I Will Run Wild: The Pacific War from Pearl Harbor to Midway

by Thomas McKelvey Cleaver

This is a vivid narrative history of the early stages of the Pacific War, as US and Allied forces desperately tried to slow the Japanese onslaught that began with the sudden attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941.

In many popular histories of the Pacific War, the period from the Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor to the US victory at Midway is often passed over because it is seen as a period of darkness. Indeed, it is easy to see the period as one of unmitigated disaster for the Allies, with the fall of the Philippines, Malaya, Burma, and the Dutch East Indies, and the wholesale retreat and humiliation at the hands of Japan throughout Southeast Asia.

However, there are also stories of courage and determination in the face of overwhelming odds: the stand of the Marines at Wake Island; the fighting retreat in the Philippines that forced the Japanese to take 140 days to accomplish what they had expected would take 50; the fight against the odds at Singapore and over Java; the stirring tale of the American Volunteer Group in China; and the beginnings of resistance to further Japanese expansion. In these events, there are many individual stories that have either not been told or not been told widely which are every bit as gripping as the stories associated with the turning tide after Midway.

I Will Run Wild draws on extensive first-hand accounts and fascinating new analysis to tell the story of Americans, British, Dutch, Australians, and New Zealanders taken by surprise from Pearl Harbor to Singapore that first Sunday of December, 1941, who went on to fight with what they had at hand against a stronger and better-prepared foe, and in so doing built the basis for a reversal of fortune and an eventual victory.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Military History, World War II, American History, Audiobook, Aviation

320 pages, Hardcover

Published September 22, 2020

About the author

Most of my non-fiction writing is in the field of aviation, primarily the history of people, units and events, though I am also interested in technological developments and their influence on events.

I first ran across "serious" aviation writing when I was 10 and found William Green's "All The World's Aircraft, 1954" - the first book I read that seriously dealt with aircraft development beyond picture books. Over the years I read many books by Bill (as I came eventually to know him), and 25 years later he was the first editor to professionally publish an article by me about an aviation topic (a feature about people in California who restored, owned and operated antique airplanes). Not only did he publish the article, he used my photograph for the cover of that issue of Air Enthusiast Quarterly! In the years that followed, Bill became a friend through the mail, a source of valuable insight about writing, and an enthusiastic supporter of my efforts. I've had a lot of success that way with fellow authors.

My interest in the field of aviation must be genetic. My mother's favorite tale about me was that my first word, spoken around age 1, was "o-pane!" when we were in a park in Denver, and I pointed up at a P-38 as it flew overhead.

My father was involved in aviation in the 1930s, and knew most of the Major Names of the era, like Jimmy Doolittle, Roscoe Turner, and even Ernst Udet. (As an aside, I met General Doolittle myself in 1976. Upon hearing my name, he looked me up and down, then shook his head and said "Nope, too young and too tall." Taken aback for a moment, I realized he was thinking of my father, also a Tom Cleaver. Once I identified myself, he told me a story about my father I had never heard before. I later discovered he had near-perfect recall of names and events.) I grew up looking at my father's photo albums of the old airplanes he had been around, which is probably why I most enjoy airplanes from those years.

In addition to writing about airplanes, I take pictures of them in flight. As a result of both activities, I have flown in everything from a Curtiss Jenny to an Air Force F-4E Phantom (definitely the best rollercoaster ride ever), and have additionally been up in World War II airplanes - the P-51 Mustang, P-40 Warhawk, SBD Dauntless, B-25 Mitchell, and many many many times in a T-6. As a pilot myself, I have about 200 hours in a Stearman biplane trainer as a member of a club back in the 1970s. I am certain my personal knowledge of flying as a pilot has helped me put a reader "in the cockpit" in my writing.

While I have advanced college and university degrees, I consider myself an autodidact, and I see the involvement with airplanes as my key to the world of self-education, as I would ask myself "what was that airplane used for?" which led to such questions as "how did that war happen?" I was also fortunate to grow up in a home with lots of books and a father who enjoyed history; between that and forays to the Denver Public Library (a Saturday spent in the stacks at the Main Library was a day in heaven), my education was very eclectic in subject matter.

My "film school" education came on Saturday afternoons spent at the old Park Theater on South Gaylord Street in Denver, where I went every Saturday from age 7 to age 15 when the theater closed, and watched everything that played on-screen. Somewhere along there, I learned the meaning of "good movie."

Reviews

[Simon Mee · Rating 3 out of 5]

The perfect opportunity to demonstrate my World War II rating handicap system.

I Will Run Wild makes sense as part of Cleaver's collection of air campaigns during World War II. The writing is solid and Cleaver does not just recount actions, rather he places them in the surrounding context. You could give someone this book as one of their first reads into the Pacific War and not put them too far wrong.

