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Whirlwind: War in the Pacific
In just six months, America turned the rout of Pearl Harbor into the victories of Coral Sea and Midway.
Whirlwind: War in the Pacific tells the story of how America achieved this staggering turnaround using accounts of the three key Pacific battles of 1942.
Pearl Harbor: Hinge of War
When Japan launched a surprise attack on Pearl Harbour on 7 December 194, thousands of American lives were lost and their military resources diminished. The story of the raid is one of Japanese military skill meeting American courage, officially drawing the US into the Second World War.
Coral Sea, 1942
Following setback after setback after Pearl Harbour, the US sent Admiral Frank Fletcher with two aircraft carriers to destroy the Japanese invasion force before they could take Port Moresby in New Guinea. The fate of the Pacific hung in the balance. The Americans suffered heavy losses during the conflict, but the battle was the triumph the US desperately needed, finally giving them a leg up over Japan. The tide had turned.
Midway
Fought by hundreds of planes thousands of miles away from land, Midway saw four massive Japanese aircraft carriers pitted against three huge American carriers in a battle for domination of the Pacific. The battle raged over three days, full of setbacks for either side – until Admirals Yamamoto and Nagumo suffered the greatest naval defeat in history. America entered Midway on the defensive, still a hesitant participant in the war. She left the battle as the world’s first superpower.
Whirlwind: War In The Pacific is a brilliant narrative history of three of the crucial naval battles of the Second World War. It is essential reading for anyone interested in the period.
Praise for Richard Freeman:
‘Well-written… especially rewarding’ - Navy History
‘Freeman has done an excellent job… an interesting volume’ - Historic Naval Fiction
Richard Freeman graduated in mathematics before following a career in distance education. He now writes on naval history. His other books include Midway, Pearl Harbor and Coral Sea 1942.
Whirlwind: War in the Pacific tells the story of how America achieved this staggering turnaround using accounts of the three key Pacific battles of 1942.
Pearl Harbor: Hinge of War
When Japan launched a surprise attack on Pearl Harbour on 7 December 194, thousands of American lives were lost and their military resources diminished. The story of the raid is one of Japanese military skill meeting American courage, officially drawing the US into the Second World War.
Coral Sea, 1942
Following setback after setback after Pearl Harbour, the US sent Admiral Frank Fletcher with two aircraft carriers to destroy the Japanese invasion force before they could take Port Moresby in New Guinea. The fate of the Pacific hung in the balance. The Americans suffered heavy losses during the conflict, but the battle was the triumph the US desperately needed, finally giving them a leg up over Japan. The tide had turned.
Midway
Fought by hundreds of planes thousands of miles away from land, Midway saw four massive Japanese aircraft carriers pitted against three huge American carriers in a battle for domination of the Pacific. The battle raged over three days, full of setbacks for either side – until Admirals Yamamoto and Nagumo suffered the greatest naval defeat in history. America entered Midway on the defensive, still a hesitant participant in the war. She left the battle as the world’s first superpower.
Whirlwind: War In The Pacific is a brilliant narrative history of three of the crucial naval battles of the Second World War. It is essential reading for anyone interested in the period.
Praise for Richard Freeman:
‘Well-written… especially rewarding’ - Navy History
‘Freeman has done an excellent job… an interesting volume’ - Historic Naval Fiction
Richard Freeman graduated in mathematics before following a career in distance education. He now writes on naval history. His other books include Midway, Pearl Harbor and Coral Sea 1942.
- GenresWorld War IINonfiction
259 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 8, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
January 18, 2023
Consider the Pacific Ocean. It’s the largest expanse of territory on the planet, spanning 63.8 million square miles. That’s seventeen times the territory of the United States, and ten times that of Russia, by far the largest nation on Earth. Should we wonder, then, why fleets of Japanese and American warships spent so much time hunting in vain to locate the enemy? That failure, and other misjudgments and blunders in the Pacific War, loom large in Richard Freeman’s illuminating account of the first six crucial months of 1942, Whirlwind: War in the Pacific.
