|
| Days of Infamy | 
 enlarge | Authors: Newt Gingrich, William R. Forstchen
Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books
Category: Book
List Price: $27.95
Buy New: $6.71
You Save: $21.24 (76%)
New (46) Used (29) Collectible (3) from $6.03
Avg. Customer Rating:  50 reviews
Sales Rank: 3178
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 384
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.4
Dimensions (in): 6.5 x 5.1 x 1.4
ISBN: 0312363516
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
EAN: 9780312363512
ASIN: 0312363516
Publication Date: April 29, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
|
| Customer Reviews:
 BRAVO!!!! May 11, 2008
9 out of 9 found this review helpful
Bravo to Gringrich and Forstchen!
Most will praise this book as one that effectively narrates a fictionalized account of a bloody battle between America and Japan, shortly after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Like most reviewers, I greatly praise the book's ability to fictionalize the ensuing battle, while still remaining dependent upon historical events, and most importantly of course, delivering a great story.
With that said, I want to focus on what makes this book deeply special and separates it from most stories - its theme and emotion.
At the opening of the book, it becomes clear that the raging emotions of America and Japan are headed into a terrible battle. Thus, the book quickly introduces us to our main characters, whose perspectives we will see this battle from, including celebrated Japanese commanders like Yamamoto and Fuchida, as well as Dianne, a girlfriend of a fighter pilot within the story, among many others.
As the book goes on, we go back and forth, from the White House, to command central with Yamamoto, down to Dianne (who is working on the ground, helping American units), and around various American battleships. As the bombs blast and the torpedoes fly, we feel the emotion of every character kick in.
With Hawaii being mercilessly bombed in the beginning of the story, we follow our troops and feel their hunger to strike back. Yet, we also feel the emotions of our antagonist, Yamamoto - his sense of honor, his love for his Japanese troops, and his great determination, naturally, make us fall in love with an enemy we ought to hate.
As the book goes on, we see everyone's lives intertwine. The narration of how ships are destroyed, airplanes are shot down, and buildings destroyed, naturally leaves us awestruck, as one moment we celebrate the destruction of a Japanese battleship, only to get depressed again as we read about the slaughtering of American fighter pilots. The story of soldiers who are left behind, both Japanese and American, is effectively told, in addition to the torture both sides inflict, as the battle wears on. Both sides are full of honor and vengeance, yet both feel deep pain - the universal emotion that seems to unite every character in the book.
As a reviewer, I have never been in a war or seen a war; the greatness of this book is that, after reading it, I feel that this is the closest I have ever come to understanding what war is like and how painful it is, from all different angles.
Interesting plots aside - I'm not as celebratory of Gringrich and Forstchen's achievement in fictionalizing a great turn in our world's history. Rather, I am in awe of their achievement to take us inside the world of a bloody battle, make us see all perspectives, only to leave us wishing that we never see or feel such a sight, ever, in our precious lives.
My favorite line of the book would definitely be that of Commander Yamamoto, close to the end, where he reflects on his wins, loses, but most of all, his lost soldiers. In thinking about his upcoming report to the Japanese politicians, he says to himself, "Those back home wanted war, but never truly understood the price of war..."
The line leaves us depressed for those who have perished in war, and perhaps, confused about our own beliefs on war. History and narrative aside, read this book for its theme and wonderful emotion.
-Muhammad Ali Hasan
A fascinating exploration of Pearl Harbor as a battle instead of a raid May 6, 2008
7 out of 8 found this review helpful
I enjoy Newt Gingrich's non-fiction books, but this is the first of his fiction books that I have read. Not because I had anything against Newt's fiction, but because I don't generally read very much fiction. However, I found this book to be even more enjoyable than I had anticipated. In fact, it makes me want to read the first book in this series, which I had inadvertently missed.
Gingrich and Forstchen take history with a couple of well chosen "what ifs". In this case, if Yamamoto had made multiple attacks on Hawaii and a battle out of the attack on Pearl Harbor instead of a raid. This book opens late on December 7, 1941 in Washington and ends at 10 pm in Washington D.C. on December 11, 1941 with a phone call from Winston Churchill to FDR. The story takes lots of interesting turns, but stays close enough to real history to show a number of interesting photographs in the book from actual historical events. Gingrich and Forstchen call their suppositions "active history" and is not only interesting, but makes for interesting conversation. Everyone likes to play the what if game, but too many do it without much information about the realities behind what they are supposing. These authors take us rapidly from Washington to Hawaii, to both Japanese and US warships, up into various airplanes, and into the lives of soldiers and civilians on both sides.
The action is written very well and the writing keeps the story moving. The characters are well written and the dialogue sounds like it is coming from the mouths of people in real situations in 1941. At least, what I think it would have sounded like in 1941 because I wasn't born until just after the Korean War ended. However, I know how that generation spoke.