The issue is none of it is new. I have read it all before. Even the strike by Lexington and Yorktown off Lae though the Owen Stanleys has been covered enough times that I know exactly the number of planes that carried out. The Marshalls have been been bombed a hundred times in a hundred different books. You can fly a Brewster Buffalo over Singapore in a game dating from the 2000s, we all know how underpowered they are.

One outright downside is the sourcing for the Battle of Midway. Cleaver's bibliography excludes books by Parshall/Tully and Symonds, which seems inexplicable. This is particularly true in terms of allowing outright mistakes to creep in due to relying on older sources - I suspect his reference to Japanese records is just extracts from discredited parts of Fuschida. It is relatively settled that there were no hits on the Japanese carriers prior to the attacks by the carrier Dauntlesses, so to see otherwise in a book published in 2020 is disappointing.

I liked it. But I have to distinguish between World War II books that add a bit more, and those that do not. Cleaver's Clean Sweep kind of did. This did not.

[Randy Reigstad · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought it was a very good review of the start of WW2 in the Pacific. If you want a better review of the start in the pacific, Jeffery Cox has a very good explanation of this time in his books.

[Marshall Snyder · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. While the book purports to cover the Pacific War from Pearl Harbor to Midway, it would be more accurate to describe it as a history of the air war in the Pacific from Pearl Harbor to Midway. He glosses over the ground campaigns in the Philippines and Malaya/Burma and barely mentions the desperate naval battles in the East Indies. However, he spends an entire chapter on the 49th Fighter Group defending Darwin. Popular history, but no footnotes.

[patrick Lorelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Was given this doc for an honest review.

I read this book months ago but have gotten so far behind on my reviews. This book is really good first in that it gives accounts of the different men who fought against Japan besides Americans. The author takes you through the fall of the Philippines which took 140 days instead of 50 like the Japanese thought. Also goes into the men and women who were left on the island to fight and some to surrender after MacArthur left but made sure to take his staff.
He also goes into the different battles before Midway and the battle for Wake Island. He takes you through the flight of Doolittle and the bombing of Japan. He also goes into the lack of planes at the beginning especially after the attacks which destroyed many planes and then the men who actually were flying outdated planes until new ones could be shipped out. You see though really just how much Midway changed the course of the Pacific War. they lost so many planes and pilots that Japan could not recover. Were as the U.S. was able to not only re-supply but to make better aircraft which in the long term one the war in the sky. Overall a good book. I received this book from Netgalley.com I gave it 4 stars. Follow us at www.1rad-readerreveiws.com

[Chad Manske · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thomas McKelvey Cleaver’s “I Will Run Wild: The Pacific War from Pearl Harbor to Midway” offers readers a gripping journey through one of the most tumultuous periods of World War II. This book shines a spotlight on the early days of the Pacific War, masterfully weaving together strategic insights, personal stories, and historical analysis in a way that feels both informative and engaging. Cleaver’s narrative begins with the shocking attack on Pearl Harbor, setting the stage for a saga of military strategy and human resilience. The author’s detailed recounting of events is enriched by his ability to seamlessly blend comprehensive research with vivid storytelling. He provides readers with a nuanced understanding of the war’s developments, from the tactical maneuvers in the Pacific to the harrowing experiences of those who lived through them. What sets “I Will Run Wild” apart is Cleaver’s attention to the lesser-known aspects of the conflict. While many accounts focus on major battles, Cleaver delves into the intricate details of naval strategy and the often overlooked personal stories of soldiers and sailors. His portrayal of the human side of war adds depth to the narrative, offering readers a chance to connect with the individuals behind the historic events. The book is not only a historical account but also an exploration of leadership and decision-making under pressure. Cleaver’s analysis of key figures and their choices provides valuable insights into the complexities of wartime command. Overall, “I Will Run Wild” is a compelling read for history enthusiasts and casual readers alike. Cleaver’s ability to present a well-rounded view of the Pacific War, coupled with his engaging writing style, makes this book a standout contribution to World War II literature. Whether you’re a seasoned history buff or a newcomer to the subject, Cleaver’s work is sure to captivate and educate.

[Bill Spies · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wish there was more detail on battles instead of discussing the exact inventory and specifications of every airplane on every base and ship.

[Peter Goodman · Rating 4 out of 5]

“I Will Run Wild: the Pacific War from Pearl Harbor to Midway,” by Thomas McKelvey Cleaver (Osprey, 2020). Cleaver is a pilot, has written extensively about air combat, and is a contributor and has been an editor of Flight Journal. No wonder, then, that this book is really about the air war from Pearl Harbor to Midway, not so much about all the rest of it. So perhaps he is to be excused for filling page after page with detailed listings of the specific squadrons and groups, with their exact complement of planes, whether F4F 2 or 3, SBD 2 or 3, the total bomb load of each plane for each mission, lists of names (and sometimes nicknames) of fliers mentioned just once, until only those whose relatives were involved are paying close attention. Naval combat? Not so much; the Battle of the Java Sea takes about a paragraph. On the other hand (and this is a decent-sized hand) he spends a lot of time describing the fighting in the Dutch East Indies, showing how the Dutch, British, and American pilots, badly outnumbered and flying seriously outclassed aircraft (Brewster F2A-3 Buffalo, anyone?), fought beyond the point of exhaustion and were wiped out. Lots of little details jump out; the Army Air Corps in the Philippines not only had P-40s, and Curtis Hawks, but also DeSeversky P-35s and even ancient Boeing P-26s. He describes many of the air battles in crisp detail, including descriptions of individual dogfights. Douglas MacArthur is scorned, as usual. And there are acute insights, such as the fact that Jimmy Doolittle’s B-25s had an easier time getting off the flight deck of Hornet because of the stiff wind that increased the lift of the planes. It was particularly pleasing to read about dive bomber pilot Richard Halsey (Dick) Best, who attacked two of the Japanese carriers at Midway and then was invalided out for tuberculosis. He is featured in the movie Midway, and it seems that the portrait there is accurate. So the niggling stuff is so niggling: with all the detail and knowledge about the airplanes, why aren’t the Japanese planes in some of the battle photographs identified? The editing is sloppy and the writing is flat. The lack of character description jumps out compared with most of the accounts of the war, that tend to go into detail about physical appearance and personalities. Still, quick and informative read.

https://www.waterstones.com/book/i-wi...

[A. J. Daverede · Rating 3 out of 5]

Missed Opportunity

I looked forward to this read to help fill in my knowledge of the early Pacific War, especially with the air combat that took place over the Malay Peninsula, Singapore, and the Netherlands East Indies. The author has done that to some extent, but I was disappointed by two specific items.


First, there are no footnotes. The author presents a significant bibliography, almost exclusively secondary sources; however, it would have been better had the sources been tied to specific sentences and paragraphs in the book. I appreciate the author’s tying all of the varied secondary sources into a single volume, but the lack of footnotes detracts from this book.

Second, the author ends the book with the telling of the Midway tale. Midway is such a significant event for the War in the Pacific that its appearance in any contemporary work of history must be as flawless as possible. The author did not do this. Since 2006, Jonathon Parshall’s “Shattered Sword” has set the gold standard for Battle of Midway scholarship. This book’s absence from the bibliography does not make sense, especially since it is otherwise so extensive. That makes the author’s retelling of the Midway story outdated, as it represents the old Midway canon. The stories of the cryptological origins of Midway, the Aleutian “diversion”, the tribulations of the Hornet air group, Nagumo’s pre-1000 dilemma, and other facts have changed significantly since the publication of Parshall’s work.

My early reading of this book was very hopeful, as it filled in the blanks of the early Pacific War for me. However, the flaws in the Midway story really surprised and disappointed me in the end.

[Darren Burton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thomas Cleaver is the best historian that I have ever read on WWII in the Pacific. This book shows you that the poor bastards in the US Navy didn’t stand a chance the first year of the war against the Japanese. The US Navy never did any peacetime tests of their Mark 13 torpedoes before WWII. They didn’t want to spend the $40,000 per torpedo (if it blew up) to see how well they worked. Half the torpedoes that impacted a Japanese ship would fail to detonate. Most torpedoes that were dropped from torpedo planes or fired from destroyers would run 20 feet deeper than they should have - resulting in them going harmlessly under enemy ships during a battle.
The Mark 13 torpedos also had half the maximum range that the Japanese torpedos had and half the speed.
The Mark 13 could only be dropped about 200 feet above the ocean on a shallow diving angle while the Japanese torpedo planes could drop their torpedos from 450 feet above the ocean at a much steeper diving angle and with their planes going at a much higher speed.
The Japanese had 800 highly trained Zero fighter pilots when they attacked Pearl Harbor and the Japanese Zero was the best fighter plane for the first two years of the war.
The Americans only had about 200 experienced pilots in the US Navy and had planes that had 150 miles less maximum range, that were a lot slower in speed, and could not maneuver as well.
Reading his trilogy on the war in the Pacific is a real eye opener even for someone that had read several books on the Pacific War.

[Terri Wangard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of interesting stories. Especially interesting was the account of an American squadron in Darwin, Australia, after it suffered the first enemy raid.

The Japanese were so arrogant in their superiority that they ignored evidence to the contrary

Amusing, in a disgusting way, was the account of MacArthur. He “was shocked the enemy would dare to behave differently than he had declared they would,” and then sulked in his penthouse suite, incommunicado, for the next week. He got so much favorable publicity because news reports were based on press releases from his headquarters.

The Japanese were able to run wild for six months because they were prepared and possessed modern equipment. The Allies had obsolete equipment, shortages of parts, friction between allies, and disregard from home. A lot of text bogged down with listings of all the enemy ships and personnel involved in different battles. I skimmed over that.

Overall, though, recommended reading. I received a free copy for my opinion.

[Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Authored by a Vietnam veteran who has a lifelong interest in the Korean War, this book examines the six critical months of the Pacific theater during World War II in 1941-1942, between Pearl Harbor and the Battle of the Midway. We learn how American pilots ultimately overcome a lack of experience and prewar planning, not to mention in some cases Japanese technical superiority, to turn the tide in the Pacific to help win the war. It's hard not to feel more patriotism after reading this book, noting the bravery and heroism of the men of the "Great Generation." It might have been interesting to learn more about how American naval planners ramped up their training efforts, not to mention our country's industrial capacity, and how our military effectively supplied enough gasoline to power our plans and ships to victory.

[Bob · Rating 5 out of 5]

Marvelous narrative history

I have read more than a few accounts of the Pacific Theatre of World War II. I came across I Will Run Wild while searching for my next read, and decided to give it a go. I am glad I did! This was a well researched story of the Pacific War's first six months. There was much in this book I knew, but also much I didn't know (the Philippine, Malayan, and Netherlands East Indies campaigns, defense of Australia, Battle of the Coral Sea). Highly readable but with plenty of nfo on personalities associated with this period. Highly recommended.

[Paul Bice · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good, overall picture of the early parts of World War 2's Pacific Theater. Not as in-depth as I would've liked, but it provides a good big picture of the odds the Allies faced; And the excellent planning and carrying-out of operations by the Japanese.

I would've liked more emphasis placed on naval battles and land fighting, but the author knows his planes, and knows his squadrons, and I enjoyed that; I am not a "planes person", so this was a boon!

Overall, a good introduction, with abit of a heavier emphasis on the air battles, to the early Pacific theater.

[Neil · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve read several of Cleaver’s aviation books and like the rest this one is extensively researched, so much so that in one instance he points out how he is correct and other contemporary accounts are inaccurate.

Although not really a fault, my only criticism is that Cleaver heavily relies on terminology such as aircraft types, unit designations and personnel that if you don’t process what he’s writing as you’re reading it you might not be able to fully appreciate what he’s saying later on.

Overall a great account on how against all odds, people who are determined can prevail.

[Simon P · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thomas McKelvey Cleaver’s “I Will Run Wild” is an entertaining and engrossing read.

The reader gets to experience the pacific war at a breakneck speed, guided by Cleaver’s obvious enthusiasm and painstakingly researched material.

Where Cleaver’s narrative comes alive is in recounting the exploits of individual pilots and American servicemen. In attempting to deliver on a grand scale, we end up spending barely any time with each of these fascinating individuals. As a result, these stories, while remarkable, rarely rise above the standard caricature of ‘brave war heroes do hero stuff”.

I learned many fascinating details that I didn’t know about the Pacific War on both sides and enjoyed every minute of Cleaver’s wild ride.

I received an advance copy of this title from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Daniel Hutmacher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting

This book was easy to read and very interesting. Their aren't many books about the first few months of the war. I would recommend this to anyone interested in the early days of the war.

[Frederick Wreford · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rehash of the early naval air war

I was expecting a more detailed look at Japan's campaigns in the Philippines and SE asia. Instead the book gives alot of information on the Allies air war Nothing about group campains.

[Henry SmithT · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting to read about a time period of the war that is often glossed over due to lack of American victories. But the individual examples of courage shown in this book are gripping.

[Kipi (the academic stitcher) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good overview of the first six months of the Pacific War. When I saw the title, I assumed that the focus of the book would be on Admiral Yamamoto as he was the one who said that if the Japanese went to war with the US, he would run wild for six months. I was mistaken in assuming that was the case, and I was a little disappointed by that. That isn't to say that the book isn't worth reading, but it wasn't exactly what I was looking for.

The audiobook is read by Lance C. Fuller. I did not much enjoy his performance. It was somewhat stilted and unnatural, and there were numerous mispronunciations and odd pronunciations of many of the Japanese names, and thus the loss of a star.

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent description of the first six months of the Pacific War with an emphasis on the air war. It’s very detailed, and covers many overlooked elements of the war, including an interesting bit on Thailand’s role during those initial months. Sometimes it can feel like Cleaver is repeating himself, but largely his writing is clear and engaging. You might need a pen and paper to keep track of the different squadrons and airplanes though. Any book that can provide new information about a subject already covered in extreme detail is worth reading.