THE SIX-MONTH TURNAROUND IN US FORTUNES
Within just six months of the devastating attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States Navy reversed the strategic trajectory of the war in the Pacific. By mid-June, the Japanese Imperial Navy was on the defensive. In the Battle of the Coral Sea (May 4–8, 1942), the American fleet met the best the Empire could bring to the war and fought them to a standstill. And at Midway (June 4–7, 1942), US forces under Admirals Jack Fletcher and Raymond Spruance cut the heart out of the Japanese Navy, destroying four of the empire’s six heavy aircraft carriers. Afterwards, despite Japanese gains on the Asian continent, the die was cast for the United States to prevail. And it’s those three battles — Pearl Harbor, the Coral Sea, and Midway — that Richard Freeman analyzes in Whirlwind.
BLUNDERS AND MISJUDGMENTS ON BOTH SIDES AT PEARL HARBOR
From the very first, faulty thinking set the course of the war in the Pacific. Had the commanding officers on both sides been thinking straight, the disaster at Pearl Harbor never would have happened. Believing that an attack on Hawaii was impossible, US commanders on the island utterly failed to take even the most modest steps to protect the fleet from attack. But the Japanese error was greater still. Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, who conceived the sneak attack on Pearl Harbor, understood perfectly that the Japanese Empire could never win a protracted war against the United States. But he was convinced that by destroying the Pacific fleet, he could force the United States to sue for peace.
Yamamoto’s misconception reflected an ongoing pattern within the Japanese military, which consistently underestimated American resolve and fighting ability. And in execution, the Pearl Harbor gambit was a failure because Admiral Chuichi Nagumo, who led the task force attacking the island, failed to order the destruction of the navy repair yards, oil tank farms, and submarine base. That failure, combined with the fact that the US fleet’s three aircraft carriers were hundreds of miles away, sealed Japan’s fate. The attack was considered a tactical victory but a strategic blunder. But in fact it failed even on a tactical level. As Freeman observes, “Pearl Harbour was a disaster for the Japanese, from which they never recovered.”
ERRORS THROUGHOUT THE WAR IN THE PACIFIC
Similarly, in planning that proceeded the Battle of Midway, the headquarters staff of the Imperial Japanese Navy overruled Yamamoto’s demand to deploy all six of their large aircraft carriers. They insisted on a separate, simultaneous attack on the Aleutian Islands with a smaller task force centered on two of the carriers. It’s clear in hindsight that, despite the brilliance Admiral Chester Nimitz displayed in setting the strategy for the Battle of Midway and the superb performance of Admirals Fletcher and Spruance there, Yamamoto would almost certainly have prevailed if he had had six rather than four aircraft carriers at his disposition.
In smaller ways, too, misjudgments and blunders influenced the course of events. Again and again, both Japanese and American pilots scouting or attacking enemy fleets mistook smaller ships for larger ones, confusing cruisers for flattops and destroyers for battleships. More to the point, they routinely reported much greater success in scoring hits on enemy ships than was the case. Many times, reports that they’d sunk or disabled ships turned out to be sheer fantasy. And such an error played a factor in the US victory at Midway. The Japanese were convinced they’d sunk two US carriers in the Battle of the Coral Sea, not one. As a result, they took chances they shouldn’t have taken — and paid the price when the US carrier they thought they’d sunk showed up just miles away.
WHO WAS MOST RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DEBACLE AT PEARL HARBOR?
Most historians fault Admiral Husband Kimmel for failing to protect the US fleet at Pearl Harbor. He was in command of the Pacific Fleet based there. And, yes, there is some cause for blame. He ignored repeated warnings from Washington that war with Japan was imminent. But, as Freeman points out in Whirlwind, “the primary responsibility for protecting the island and the fleet was that of the army. It was the army that had the radar stations and the air bases from which most of the fighters and bombers would take off.” But the man in charge, Lieutenant General Walter Short, utterly failed to do his job.
