Target: Pearl Harbor

In the early morning of 7 December 1941, the Japanese launched a surprise attack on the US base in Hawaii - Pearl Harbor. By the end of the day, the US fleet had lost 3 capital ships, 13 other warships had been seriously damaged, and 162 American planes had been destroyed. US casualties amounted to 2,403 dead and 1,178 wounded, while the Japanese lost 129 men. This shocking attack was the culmination of months of growing tensions between Japan and the United States, and was the dramatic event which in the space of a few hours catapulted the United States into the Second World War.

In this exceptionally vivid account of the Pearl Harbor attack, Michael Slackman takes us right through the course of events. He starts by scrutinising the circumstances and decisions that prompted the attack and left the United States so unprepared, looking at Japan's objectives in South-East Asia, the political and economic developments which drew them into conflict, and at American strategic thought.

The core of the book, however, concerns the events of 7 December 1941 itself, as seen through the eyes of both Japanese and American participants; Slackman recounts the experiences of these people and includes stories and anecdotes from over a hundred interviews with survivors. His use of contemporary documents and firsthand personal accounts presents us with a remarkably intense and detailed telling of the attack. He goes on to examine the aftermath of Pearl Harbor and all its consequences. While it was a short-term success for the Japanese, the attack led to the end of American isolationism and changed the course of the war.

With its central focus on the unfolding human drama and its succinct analyses of the events before and after the attack, 'Target: Pearl Harbor' is an absorbing and detailed account of one of the most significant days of the Second World War.