Never Look Back: History of World War II in the Pacific

by William A. Renzi, Mark D. Roehrs

Overview

50 years ago, Japan attacked Pearl Harbour and brought a reluctant America into World War II. Armed with fresh materials, which have become available only in the last decade, Renzi and Roehrs take a critical look at the decisive Japanese-American episodes in "The Great Pacific War". Unlike standard histories of World War II, "Never Look Back" includes the Japanese perspective, bringing to light challenging facts: in "Operation Flying Elephant" the Japanese attempted to cause forest fires in the American West by releasing hydrogen-filled balloons. When Americans of Japanese ancestry were interned during the conflict, word reached Japan of their plight and resulted in even greater mistreatment of American POWs in Japan. It is argued that Japan did not surrender because of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki or because of the conventional firebombing or because of the US submarine campaign, but because the USSR entered the war.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781315488714
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	08/01/2019
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	256
File size:	3 MB

About the Author

William A. Renzi received his Ph.D. from the University of Maryland in 1968, where he studied with the late Gordon W. Prange. Professor Renzi was a member of the history faculty of the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee; his primary research interests were the diplomatic and military history of the two world wars. Among his other works are In the Shadow of the Sword: Italy's Neutrality and Entrance into the Great War, 1914-1915. Professor Renzi died in December 1990., Mark Roehrs received his Masters Degree in History from the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, and is currently completing Ph.D. studies at Louisiana State University. His studies focus primarily on the military and diplomatic relations of the United States in the middle decades of the twentieth century.

Table of Contents

Maps and Photographs, Preface, Acknowledgments, 1 Prelude to Conflict, 2 Planning Operation Hawaii, 3 From Pearl Harbor to Java Sea, 4 Coral Sea and Midway, 5 First Allied Land Victories, 6 The Marianas and the Philippines, 7 Submarines, Firebombs, and Survival, 8 The CBI Theater, 9 The Final Campaigns, 10 Japan Surrenders, References, Index

Editorial Reviews

This compact, workmanlike history of the 1941-45 war in the Pacific provides the Japanese and the American viewpoints toward its origins and conduct. Tracing the relationship between the two countries from the turn of the century, the authors describe the planning and execution of the attack on Pearl Harbor and give succinct accounts of the major military campaigns that followed, showing how the advent of new weapons (particularly the carrier) led to new strategy and tactics. The book highlights the importance of U.S. military intelligence in contributing to victory, including the influence on the turning-point battle of Midway of Admiral Chester Nimitz's chief intelligence officer, Joseph Rochefort. The authors argue that Emperor Hirohito's August 1945 decision to surrender to the Americans was not so much due to the atomic-bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki as to his fear of Soviet occupation (``We must act now,'' his chief counselor advised, ``while our main adversary is still the United States''). The late Renzi taught history at the University of Wisconsin; Roehrs is a doctoral candidate in history at Louisiana State University. Photos. (Aug.)

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

Although presented as a history of the Pacific War from the Japanese point of view and a work that should provide new insights for Americans, this book by late historian Renzi fails to offer any new facts or interpretations that would interest the knowledgeable reader. There is nothing here that has not previously appeared in print; nor is this a history of the Japanese-American war from the Japanese point of view. It is rather a well-written general history by an American for an American audience, which contains a few pages emphasizing the Japanese position. The decision to attack Pearl Harbor, the position of the Emperor, and daily life in wartime Japan have been discussed many times. For an in-depth treatment of the Japanese side, purchase Edwin Hoyt's Japan's War ( LJ 3/15/86).-- Stanley Itkin, Hillside P.L., New Hyde Park, N.Y.

Library Journal

A critical narrative of the decisive Japanese-American episodes in "The Great Pacific War," informed by fresh primary and secondary source materials which have become available only in the last decade, and giving both the Japanese and American points of view toward the conflict, in both its origins and actual conduct. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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