I also liked the way the book never creates a favored side that gets unrealistic breaks to win. Both sides make their best moves and make gambles. Some of them pay off and some lead to disaster. We follow some soldiers and ships to their sad deaths and see the men who suffered in these battles on both sides. Of course I am rooting for the United States, but the book doesn't seem to cheat in favor of the U.S. in its narrative. The Japanese are treated with dignity and respect, which seems right nearly 70 years on. The war is not made a pain free game in any way. Everyone it touches suffers, but we see bravery and attention to duty on both sides, but in different ways. Really, the book is quite fascinating in its attention to detail.
While you may not agree with the assumptions the authors have made in creating their fiction of the matched battles between Halsey and Yamamoto, that really is part of the fun. Frankly, I think these books would make a terrific miniseries.
If you like war stories and intelligent and informed what-if scenarios, I am sure you will enjoy this book and its predecessor. I did.
Reviewed by Craig Matteson, Ann Arbor, MI
Well worth the wait! May 2, 2008
6 out of 8 found this review helpful
I've been enjoying alternate history for years. Being a Civil War buff, I particularly enjoyed their Gettysburg series. One of the things I like best about alternate history is that it stimulates me to brush up on the actual events and compare. Days of Infamy is a logical extrapolation of events that were set up in the first book. In addition, the story is delivered with compassion, exciting action, and just plain good story telling. As always, Forstchen's battle scenes are rivetting. I'm just bummed that I have to wait for the finale.
 What if the US hadn't colonized Hawaii? May 20, 2008
5 out of 50 found this review helpful
More interesting than yet another book that idolizes the U.S. empire, I'd like to see a book that speculates what Hawaii would be like if the U.S. hadn't colonized it Islands in Captivity: The International Tribunal on the Rights of Indigenous Hawaiians.
Books like this, their approach and premises, serve to blind U.S. citizens to the infamy of their own acts of aggression. Our crimes have been much worse than the attack on Pearl Harbor, an attack on a naval base. We went after civilians White Light/Black Rain: The Destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
We've all been indoctrinated to believe that the obliteration of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were necessary, despite the fact that many U.S. military leaders felt otherwise. For instance, Dwight Eisenhower said, "During his (Secretary of War Henry Stimson) recitation of the relevant facts, I had been conscious of a feeling of depression and so I voiced to him my grave misgivings. First on the basis of my belief that Japan was already defeated and that dropping the bomb was completely unnecessary; and secondly because I thought that our country should avoid shocking world opinion by the use of a weapon whose employment was, I thought, no longer mandatory as a measure to save American lives."
"Days of Infamy" will be interesting for those who "get off on warfare" (to quote McCain's ally, the "reverend" Rod Parsley). It's another expression of our ugly habit of romanticizing war that this society needs to break Beyond the Weapons of Our Fathers. Instead of fantasizing alternative war scenarios, let's imagine justice for the indigenous people of Hawaii, and sorrow for turning Japan into an inferno beyond Dante's worst nightmare.
American Experience: Hawaii's Last Queen
The Decision to Use the Atomic Bomb
Howard Zinn on War
Why We Fight
 A worse book than "Pearl Harbor" June 4, 2008
5 out of 18 found this review helpful
The most dangerous aspect of this book is the claim of rigorous research during the writing; however, most qualified research and history greatly refutes a great deal of the "history" listed within this novel and its predecessor, "Pearl Harbor."
This novel continues the excessive hubris of believing the entirity of Japanese naval strategy and effort focused itself on the attack on the U.S. Pacific Fleet before anything else. The two authors never mentioned the British defenses on Kota Bharu were being shelled well before the first bomb dropped in Hawaii, about the same time the USS Ward was engaging the Japanese mini-sub.
Many of the significant characters in Pacific War history are written out. Where is LCDR Edwin T. Layton, intelligence officer for Admirals Richardson, Kimmel and Nimitz? In his autobiography "And I Was There," he states the billet of intelligence officer for the U.S. Pacific Fleet had been gapped for some time before he took it under Richardson. Where is Joseph J. Rochefort?
And who is Wade McCloskey? LCDR Clarence Wade McClusky was the "CAG" for the USS Enterprise at the Battle of Midway, earning a Navy Cross. Admiral Nimitz stated his decision was the most critical decision made the Battle of Midway. There is a U.S. Navy ship named after him: USS McCLUSKY (FFG 41).
Under what authority did Admiral Yamamoto dismiss the additional tasking for the Kido Butai? Following the attack on the U.S. Pacific fleet, two destroyers were to be detached to proceed and shell Miday Island--curious, the two authors have people guessing when Wake and Midway would be attacked, but in history, FDR mentions their attack in his famous speech on 8 Dec 1941.
Amazingly, the brilliant attacks by the Japanese during the first 24 hours of the Pacific War seem to be forgotten by Gingrich and Forstchen. The seven landings on the Kra Isthmus, the march through Thailand, bombing of Singapore, bombing of Wake, conquest of Guam, shelling of Midway, attack on Hong Kong, etc. These two authors continue with the fantasy Japanese strategy revolved around the United States.
There is a significant laundry list of better histories to read to understand the nature of the Pacific War, especially its opening moves. Unfortunately, there isn't sufficient space to list them all.
|
|
|
Powered by Associate-O-Matic
| |
