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Midway: Incredible Victory
The Wordsworth Military Library covers the breadth of military history, including studies of individual leaders and accounts of major campaigns and great conflicts.
368 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1967
1528 people are currently reading
1460 people want to read
About the author
Walter Lord
65 books208 followersWalter Lord was an American author, best known for his documentary-style non-fiction account, A Night to Remember, about the sinking of the RMS Titanic.
In 2009, Jenny Lawrence edited and published The Way It Was: Walter Lord on His Life and Books.
In 2009, Jenny Lawrence edited and published The Way It Was: Walter Lord on His Life and Books.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 175 reviews
May 3, 2021
I was hoping for something new, but Midway is one of the most written about battles ever.
I've read a number of books on or that cover Midway. It is hard to provide new insights on the battle.
Still the book was relatively easy to read and informative.
I've read a number of books on or that cover Midway. It is hard to provide new insights on the battle.
Still the book was relatively easy to read and informative.
October 19, 2021
This is a decent account of the Battle of Midway, told from both the Japanese and the American perspectives. I felt the narrative was a little clunky and trite at times. The middle of the book, when the battle is actively underway, was actually quite riveting for the most part. Midway is known as the battle that changed the course of the war in the Pacific. Never again after Midway would the Japanese take the offensive. What really struck me was how easily the battle could have gone the other way. The American forces triumphed not through skill, but as a result of superior intelligence and good/lucky timing. The Japanese were overconfident to the point of being contemptuous of the Americans' will and ability to fight, and this made them sloppy. Their entire strategy for the battle depended on the Americans not knowing they were coming, and on the Americans reacting just as the Japanese expected them to. But American intelligence had cracked the code for the Japanese naval communications, and the Americans knew the entire Japanese plan. Thus, American naval forces rushed to Midway to set a trap of their own. Even so, If the Japanese had concentrated the force of their massive armada and struck with alacrity, they most likely would have annihilated the American fleet. But their carriers were caught with their planes on board, and the Americans actually had the advantage of surprise. However, the Americans, after eight waves of torpedo attacks, did not score a single hit. B-17 bombers, dropping over 300 bombs, did not score a single hit on a single Japanese ship. It was the American dive bombers, with a horrid attrition rate, who managed, after dropping countless dozens of bombs, to actually drop three or four on each of the Japanese carriers, wrecking them and effectively winning the battle. The action is vividly described, and that made the book enjoyable. The intro and the conclusion were a bit of a slog, but not too bad. Basically this is a quick and easy read that will give you the story of what happened at Midway in the first week of June, 1942.
June 16, 2019
Mr. Lord does and excellent job describing this epic battle to where even the layman can watch and follow the events as they unfolded. Many authors want to get so detailed, like Glantz, that they forget what the subject matter is about and confuse the reader. That is not the case with this work.
His execution of taking you from the American to Japanese and American forces is superb. For such a complex battle it would be easy to get lost in the action and turn it into an uncontrolled tennis match. This, he does not do. He seamlessly recounts the events that led to a major American victory by the slimmest of margins. You do feel as if you are in the middle of the fight watching the events unfold. The Japanese myth that the American solider would not fight was shattered during this epic struggle. It was a hard lesson to learn as four of their top fleet carriers and two heavy cruisers were sunk and damaged.
A few more maps and photos would definitely enhance the reading experience.
Highly recommend this story.
July 31, 2024
Very enjoyable and easy to read book.
Sadly it was not my first Midway book, so I have nothing to wow about. I don’t mean to disrespect the author and the book. Just saying my feelings.
A great book.
Sadly it was not my first Midway book, so I have nothing to wow about. I don’t mean to disrespect the author and the book. Just saying my feelings.
A great book.
April 17, 2019
Written while many of the participants were still alive, this story effectively covers what most likely was the most pivotal battle of the Pacific in World War II.
What is striking is how much timing and luck play a role in history.
Also, how what appeared to be pointless bravery on the part of a squadron of American torpedo planes, pressing the attack and having every plane shot down without a single torpedo hitting, actually was the catalyst for the American victory by drawing the Japanese air cover down and also burning their ammunition and fuel. In combat individuals and small units often have ramifications that resonate through history.
What is striking is how much timing and luck play a role in history.
Also, how what appeared to be pointless bravery on the part of a squadron of American torpedo planes, pressing the attack and having every plane shot down without a single torpedo hitting, actually was the catalyst for the American victory by drawing the Japanese air cover down and also burning their ammunition and fuel. In combat individuals and small units often have ramifications that resonate through history.
October 21, 2014
Walter Lord, an American with a British-sounding name, writes like a Brit benefitting from a classical education and he does a fantastic job here. This is one hell of a book.
