recommended as a clear and concise account of an often overlooked theater of the Pacific War.
• The Aleutians 1942-43 is actually a very good book but overall, it managed to skip out one major operation that didn't served our nation well. The book covered most aspects of the campaign and it should be noted that Attu got the centerpiece as richly deserves. However, what was missing was how the Japanese Navy with considerable skill, were able to rescue their garrison at Kiska with no loss and without the Americans even knowing about it, a superb operation if it was conducted by the American Navy, would have hundreds of books and movies made about it. The author is American so I suppose looking at an operation that actually made the Japanese looks so good probably got a weak over view and in this book, the entire Kiska operation was grossed over. I was hoping that this book would highlight the difficulty of the IJN's effort to rescues their garrison, as the US had total air and naval superiority around Kiska. And how IJN were able to pull out over 5,000 men in less then a hour and sneak back out without an American intelligence not knowing a thing. Thus the invasion of Kiska result in several hundreds kill and wounded as Americans and Canadians shot each other while the island was defended by two dogs!!! Not covering this little operation create a blind spot in this book or actually any book on the Aleutian Campaign. I think World War II have been so long ago that we can forgo the American jingoism and most Pacific War battle or campaign books that only tells one side of the hill is outdated before it even published. But the book did get it right that resources the United States put into this campaign really got way out of proper perception. Japanese came off very lightly. In the last page of the narrative, the author tried to justified the campaign by stating that Japan wasted resources of putting 80,000 men and 500 planes in the Kuriles to defend against the invasion. But Japanese records clearly shows that Japan did not expect invasion from Alaska and most of the men there were support and training. Many of the Japanese fliers who fought the B-29s over Honshu, got their flying lessons in the Kuriles fighting repetitive raids of the American bombing efforts over dirt airstrips....yeah it was a waste all right. Just food for thought......
• Great overview of an invasion on U. S. soil by the Japanese and the actions by the U. S. military and Canada to stop the advance in the early part of the war.
• thank you