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Three Good Books - Currahee - 09-05-2010 I've been reading this summer on the Pacific War. I can recommend three excellent books; two by H.P. Willmott are Empires in the Balance, and The Barrier and the Javelin, to be read in that order. Don't be put off by his apologetics for the Japanese Empire in the first part of the first volume; he's just letting you know how the typical medieval warlord viewed the pre-war world. Once he gets to the war, he provides an excellent anaylsis of the opening campaigns from both sides, which is unusual in an english language treatment. The second volume ends with Midway, and it's the best account of that battle I've read. Not as stirring as Morrison's, but quite a bit more informative. The third book is The Quiet Warrior, a biography of Raymond Spruance by Thomas Buell. Like most biographies it's a little slow at first, but picks up quickly once the war starts. It's especially strong on its behind-the-scenes looks at how staff work was performed, and how command decisions were made, by the US in the Pacific Theater. RE: Three Good Books - Gasbag - 09-19-2010 I'd like to recommend Shattered Sword: The Untold Story of The Battle of Midway by Jon Parshall & Anthony Tully. I'm sure many people here are familiar with it but for those who aren't it's probably the best book on the Battle of Midway to come out in years. Using untapped Japanese sources the book covers the battle from the Japanese side and debunks many myths that have been repeated in other books for decades. The book has many good photos & excellent diagrams. For those who want a little lighter reading while camping or at the beach I can recommend The Coral Sea 1942: The first carrier battle by Mark Stille. It's one of the 96-page Osprey Campaign Series titles (Campaign 214) and packs in a lot of detail for a book of this size. The author uses quite a few newer sources so the book isn't just a rehash of old information. Solid maps & interesting photos and artwork help to round out a very good work. Just my 2 cents... P.S. Though it's been 18+ years since I read it I'd like to add Guadalcanal: The definitive account by Richard Frank to this list.