Midway

Cassell's Fields of Battle

by Hugh Bicheno

Before Midway, the force of the Imperial Japanese Navy was almost unchallenged in the Pacific. This titanic naval battle was to turn the situation around, and give control to the US Navy, only six months after their appalling losses at Pearl Harbor – a victory that was only to be won with the loss of the USS Yorktown. This book is a brand new look at the historic battle, which for the first time put the Japanese on the back foot.

Genres: History, World War II

192 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2007

About the author

Hugh Bicheno graduated from Cambridge and later joined the Secret Intelligence Service (MI6). He is now a political risk analyst and an historian of conflict.

Reviews

[Mark · Rating 2 out of 5]

The battle of Midway ranks not just as one of the pivotal battles of the Second World War, but also as one of the most important naval battles in history. Over a three-day period in June 1942, a force of three American carriers changed the course of the war in the Pacific theater by sinking the core of the Japanese strike fleet. The decisive nature of the battle has ensured it considerable attention from historians, who have spent much time and ink examining the factors involved in the American victory and the Japanese defeat. Hugh Bicheno’s generously illustrated study is not the first of these or the most detailed, but it offers the reader both a careful recounting of the battle and an analysis of the elements that shaped its outcome.

Bicheno’s basic argument is that, far from being an unavoidable defeat, the Japanese disaster at Midway was the result of a succession of mistakes born out of arrogance. Some of these stretched back to before the war, with an overall strategy against the United States dependent on too many assumptions that the Americans would react as the Japanese expected. Added to this was an arrogance built up over six months of victories, campaigning which left the Japanese fleet exhausted. By contrast, the Americans benefited from intelligence decryptions which alerted them in advance to Japanese intentions and allowed them to plan for a successful counterstroke. Yet Bicheno continually notes the factor of chance in shaping the outcome, from the illness that replaced “Bull” Halsey with Raymond Spruance, to off-course scouts coming across the enemy fleet. Together they provide a compelling portrait of the chaos of battle, from which it was the Americans who would emerge triumphant.

Though a military historian, Bicheno is not a specialist in the Second World War or in naval warfare. While this gives him a relatively fresh perspective to the conflict, the lack of original research limits the novelty of some of his more provocative challenges to the received wisdom about the battle. Nevertheless, with its useful tables, judicious analysis, and copious use of maps and pictures, Bicheno’s book is an enjoyable and stimulating study of the battle of Midway, one that can serve as a provocative introduction for any newcomer to the historic naval clash.

[Bill V · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't think much of the narrative. Sure it had some minor facts that I was unaware of but these facts are not essential to the telling of the battle.
In my opinion, too much of the book was dedicated to events that preceded the battle and the planning of it. It might have been acceptable if the book was longer but it's a relatively short book. About 30% of the book deals with events leading up to the battle. I also didn't like where he tells about future events, such as the eventual death of Admiral Yamamoto or battles years ahead.
The books strength is the breakdown of the task forces with information on weight and kind of weaponry found on each ship, the name of each captain. Regarding the aircraft carriers, he lists how many planes each carried as well as the individual types. He even listed how many ground troops were supposed to invade and defend Midway. That in particular is not always easy to find.