Short refused to believe that an attack by Japan was possible, insisting instead that the real threat came from sabotage and subversion from Hawaii’s substantial Japanese and Japanese American population. He didn’t consider radar worthwhile and left the station in the hands of untrained rookies. He didn’t order air patrols around the islands. And he had the army’s planes parked wingtip to wingtip in tight formation on the tarmac, making them sitting targets.
Both Short and Kimmel were relieved of their commands after Pearl Harbor. Generals are rarely court-martialed, but Short would have been an obvious candidate.
DETAILED, BLOW-BY-BLOW ACCOUNTS OF THE THREE SIGNATURE BATTLES
Freeman packs colorful detail into his story on almost every page. He names names, citing the experience of enlisted men and officers alike on board ships, in the air, and on land. Here, for example, is a representative passage of the action on the Coral Sea: “Lexington’s planes had launched shortly after Yorktown’s. Her attack group consisted of Ault with four scout bombers, Hamilton with 18 dive-bombers, and Brett with 12 torpedo bombers. The bombers were loaded with 1000 lb weapons and were accompanied by nine fighters led by Lieutenant Noel Gayle. Lexington turned into the 15 knot wind to aid their launching.” Such details lend authenticity to Freeman’s account and enliven the reading experience.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Richard Freeman‘s biographical blurb on Amazon reads as follows: “Richard Freeman writes books on naval history and the people who made that history. Amazon readers have greeted his style with phrases such as ‘Freeman makes military history interesting’ … ‘Freeman’s accounts are so engaging’ … ‘The excellent writing skills of Richard Freeman’ … ‘Freeman is a master of scene setting’. His books regularly receive praise for combining accurate research with a compelling narrative.”
THE SIX-MONTH TURNAROUND IN US FORTUNES
Within just six months of the devastating attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States Navy reversed the strategic trajectory of the war in the Pacific. By mid-June, the Japanese Imperial Navy was on the defensive. In the Battle of the Coral Sea (May 4–8, 1942), the American fleet met the best the Empire could bring to the war and fought them to a standstill. And at Midway (June 4–7, 1942), US forces under Admirals Jack Fletcher and Raymond Spruance cut the heart out of the Japanese Navy, destroying four of the empire’s six heavy aircraft carriers. Afterwards, despite Japanese gains on the Asian continent, the die was cast for the United States to prevail. And it’s those three battles — Pearl Harbor, the Coral Sea, and Midway — that Richard Freeman analyzes in Whirlwind.
BLUNDERS AND MISJUDGMENTS ON BOTH SIDES AT PEARL HARBOR
From the very first, faulty thinking set the course of the war in the Pacific. Had the commanding officers on both sides been thinking straight, the disaster at Pearl Harbor never would have happened. Believing that an attack on Hawaii was impossible, US commanders on the island utterly failed to take even the most modest steps to protect the fleet from attack. But the Japanese error was greater still. Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, who conceived the sneak attack on Pearl Harbor, understood perfectly that the Japanese Empire could never win a protracted war against the United States. But he was convinced that by destroying the Pacific fleet, he could force the United States to sue for peace.
Yamamoto’s misconception reflected an ongoing pattern within the Japanese military, which consistently underestimated American resolve and fighting ability. And in execution, the Pearl Harbor gambit was a failure because Admiral Chuichi Nagumo, who led the task force attacking the island, failed to order the destruction of the navy repair yards, oil tank farms, and submarine base. That failure, combined with the fact that the US fleet’s three aircraft carriers were hundreds of miles away, sealed Japan’s fate. The attack was considered a tactical victory but a strategic blunder. But in fact it failed even on a tactical level. As Freeman observes, “Pearl Harbour was a disaster for the Japanese, from which they never recovered.”
