Countdown to Pearl Harbor: The Twelve Days to the Attack

Countdown to Pearl Harbor: The Twelve Days to the Attack

A Smithsonian Top History Book of 2016
A Japan Times Best Book About Japan of 2016

A fascinating look at the twelve days leading up to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harborâ€”the warnings, clues and misstepsâ€”by a Pulitzer Prizeâ€“winning reporter.

In Washington, DC, in late November 1941, admirals compose the most ominous message in Navy history to warn Hawaii of possible danger, but they write it too vaguely. They think precautions are being taken, but never check to see if they are. A key intelligence officer wants more warnings sent, but he is on the losing end of a bureaucratic battle and canâ€™t get the message out. American sleuths have pierced Japanâ€™s most vital diplomatic code, and Washington believes it has a window on the enemyâ€™s soulâ€”but it does not.

In a small office at Pearl Harbor, overlooking the battleships at the heart of Americaâ€™s seafaring power, the Commander of the Pacific Fleet tries to figure out how much danger he really faces. His intelligence unit has lost track of Japanâ€™s biggest aircraft carriers, but assumes they are resting in a port far away. The admiral thinks Pearl is too shallow for torpedoes, so he never puts up a barrier. As he frets, a Japanese spy is counting the warships in the harbor and reporting to Tokyo.

There were false assumptions, and racist ones: The Japanese arenâ€™t very good aviators and they donâ€™t have the nerve or the skill to attempt a strike so far from their home. There were misunderstandings, conflicting desires, painful choices. And there was a naval officer who, on his very first mission as captain of his very first ship, did exactly the right thing. His warning could have averted disaster, but his superiors reacted too leisurely. Japanese planes arrived moments later.

Twomeyâ€™s telescoping of the twelve days leading to the attack unravels the crucial characters and moments, and produces an edge-of-your seat drama with fascinating details about America at this moment in its history. By the end, the reader understands how assumption is the root of disaster, and how sometimes a gamble pays off.
Country USA
Manufacturer Simon & Schuster
Binding Kindle Edition
ReleaseDate 2016-11-01
Format Kindle eBook

Country	USA
Manufacturer	Simon & Schuster
Binding	Kindle Edition
ReleaseDate	2016-11-01
Format	Kindle eBook

Countdown to Pearl Harbor: The Twelve Days to the Attack

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