Midnight in the Pacific: Guadalcanal -- The World War II Battle That Turned the Tide of War

by Joseph Wheelan Narrated by Kevin Stillwell

Overview

A sweeping narrative history -- the first in over twenty years -- of America's first major offensive of World War II, the brutal, no-quarter-given campaign to take Japanese-occupied Guadalcanal

From early August until mid-November of 1942, US Marines, sailors, and pilots struggled for dominance against an implacable enemy: Japanese soldiers, inculcated with the bushido tradition of death before dishonor, avatars of bayonet combat -- close-up, personal, and gruesome. The glittering prize was Henderson Airfield. Japanese planners knew that if they neutralized the airfield, the battle was won. So did the Marines who stubbornly defended it.

The outcome of the long slugfest remained in doubt under the pressure of repeated Japanese air, land, and sea operations. And losses were heavy. At sea, in a half-dozen fiery combats, the US Navy fought the Imperial Japanese Navy to a draw, but at a cost of more than 4,500 sailors. More American sailors died in these battles off Guadalcanal than in all previous US wars, and each side lost 24 warships. On land, more than 1,500 soldiers and Marines died, and the air war claimed more than 500 US planes. Japan's losses on the island were equally devastating -- starving Japanese soldiers called it "the island of death."

But when the attritional struggle ended, American Marines, sailors, and airmen had halted the Japanese juggernaut that for five years had whirled through Asia and the Pacific. Guadalcanal was America's first major ground victory against Japan and, most importantly, the Pacific War's turning point.

Published on the 75th anniversary of the battle and utilizing vivid accounts written by the combatants at Guadalcanal, along with Marine Corps and Army archives and oral histories, Midnight in the Pacific is both a sweeping narrative and a compelling drama of individual Marines, soldiers, and sailors caught in the crosshairs of history.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

"Current-day readers, accustomed to an era of perpetual war with no end in sight, will find this expert, nuts-and-bolts history of a famous victory thoroughly satisfying."
—Kirkus

"[Wheelan] does an excellent job of highlighting the desperate fighting on all fronts."—New York Journal of Books

"Very enjoyable."—Open Letters Monthly

"Written with scholarly precision, yet thoroughly accessible to readers of all backgrounds."—Midwest Book Review

"Highly readable and provides a comprehensive examination of America's first offensive operation in World War II. This would be an excellent addition to the library of any historian or student with an interest on the subject."—Army University Press

"An entertaining, fast-paced, adventure wrapped in stories of valor, horror and survival while remaining a necessary contribution to the history of Guadalcanal."
—WW2 Reads

"Midnight in the Pacific brings to life the qualities of those who endured one of the critical struggles of World War II...Wheelan delivers the story in meticulously researched, chilling, riveting, and often gruesome detail...It will not only captivate those with a serious interest in the Pacific War, but it will also intrigue and inform a much broader audience."—Marine Corps Gazette

"Midnight in the Pacific is a highly detailed account of the battle for Guadalcanal that those with a love of military history are sure to enjoy."—On Point: The Journal of Army History

"An impressive chronicle of one of the critical campaigns of the war."—WWII History

Kirkus Reviews

2017-07-03
A new history of the significant World War II battle in the Pacific, published to coincide with the 75th anniversary.The battle of Guadalcanal, which lasted from August 1942 to February 1943, has produced a torrent of histories, many by the participants, but first-time readers will have no complaints about this straightforward account by journalist and historian Wheelan (Their Last Full Measure: The Final Days of the Civil War, 2015 etc.). Despite the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Allied leaders agreed that fighting Hitler took priority. Only fleet commander Ernest King disagreed, and when the Japanese began building an airfield on the obscure island of Guadalcanal, his warning that this might enable Japan to sever sea lanes to Australia persuaded American military leaders to take action. A hastily assembled Marine force under Gen. Alexander Vandegrift landed on the island, which contained mostly construction workers who fled. Underestimating the number and fighting quality of the Marines, the Japanese landed small and then increasingly large forces, but their banzai charges, which proved to be successful against poorly trained troops in China, did not work against the Marines—although several bloody assaults almost succeeded. Over the next months, the American Navy grew increasingly aggressive, more planes and reinforcements arrived, and the American position became impregnable. In November 1942, Vandegrift took the offensive; in February, the Japanese abandoned the island and began their long retreat. Wheelan rightly concludes, "after squandering opportunities to land large numbers of reinforcements in August and September—when Japan enjoyed air and naval superiority—the Japanese attempted to make up for it in October and November. It was too late; by then American air and naval forces had become too formidable." Current-day readers, accustomed to an era of perpetual war with no end in sight, will find this expert, nuts-and-bolts history of a famous victory thoroughly satisfying.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940170263677
Publisher:	Hachette Audio
Publication date:	08/01/2017
Edition description:	Unabridged
Sales rank:	929,295

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