ERRORS THROUGHOUT THE WAR IN THE PACIFIC
Similarly, in planning that proceeded the Battle of Midway, the headquarters staff of the Imperial Japanese Navy overruled Yamamoto’s demand to deploy all six of their large aircraft carriers. They insisted on a separate, simultaneous attack on the Aleutian Islands with a smaller task force centered on two of the carriers. It’s clear in hindsight that, despite the brilliance Admiral Chester Nimitz displayed in setting the strategy for the Battle of Midway and the superb performance of Admirals Fletcher and Spruance there, Yamamoto would almost certainly have prevailed if he had had six rather than four aircraft carriers at his disposition.
In smaller ways, too, misjudgments and blunders influenced the course of events. Again and again, both Japanese and American pilots scouting or attacking enemy fleets mistook smaller ships for larger ones, confusing cruisers for flattops and destroyers for battleships. More to the point, they routinely reported much greater success in scoring hits on enemy ships than was the case. Many times, reports that they’d sunk or disabled ships turned out to be sheer fantasy. And such an error played a factor in the US victory at Midway. The Japanese were convinced they’d sunk two US carriers in the Battle of the Coral Sea, not one. As a result, they took chances they shouldn’t have taken — and paid the price when the US carrier they thought they’d sunk showed up just miles away.
WHO WAS MOST RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DEBACLE AT PEARL HARBOR?
Most historians fault Admiral Husband Kimmel for failing to protect the US fleet at Pearl Harbor. He was in command of the Pacific Fleet based there. And, yes, there is some cause for blame. He ignored repeated warnings from Washington that war with Japan was imminent. But, as Freeman points out in Whirlwind, “the primary responsibility for protecting the island and the fleet was that of the army. It was the army that had the radar stations and the air bases from which most of the fighters and bombers would take off.” But the man in charge, Lieutenant General Walter Short, utterly failed to do his job.
Short refused to believe that an attack by Japan was possible, insisting instead that the real threat came from sabotage and subversion from Hawaii’s substantial Japanese and Japanese American population. He didn’t consider radar worthwhile and left the station in the hands of untrained rookies. He didn’t order air patrols around the islands. And he had the army’s planes parked wingtip to wingtip in tight formation on the tarmac, making them sitting targets.
Both Short and Kimmel were relieved of their commands after Pearl Harbor. Generals are rarely court-martialed, but Short would have been an obvious candidate.
DETAILED, BLOW-BY-BLOW ACCOUNTS OF THE THREE SIGNATURE BATTLES
Freeman packs colorful detail into his story on almost every page. He names names, citing the experience of enlisted men and officers alike on board ships, in the air, and on land. Here, for example, is a representative passage of the action on the Coral Sea: “Lexington’s planes had launched shortly after Yorktown’s. Her attack group consisted of Ault with four scout bombers, Hamilton with 18 dive-bombers, and Brett with 12 torpedo bombers. The bombers were loaded with 1000 lb weapons and were accompanied by nine fighters led by Lieutenant Noel Gayle. Lexington turned into the 15 knot wind to aid their launching.” Such details lend authenticity to Freeman’s account and enliven the reading experience.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Richard Freeman‘s biographical blurb on Amazon reads as follows: “Richard Freeman writes books on naval history and the people who made that history. Amazon readers have greeted his style with phrases such as ‘Freeman makes military history interesting’ … ‘Freeman’s accounts are so engaging’ … ‘The excellent writing skills of Richard Freeman’ … ‘Freeman is a master of scene setting’. His books regularly receive praise for combining accurate research with a compelling narrative.”
