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  • The Battle of Midway (Pivotal Moments in American History)

  • By: Craig L. Symonds
  • Narrated by: James Lurie
  • Length: 14 hrs and 47 mins
  • 4.8 out of 5 stars (35 ratings)

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The Battle of Midway (Pivotal Moments in American History)

By: Craig L. Symonds
Narrated by: James Lurie
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Publisher's Summary

There are few moments in American history in which the course of events tipped so suddenly and so dramatically as at the Battle of Midway. At dawn of June 4, 1942, a rampaging Japanese navy ruled the Pacific. By sunset, their vaunted carrier force (the Kido Butai) had been sunk, and their grip on the Pacific had been loosened forever.

In this absolutely riveting account of a key moment in the history of World War II, one of America's leading naval historians, Craig L. Symonds, paints an unforgettable portrait of ingenuity, courage, and sacrifice. Symonds begins with the arrival of Admiral Chester A. Nimitz at Pearl Harbor after the devastating Japanese attack and describes the key events leading to the climactic battle, including both Coral Sea - the first battle in history against opposing carrier forces - and Jimmy Doolittle's daring raid of Tokyo. He focuses throughout on the people involved, offering telling portraits of Admirals Nimitz, Halsey, Spruance, and numerous other Americans, as well as the leading Japanese figures, including the poker-loving Admiral Yamamoto. Indeed, Symonds sheds much light on the aspects of Japanese culture - such as their single-minded devotion to combat, which led to poorly armored planes and inadequate fire-safety measures on their ships - that contributed to their defeat.

The author's account of the battle itself is masterful, weaving together the many disparate threads of attack - attacks which failed in the early going - that ultimately created a five-minute window in which three of the four Japanese carriers were mortally wounded, changing the course of the Pacific war in an eye-blink.

Symonds is the first historian to argue that the victory at Midway was not simply a matter of luck, pointing out that Nimitz had equal forces, superior intelligence, and the element of surprise. Nimitz had a strong hand, Symonds concludes, and he rightly expected to win.

©2011 Craig L. Symonds (P)2012 Audible, Inc.

What listeners say about The Battle of Midway (Pivotal Moments in American History)

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Great and informative account

The narrator is great and the story riveting. Offers a clear and comprehensive explanation

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One for the historians

Not the most entertaining account of the battle, but certainly very well researched and accurate. If you are into the technical detail of WWII navy aviation you'll love this one.

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Very much recommended!

This was such a comprehensive account of the Battle of Midway, and the events leading up to the battle. I believe it is a well- balanced, accurate, portrayal of both sides. You learn about all of the major players and events from both sides.

I did slightly struggle with how the author chose to discuss the battle. He chose to discuss the different attacks ship by ship instead of chronologically and I did struggle to comprehending when attacks where happening. This was easily remedied by looking T a timeline of the day.

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Superb

The combination of a deep delve into the history with balance combined with the courage to draw conclusions and a great sense of the theatre of the events results on a great book.

The audio reading is outstanding.

One of the best of many history books I have bought.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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incredible

i have not been big on book. but listened to this over 20 times and counting.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Good Book

A great bood book with lots of detail and insights. One of the best. I liked particularly learning about the personalities of the people involved.

The only down side is that over half the book is on the lead up to the battle. I think a quarter or even one third would have been good but hhalf was more than needed.

But that's no big deal, it's one of the best WW2 books I've been through. Get This book!

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Outstanding

Utterly enthralling with superb narration. I try not to give 5 stars as it seems exaggerated but this book demands it. Real "guts and all" history with unbelievable heroism and utterly incompetent leadership by some. The Japanese were incredibly masterful and exceptionally highly skilled. The "Flight to Nowhere" account was unknown to me and simply astonishing.

The fog of war and pure luck is alive and well.

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Midway

Good book. I was trying to get in bombers seat and hit them big boats. Thankfully they got them . Good work

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Fantastic book

A gripping book that is superbly researched and wonderfully written. Excellent delivery by the narrator. I highly recommend this book.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Interesting and informative.

Interesting and informative. A thoroughly enjoyable telling of the events of June 1942. The only problem I had was the low volume even with my Kindle turned up to max.

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