Giving the backstory to both sides of the battle, Lord effectively zeroes in on the Japanese and the American commanders, but then goes further: making the everymen who fought and died in that battle come alive, right down to the cooks and signalmen and mechanics on both sides of the conflict.
Quoting hundreds of participants, Lord steers us unerringly into the battle, giving an impression that he himself was also there, so direct and meaningful is his prose and observations.
Those who read this book will likely lready be aware of the broad brush strokes of the battle: the desire of Admiral Yamamoto (architect of Pearl Harbor) to finish off the American fleet once and for all and the code breakers that discovered his plan months in advance. Though only 15% of any given transmission was decoded, it was enough and the American fleet was waiting in the wings to swoop down on the Japanese when they attacked Midway, a tiny atoll 900 miles west of Hawaii.
Lord is a master storyteller. He excells in the battle itself: How eight successive sorties against the Japanese fleet were repulsed, killing scores of American flyers, until the fateful 9th attack, when, in just six minutes, three Japanese carriers were left aflame and sinking. The Japanese were astonished at American pluck. They should not have been. The Americans were bloody minded about Pearl Harbor and would have launched 29 sorties if they had had the planes and the men.
In the end, Lord tells a story of which we all know the outcome in a way that reads like a blow-by-blow boxing match. His language is so clear, so economical, and so perfect that it was a pleasure to read. I'll open the book now and select a random paragraph so you can see what a great writer Lord is:
"As the planes dropped, they veered away close alongside the ship. Watching from his searchlight platform, Signalman Martin wondered about the two flickering orange lights he could see in the rear cockpit. Suddenly he realized this was machine gun fire. He ducked behind a canvas wind screen and felt entirely different about the war. Bombs and torpedoes were impersonal, but this strafing was aimed at him. For the first time he felt really angry with the Japanese."
Lord has also written the book I'll devour next, Day of Infamy, about the Pearl Harbor attack. And, by the way, he also authored the book upon which the best Titanic movie was made, A Night to Remember.
Giving the backstory to both sides of the battle, Lord effectively zeroes in on the Japanese and the American commanders, but then goes further: making the everymen who fought and died in that battle come alive, right down to the cooks and signalmen and mechanics on both sides of the conflict.
Quoting hundreds of participants, Lord steers us unerringly into the battle, giving an impression that he himself was also there, so direct and meaningful is his prose and observations.
Those who read this book will likely lready be aware of the broad brush strokes of the battle: the desire of Admiral Yamamoto (architect of Pearl Harbor) to finish off the American fleet once and for all and the code breakers that discovered his plan months in advance. Though only 15% of any given transmission was decoded, it was enough and the American fleet was waiting in the wings to swoop down on the Japanese when they attacked Midway, a tiny atoll 900 miles west of Hawaii.
Lord is a master storyteller. He excells in the battle itself: How eight successive sorties against the Japanese fleet were repulsed, killing scores of American flyers, until the fateful 9th attack, when, in just six minutes, three Japanese carriers were left aflame and sinking. The Japanese were astonished at American pluck. They should not have been. The Americans were bloody minded about Pearl Harbor and would have launched 29 sorties if they had had the planes and the men.
In the end, Lord tells a story of which we all know the outcome in a way that reads like a blow-by-blow boxing match. His language is so clear, so economical, and so perfect that it was a pleasure to read. I'll open the book now and select a random paragraph so you can see what a great writer Lord is:
"As the planes dropped, they veered away close alongside the ship. Watching from his searchlight platform, Signalman Martin wondered about the two flickering orange lights he could see in the rear cockpit. Suddenly he realized this was machine gun fire. He ducked behind a canvas wind screen and felt entirely different about the war. Bombs and torpedoes were impersonal, but this strafing was aimed at him. For the first time he felt really angry with the Japanese."
Lord has also written the book I'll devour next, Day of Infamy, about the Pearl Harbor attack. And, by the way, he also authored the book upon which the best Titanic movie was made, A Night to Remember.
February 18, 2022
Having brought the sinking of the Titanic so vividly to life with his bestseller A Night to Remember, Walter Lord would spend the decades that followed bringing his eye for detail and narrative talents to bear on other historical events. One of them was the 1942 naval battle around the island of Midway, perhaps the decisive battle of the Second World War's Pacific theater. Nearly eight decades on from events and more than five after his book was published, Lord's Incredible Victory remains a hell of a read.
Like his Titanic book, much of the book's success comes from the people and research Lord could draw upon in his writing. Lord wisely chose not to focus specifically on the American or Japanese perspective solely by offering readers both the points of view from both sides with a wandering narrative. Readers get to meet the commanders at the top, including Admiral Yamamoto and Nimitz, of course, to those leading the opposing task forces at sea, such as Spruance and Nagumo. Yet the vast majority of Lord's account of the battle comes from the sailors, pilots, and marine who did much of the fighting and dying. It is with them, from the decks of ships to the pilots who dueled in the air or divebombed under heavy fire, that readers experience the events of Midway alongside. Doing so makes Incredible Victory, like A Night to Remember before it, as much a human drama as a recounting of a historical event.
But what a recounting it is, to be sure. Briskly paced, Lord captures the heat of battle, as well as any Hollywood filmmaker could ever hope to do, crafting an absorbing tale that brings home the thrills, terror, and uncertainties of combat. Lord also shows the human cost of the battle, from the anxiety of waiting for action (that, in some cases, never came) to the experiences of wounded men often lucky to still be alive. Above all else, perhaps, Lord shows how Midway's outcome was anything but predetermined, showcasing how much decisions made in the heat of battle and pure luck helped turn the tide of the Pacific War. From the offices of admirals to the cockpits of Dauntless dive-bombers and Zero fighters, Lord presents the sight and sounds of battle with a kaleidoscope narrative.
As a result, Incredible Victory is more than just another book on A famous battle. It is a true epic that wanders from person to person, place to place, as it recreates in prose the days that turned the tide of the Second World War. Indeed, it does for the Battle of Midway what Lord did for the sinking of the Titanic, making history come alive and bringing home how people, decisions, and luck shape all help shape history.
Like his Titanic book, much of the book's success comes from the people and research Lord could draw upon in his writing. Lord wisely chose not to focus specifically on the American or Japanese perspective solely by offering readers both the points of view from both sides with a wandering narrative. Readers get to meet the commanders at the top, including Admiral Yamamoto and Nimitz, of course, to those leading the opposing task forces at sea, such as Spruance and Nagumo. Yet the vast majority of Lord's account of the battle comes from the sailors, pilots, and marine who did much of the fighting and dying. It is with them, from the decks of ships to the pilots who dueled in the air or divebombed under heavy fire, that readers experience the events of Midway alongside. Doing so makes Incredible Victory, like A Night to Remember before it, as much a human drama as a recounting of a historical event.
But what a recounting it is, to be sure. Briskly paced, Lord captures the heat of battle, as well as any Hollywood filmmaker could ever hope to do, crafting an absorbing tale that brings home the thrills, terror, and uncertainties of combat. Lord also shows the human cost of the battle, from the anxiety of waiting for action (that, in some cases, never came) to the experiences of wounded men often lucky to still be alive. Above all else, perhaps, Lord shows how Midway's outcome was anything but predetermined, showcasing how much decisions made in the heat of battle and pure luck helped turn the tide of the Pacific War. From the offices of admirals to the cockpits of Dauntless dive-bombers and Zero fighters, Lord presents the sight and sounds of battle with a kaleidoscope narrative.
As a result, Incredible Victory is more than just another book on A famous battle. It is a true epic that wanders from person to person, place to place, as it recreates in prose the days that turned the tide of the Second World War. Indeed, it does for the Battle of Midway what Lord did for the sinking of the Titanic, making history come alive and bringing home how people, decisions, and luck shape all help shape history.
November 13, 2019
What an incredible story about the Battle of Midway and Walter Lord did an exceptional job putting down into paper what transpired in that fateful event in WW2 history.
It’s an underdog story. I was hooked from the beginning. The heroism, courage, determination of those American men who were outnumbered, out-skilled and had older planes against the Japanese were truly inspirational. The accomplishment of the intelligence-gathering team was equally impressive when it was still a new practice.
Japan, though far more superior in the Pacific than the US with their weapons, highly trained pilots, more technologically advanced planes, was faced with a surprise attack by the Americans. When Japan had planned to be on the offensive, they ended up playing defense most of the time, leading to their loss.
Though it cost American lives, this battle became a turning point of WW2 in the Pacific. The giant had woken and its capable industry was just gearing up for war that Japan knew they couldn’t win. Japan lost their stronghold in the Pacific, and eventually the war.
This great book will end up in my top list of the year. And I look forward to reading more by Walter Lord.
It’s an underdog story. I was hooked from the beginning. The heroism, courage, determination of those American men who were outnumbered, out-skilled and had older planes against the Japanese were truly inspirational. The accomplishment of the intelligence-gathering team was equally impressive when it was still a new practice.
Japan, though far more superior in the Pacific than the US with their weapons, highly trained pilots, more technologically advanced planes, was faced with a surprise attack by the Americans. When Japan had planned to be on the offensive, they ended up playing defense most of the time, leading to their loss.
Though it cost American lives, this battle became a turning point of WW2 in the Pacific. The giant had woken and its capable industry was just gearing up for war that Japan knew they couldn’t win. Japan lost their stronghold in the Pacific, and eventually the war.
This great book will end up in my top list of the year. And I look forward to reading more by Walter Lord.
October 31, 2019
An excellent, thorough account of this incredible and complicated battle. The author does a great job of showing both the American and Japanese perspectives of each event, and he keeps a good pace in his account, making it an engaging read. I picked this book up in anticipation of the 2019 Midway film, and I was hooked. I am very unfamiliar with the Pacific front of the war and this book really helped. I highly recommend to an fellow WW2 nerd.
For my Christian friends, I paired this reading with From Pearl Harbor to Calvary, which gives an autobiographical account of Matsuo Fuchida’s (the commanding officer in charge of the Pearl Harbor attack) conversion to Christianity. It really brought history to life and helped me to re-envision the war through the perspective of God’s mysterious purposes and plans. I highly recommend this short read as well!
For my Christian friends, I paired this reading with From Pearl Harbor to Calvary, which gives an autobiographical account of Matsuo Fuchida’s (the commanding officer in charge of the Pearl Harbor attack) conversion to Christianity. It really brought history to life and helped me to re-envision the war through the perspective of God’s mysterious purposes and plans. I highly recommend this short read as well!
December 2, 2020
Interesting book about battle of Midway
Not good enough for 5 stars because electronic reading of military books makes the lack of good maps so hard to deal with.
In general I don’t think the drama about the untried Spruance was handled well. This was his first try at running a carrier task force and he was perfect. Many bad mouthed him.
Not good enough for 5 stars because electronic reading of military books makes the lack of good maps so hard to deal with.
In general I don’t think the drama about the untried Spruance was handled well. This was his first try at running a carrier task force and he was perfect. Many bad mouthed him.
November 14, 2019
I chose this book because a newly released epic movie “Midway” will be one of my pursuits, and since I love WWII history I wanted to get a refresher on the tactics as well as enjoy reading about this US victory. It appears Walter Lord in this 1967 research was among the first to study everything and interview survivors ... so I took it as a good early authoritative interpretation of the battle. It’s 300 pages were an easy read. Lord’s style is superb, he having written griping tales of Pearl Harbor and Titanic. I was well pleased with this book and would recommend it. I’ll enjoy sampling other writers accounts as well to see how this early book compares to others.
March 4, 2021
Well-written and engaging. I just found I don't like reading battle scenes without a map. This book would have greatly benefitted from including maps and imagery.
September 13, 2021
Great read
June 21, 2023
As expected with a Walter Lord book, very detailed and an interesting read. Especially if you like the topic. Great resource for research and / or term paper. Enjoy!
June 16, 2025
'Shattered Sword' and 'Miracle at Midway' are better books and more worthy of your attention but it is recommended that you read all three.
April 3, 2020
This book has been on my list since 2012 (!!!) and I put it off because of the military nature of it. I'm not generally a fan of the military genre, but I should have trusted myself more, because it was really great! It treats both sides with respect and a very human element. The research that went into this is impressive too. And this is the second or third military book I've read that I've surprisingly liked.... So maybe I'm a fan of the genre after all??
June 23, 2024
I’ve thoroughly enjoyed each of Lord’s books that I’ve read so far, and this was no exception. As my Goodreads history shows, I have a special interest in the Battle of Midway, and Lord treats that fateful June with the respect and dogged veracity that it deserves. The bravery of the U.S. pilots—be they the VT-8 torpedo bombers, the B-26s, or the famous Dauntlesses—never fails to move me to tears.
February 25, 2020
“After a battle is over, people talk a lot about how the decisions were methodically reached, but actually there’s always a hell of a lot of groping around.”
Admiral Frank Fletcher, commander of Task Force 17 during the battle of Midway
How true! Although signal intelligence and cryptography had tipped off the U.S. Navy about Japan’s plans to attack Midway, Admiral Nimitz had to keep that information under wraps and manage powerful and influential critics convinced that they would instead attack Hawaii or even the West Coast. Furthermore, the Japanese fleet in route to Midway consisted of different elements coming in from different points of origin and different directions. As they were spotted by patrol aircraft, decisions had to be made. Is this this the carrier strike force? Once the Japanese carriers had been spotted, one American carrier misjudged where the Japanese should be and sent its air strike in the wrong direction. Only its torpedo squadron, whose commander chose to follow his instincts, engaged the Japanese carriers. And one of the dive bomber squadrons that actually did engage them, lost some of its bombs in route because of an electronic arming switch malfunction that dropped the bombs as soon as they were armed.
On the Japanese side, although the increased patrols by American aircraft around Midway and the defensive preparation visible from the periscope of I-168 should have tipped off the Japanese that the Americans suspected something, the carrier strike force, not really expecting any American carriers to be nearby, fielded a fairly weak patrol pattern that spotted the American carriers too late to do anything about them before American carrier-based dive bombers knocked three of the four Japanese carriers out of action.
In this book, written primarily from the American perspective, Mr. Lord did an outstanding job of portraying the uncertainties and risks of battle, and I found it to be a compelling history of the battle of Midway. That said, I think it should be read in conjunction with Shattered Sword, by Jonathan Parshall and Anthony Tully, which describes the Japanese perspective and dispels some popular myths about the battle, some of which are repeated in this book. Read both books and decide for yourself.
Admiral Frank Fletcher, commander of Task Force 17 during the battle of Midway
How true! Although signal intelligence and cryptography had tipped off the U.S. Navy about Japan’s plans to attack Midway, Admiral Nimitz had to keep that information under wraps and manage powerful and influential critics convinced that they would instead attack Hawaii or even the West Coast. Furthermore, the Japanese fleet in route to Midway consisted of different elements coming in from different points of origin and different directions. As they were spotted by patrol aircraft, decisions had to be made. Is this this the carrier strike force? Once the Japanese carriers had been spotted, one American carrier misjudged where the Japanese should be and sent its air strike in the wrong direction. Only its torpedo squadron, whose commander chose to follow his instincts, engaged the Japanese carriers. And one of the dive bomber squadrons that actually did engage them, lost some of its bombs in route because of an electronic arming switch malfunction that dropped the bombs as soon as they were armed.
On the Japanese side, although the increased patrols by American aircraft around Midway and the defensive preparation visible from the periscope of I-168 should have tipped off the Japanese that the Americans suspected something, the carrier strike force, not really expecting any American carriers to be nearby, fielded a fairly weak patrol pattern that spotted the American carriers too late to do anything about them before American carrier-based dive bombers knocked three of the four Japanese carriers out of action.
In this book, written primarily from the American perspective, Mr. Lord did an outstanding job of portraying the uncertainties and risks of battle, and I found it to be a compelling history of the battle of Midway. That said, I think it should be read in conjunction with Shattered Sword, by Jonathan Parshall and Anthony Tully, which describes the Japanese perspective and dispels some popular myths about the battle, some of which are repeated in this book. Read both books and decide for yourself.
October 28, 2020
I thought I knew about the battle of Midway. I’ve watched numerous documentaries, movies, and TV shows; and I’ve read numerous history books, memoirs, historical fictions about the battle of Midway. When I read Incredible Victory: The Battle of Midway by Walter Lord, I realized that I didn’t know as much as I thought I did. Lord’s research and writing style are superb. Although I already knew many of the historical facts, the way that Lord writes about those facts, the individual stories, the perspectives of the American and the Japanese make this book more interesting, more scholarly, more revealing, and more in-depth. At times, I felt as if I was reading a War College textbook about the tactics and strategies of both navies in the battle of Midway. Sometimes, the tactics and strategies went beyond my understanding and comprehension.
I read the Kindle version of Incredible Victory: The Battle of Midway. The only thing that I didn’t like was the lack of maps. Even if it did have maps, maps on the Kindle are never easy to read. About half way through the book, I became confused as to the position of all the ships and airplanes. I stopped and searched YouTube and found three animated battle map videos on THE BATTLE OF MIDWAY by Montemayor. Like the book Incredible Victory: The Battle of Midway, the videos have the American and the Japanese perspectives of the battle. Those three videos really helped me better understand and visualize what I was reading. I highly recommend watching those three videos if you need maps showing the position of the two opposing sea and air forces.
I read the Kindle version of Incredible Victory: The Battle of Midway. The only thing that I didn’t like was the lack of maps. Even if it did have maps, maps on the Kindle are never easy to read. About half way through the book, I became confused as to the position of all the ships and airplanes. I stopped and searched YouTube and found three animated battle map videos on THE BATTLE OF MIDWAY by Montemayor. Like the book Incredible Victory: The Battle of Midway, the videos have the American and the Japanese perspectives of the battle. Those three videos really helped me better understand and visualize what I was reading. I highly recommend watching those three videos if you need maps showing the position of the two opposing sea and air forces.
December 3, 2018
The book Incredible Victory, The Battle of Midway falls in the Non-Fiction genre, and as the title says it describes the battle of Midway. I chose to read the heavily detailed book because last year my great grandma gave me the book because she believed I would like it. As many teenagers do, I cast aside the book for whenever I felt like I should read it, which came at this current point. I was actually assigned this book for a book assignment in my english class. I usually don’t read non-fiction, but I had read other books like this and found reading shorter ones entertaining, but Incredible Victory was much longer. I usually read Fantasy or Sci-fi, which lets my imagination run wild with what could happen next. Non-fiction lets you think about what the people described were actually thinking at the time. With the WW2 in the Pacific, I knew that there were a lot of battles that got horrifically intense.
Walter Lord beautifully describes the Japaneses reasons and plans to take Midway; two tiny islands that total three square miles of land. How the American code breakers worked night and day to work out what radio messages they intercepted, meeting criticism from superiors and having to prove every bit of their work to be even possibly correct. Then when both sides have drawn up their plans and set in motion one of the fiercest ariel battles in the war between Imperial Japan, and the United States of America. Lord describes in detail the battle from day one to several days later when both sides fallback to lick their wounds in the safety of home. The views from survivors on both sides give a up and personal accounts of what happens. As well as a flurry of new ways to confuse each others side, from the first radio deception to diversionary attacks on other places. War is no glorious battle for liberation or conquer, but what leaves lives ruined and crushes dreams. Incredible Victory describes the ingenuity of military commanders and what they had to face in-order to pull off incredible victories. Overall I would recommend this book to those who like to learn about history, and are willing to see war as a tragedy, not as a means of glory.
Walter Lord beautifully describes the Japaneses reasons and plans to take Midway; two tiny islands that total three square miles of land. How the American code breakers worked night and day to work out what radio messages they intercepted, meeting criticism from superiors and having to prove every bit of their work to be even possibly correct. Then when both sides have drawn up their plans and set in motion one of the fiercest ariel battles in the war between Imperial Japan, and the United States of America. Lord describes in detail the battle from day one to several days later when both sides fallback to lick their wounds in the safety of home. The views from survivors on both sides give a up and personal accounts of what happens. As well as a flurry of new ways to confuse each others side, from the first radio deception to diversionary attacks on other places. War is no glorious battle for liberation or conquer, but what leaves lives ruined and crushes dreams. Incredible Victory describes the ingenuity of military commanders and what they had to face in-order to pull off incredible victories. Overall I would recommend this book to those who like to learn about history, and are willing to see war as a tragedy, not as a means of glory.
February 10, 2018
A pretty good historic retelling of the Battle of Midway, which was the crucial turning point in the Pacific theater during WWII. Lord does a very good job of weaving together the stories of sailors and airmen from both sides of the battle, based on personal interviews and tons of research through personal letters, after action reports and piles of naval records. The result is, surprisingly, an easy read for anyone interested in WWII history. It never bogs down and manages to keep a truly human perspective of such a massive battle. It also never takes sides, portraying both the American and Japanese forces as with equal humanity.
Lord is well known for his approachable style, weaving facts together with personal stories and anecdotes, and it's on full display here. I think this one is a bit more focused on telling the stories of the people than on the facts than say his superb "A Night To Remember", which told the story of the maiden voyage of the R.M.S. Titanic, but overall the style of writing is similar.
If there are any nitpicks to be had with "Incredible Victory", it's that the overall book is fairly short. The 14 days or so it covers pass by very quickly, which again goes back to him focusing less on facts and details, in order to keep the overall story moving briskly. Also, the book just kind of ends with the end of the battle. There's some mention in the final chapter or two about how the battle was a demoralizing defeat which put the Japanese navy on the defensive for the rest of the war, but it never touches on any of the war that followed it. For me, that would have put some context to the outcome.
But those are nitpicks. This is a concise, well told and very human story of one of the great battles of WWII and is well worth reading.
Lord is well known for his approachable style, weaving facts together with personal stories and anecdotes, and it's on full display here. I think this one is a bit more focused on telling the stories of the people than on the facts than say his superb "A Night To Remember", which told the story of the maiden voyage of the R.M.S. Titanic, but overall the style of writing is similar.
If there are any nitpicks to be had with "Incredible Victory", it's that the overall book is fairly short. The 14 days or so it covers pass by very quickly, which again goes back to him focusing less on facts and details, in order to keep the overall story moving briskly. Also, the book just kind of ends with the end of the battle. There's some mention in the final chapter or two about how the battle was a demoralizing defeat which put the Japanese navy on the defensive for the rest of the war, but it never touches on any of the war that followed it. For me, that would have put some context to the outcome.
But those are nitpicks. This is a concise, well told and very human story of one of the great battles of WWII and is well worth reading.
February 15, 2021
Walter Lord’s book about the Battle of Midway, in which the Japanese navy suffered a major defeat with the loss of numerous aircraft carriers after launching an assault on the small island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, is well-researched and engaging, largely through his use of hundreds of interviews with American and Japanese participants who fought the battle on land, ships, submarines, and aircraft. This is a really fascinating story in which many participants were just out of training when they found themselves in a huge battle (it took place less than a year after the bombing of Pearl Harbor). Although he doesn’t explore the topic in depth, Lord does bring up some of the cultural differences between the two sides when he describes the Japanese naval officers retreating and discussing who should commit suicide. The book also includes discussions of tactics, weaponry, and strategy. The Battle of Midway featured the Japanese Navy on the offensive with a massive group of ships, faster fighter planes, and sailors who were dedicated warriors but the Americans had broken their codes and knew the whole plan. This meant that the Americans were able to prepare for the battle and gave them the upper hand.
September 22, 2024
Incredible Victory is the story of the Battle of Midway in June 1942. The author does an amazing job of telling the story of the battle using both American and Japanese sources. The narrative unfolds literally minute by minute, so it is a compelling read to say the least.
Briefly, the Japanese planned the operation involving Midway (and the Aleutian islands) in order to bring the American fleet to battle and destroy the remaining US aircraft carriers. The Americans had broken the Japanese code and so knew what the Japanese objectives were, and were able to deploy the three active carriers to counter the Japanese fleet. I won't go into the details, other than the US fleet was victorious.
One of the big takeaways, for me at least, is how much chance figured into the American victory. If the weather had been slightly different, if the Japanese search plane had been launched on time, if Admiral Nagumo had not hesitated after the first strike on the Midway ground installations - the results of the battle could have been quite different.
I read this book many years ago - it was the first book I read about the Battle of Midway. It was originally published in the 1960s, but the text had held up pretty well. I highly recommend this book.
Briefly, the Japanese planned the operation involving Midway (and the Aleutian islands) in order to bring the American fleet to battle and destroy the remaining US aircraft carriers. The Americans had broken the Japanese code and so knew what the Japanese objectives were, and were able to deploy the three active carriers to counter the Japanese fleet. I won't go into the details, other than the US fleet was victorious.
One of the big takeaways, for me at least, is how much chance figured into the American victory. If the weather had been slightly different, if the Japanese search plane had been launched on time, if Admiral Nagumo had not hesitated after the first strike on the Midway ground installations - the results of the battle could have been quite different.
I read this book many years ago - it was the first book I read about the Battle of Midway. It was originally published in the 1960s, but the text had held up pretty well. I highly recommend this book.
September 15, 2024
So Much More Occurred
I consider myself a student of WWII and have read about The Battle of Midway. Most importantly, I knew that within six months of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the US Navy had turned the tide of the Pacific War.
What I did not know was the dive bomber attack on the three Japanese carriers only occurred after several failed attacks from bombers on Midway and of course the valiant torpedo squadrons. The torpedo squadrons did impact the success of the dive bombers by scattering the carriers formation and drawing Zeros down to sea level from their observation points. At 15,000 feet, the Zeros would’ve seen the oncoming dive bomber squadrons.
The battle was far from over even after the three Japanese carriers were hit. The remaining carrier was able to attack the Yorktown and inevitably sink her. The Japanese pushed their attack toward Midway and the US fleet . Fighting went on for another two days.
The author captured the decision making and strategies involved brilliantly. The individual stories from both American and Japanese sailors were very well told. The courage of all these men was beyond compare.
I consider myself a student of WWII and have read about The Battle of Midway. Most importantly, I knew that within six months of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the US Navy had turned the tide of the Pacific War.
What I did not know was the dive bomber attack on the three Japanese carriers only occurred after several failed attacks from bombers on Midway and of course the valiant torpedo squadrons. The torpedo squadrons did impact the success of the dive bombers by scattering the carriers formation and drawing Zeros down to sea level from their observation points. At 15,000 feet, the Zeros would’ve seen the oncoming dive bomber squadrons.
The battle was far from over even after the three Japanese carriers were hit. The remaining carrier was able to attack the Yorktown and inevitably sink her. The Japanese pushed their attack toward Midway and the US fleet . Fighting went on for another two days.
The author captured the decision making and strategies involved brilliantly. The individual stories from both American and Japanese sailors were very well told. The courage of all these men was beyond compare.
May 26, 2017
A classic one-volume account of one of the most critical battles in World History, this work about Midway immediately puts the reader right into the preparation and start of the battle. It doesn't try to recount all the events that led to the battle, but highlighting the key points that set events in motion leading to this critical battle. He makes effective use of first person accounts, ranging from American naval aviators, sailors, soldiers to Japanese military personnel. This work was published within 30 years of the actual battles, so Lord had a great deal of personal recollections and memoirs to make use of for this work. Like A Night to Remember, this work is tight and fast moving. Granted, with time and release of previously classified information and more accounts uncovered, this work could be seen as a little dated. However, for a one volume starter account of the battle, this is still a great place to start (and not without reason is this work cited at the World War II Memorial in Washington D.C.).
May 24, 2019
For as great as the reputation of this account of Midway is, I found it a little disappointing. Whether talking about Big Strategy, or the tactics of WWII naval warfare, or even the lived experience of the men caught up in the fray, Lord writes as if he assumes you already know all about it. And that's true, in a way; probably almost everyone who reads this book knows how it's going to end and why it's important. But, especially as we get further and further from the 1940s, it's harder to have the sense of what it really looked like, felt like, ~meant~ for some kid from Iowa to pilot a dive bomber against a Japanese aircraft carrier in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Lord tells us what happened and in what order, skillfully and from an admirably diverse range of points-of-view, but the experience doesn't really come to life. As for death, it is handled with such delicacy and consideration that it hardly seems like a significant part of the event.
March 14, 2020
I enjoyed reading this book and did learn a lot about the history of this particular engagement.
Mr. Lord mixes quite nicely many of the facts of what took place with the personal
observations of those of the men who were there as they unfolded. From reading the
book I came away with a better understanding of why Japan chose to attack Midway, and
why the United States was compelled to defend this island and as well try to hurt Japan's effort to
dominate the Pacific.
Certainly luck was on the side of the United States at this particular moment.
I had a small problem with the inclusion of retelling what some people though during
specific events and the fact that they were dead and unavailable to tell of what they might
have been thinking at the time. (I did go briefly through the list of contributors, and certainly
could have missed something.)
My actual rating would be 3.5 stars. The book is worth reading.
Mr. Lord mixes quite nicely many of the facts of what took place with the personal
observations of those of the men who were there as they unfolded. From reading the
book I came away with a better understanding of why Japan chose to attack Midway, and
why the United States was compelled to defend this island and as well try to hurt Japan's effort to
dominate the Pacific.
Certainly luck was on the side of the United States at this particular moment.
I had a small problem with the inclusion of retelling what some people though during
specific events and the fact that they were dead and unavailable to tell of what they might
have been thinking at the time. (I did go briefly through the list of contributors, and certainly
could have missed something.)
My actual rating would be 3.5 stars. The book is worth reading.
June 6, 2020
Walter Lord's account of the battle of Midway is clear and concise. His efforts to tell the story from both sides of the battle are very insightful. The Japanese plan and execution appear to present a inevitable victory for the Japanese, making the American victory all the more incredible. This is the fourth book I've read this year on Midway and it should have been the first to lay out the principle characters, decisions and results. Forced to use aging antiquated equipment and very inexperienced marines, soldiers and sailors Nimitz had to take advantage of the superb intelligence provided by the Navy's Combat Intelligence Unit analysts who read the Japanese code and determined their intent and battle order in advance. The Japanese over-confidence led to their defeat. Lord's work although from 1967 is fresh and easy to follow. Great to read on the 78th anniversary of the battle, too. Mostly read on the actual dates events occurred so long ago.
September 3, 2020
Walter Lord always offers a very well researched account of history. The Battle of Midway is perhaps one of the most significant turning points in the Pacific theatre in WW II. Had events gone in favor of Japan on that day, the Western coast of the USA would have become a battlefield. Japan would have controlled the Pacific, and Los Angeles, Seattle, San Francisco among other coastal cities would have become targets for bombardment off the coast.
The incredible odds the American fleet faced was outstanding, as they were out matched in Aircraft carriers and destroyers after Pearl Harbor. It was only with sound intelligence, and sheer determination from bomber pilots like Dick Best did they succeed in changing the course of history.
After reading this book, I had to watch the movie Midway which came out in 2019, and the material here was much father in depth, but the facts align for the most part.
A great read.
The incredible odds the American fleet faced was outstanding, as they were out matched in Aircraft carriers and destroyers after Pearl Harbor. It was only with sound intelligence, and sheer determination from bomber pilots like Dick Best did they succeed in changing the course of history.
After reading this book, I had to watch the movie Midway which came out in 2019, and the material here was much father in depth, but the facts align for the most part.
A great read.
March 18, 2023
This is an outstanding book, one of the best I've read in several years. Walter Lord reconstructs the Battle of Midway in a breathless yet unsensational style, utilizing hundreds of eyewitnesses, tens of thousands of pages of reports, and his own world travels (he clocked 40,000 miles) to write a terse, novel-like account of a fantastical battle which turned the tide of the Pacific War and possibly prevented the evacuation of Hawaii, or even large-scale attacks on the West Coast of the United States. I found it beautifully researched and eminently readable, a "page turner" without the sloppy approach to source material that usually implies in history books. Best of all, it tells the story from both Japanese and American perspectives, without injecting any kind of patriotic bias. Very, very few writers have the gift of making history pop off the page through the power of their prose and organizational ability: I would add Lord to this list.
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