February 12, 2023
An outstanding, concise overview of three of the most important U.S. WWII naval battles in the Pacific. Short enough to read quickly; detailed enough to provide an understanding of each encounter. The war in the Pacific was a secondary effort to that of the European Theater of Operations but no less brutal. Ship battles rarely left any ship unscathed meaning that in the middle of a death struggle against a determined enemy, the ship's crew also had to fight the ravages of fire and gapping holes filling with sea water to keep their seaborne home from succumbing to the unforgiving sea. These deadly foes, either of which alone stretched the crew under fire's mental and physical capabilities to extremes. Combined, these challenges turned ordinary men into near super humans. Richard Freeman does an outstanding job of recounting the horrors of war at sea and details extraordinary feats of courage and seamanship demonstrated by sailors, naval aviators and their leaders engulfed in the most unimaginable conditions naval warfare presented.
March 11, 2023
Easy to read and gripping naval history of several critical naval battles in WW II. It was good in that it documented the planning and execution of both sides. The early years in the Pacific were really a game of cat and mouse until we recovered from Pearl harbor. I learned a lot of good background especially about the carrier engagements in the Coral Sea, often overlooked.
September 15, 2023
Pacific Theater
Very much a “can’t put it down” book. Awesome insights, didn’t realize the huge loss of so many airplanes/pilots at Midway. Great read for those who enjoy technical jargon of both ship and airplanes.
Very much a “can’t put it down” book. Awesome insights, didn’t realize the huge loss of so many airplanes/pilots at Midway. Great read for those who enjoy technical jargon of both ship and airplanes.
March 16, 2024
Bravo Zulu (aka “Well Done”)
Much better read than I had anticipated. He personalized the multiple stories, which made them come to life. I’ve read a lot about the subject and this was among the best.
Much better read than I had anticipated. He personalized the multiple stories, which made them come to life. I’ve read a lot about the subject and this was among the best.
July 20, 2024
The sections of the book that discuss the attack on Pearl Harbor and the Battle of Midway were very good and informative informative. The section on the Battle of the Coral Sea while informative was not as good.
A decent read though.
A decent read though.
November 20, 2020
Not adding anything to other (better) books like "The First Team" and "Shattered Sword" and lots of errors and misspellings make this book redundant
January 28, 2023
Good synopsis of the two main sea battles of1942.
Good review and easy to read. Well edited to provide the gist of events. Well worth the time to read.
Good review and easy to read. Well edited to provide the gist of events. Well worth the time to read.
April 18, 2023
great historical timeline
Excellent factual read. Was surprised when realized that the book was actually three stand along books; Pearl Harbor, Coral Sea and Midway.
Excellent factual read. Was surprised when realized that the book was actually three stand along books; Pearl Harbor, Coral Sea and Midway.
September 7, 2023
well researched book
It was a well written book all facts were well researched and a very interesting about both sides on the subject
It was a well written book all facts were well researched and a very interesting about both sides on the subject
November 9, 2023
Very interesting
Great read. Very detailed and accurate history. I couldn't put the book down until I had finished reading. Would recommend for World war two buffs.
Great read. Very detailed and accurate history. I couldn't put the book down until I had finished reading. Would recommend for World war two buffs.
April 29, 2015
This book looks at 3 naval actions by the U.S. Navy. The story of Pearl Harbor and Midway are well-known while the Coral Sea is less so. The lessons learned from these battles, along with Guadalcanal, proved to be the downfall of the Japanese Empire.
September 2, 2015
War in the Pacific
Easy read. Put you right in the middle of the action. I particularly liked the way the three battles culminated in American success.
Easy read. Put you right in the middle of the action. I particularly liked the way the three battles culminated in American success.
October 3, 2018
Excellent book.
Historically accurate and well done. To the point, it is a fast moving book with not a lot of useless wondering around with insignificant facts.
Historically accurate and well done. To the point, it is a fast moving book with not a lot of useless wondering around with insignificant facts.
July 11, 2019
Good book
It was a great read and the research was good and the Midway and Coral Sea books are good and his chapters that set up both chapters were good. Overall, a good book.
It was a great read and the research was good and the Midway and Coral Sea books are good and his chapters that set up both chapters were good. Overall, a good book.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews