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Shattered Sword

The Untold Story of the Battle of Midway

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Shattered Sword

By: Jonathan Parshall, Anthony Tully
Narrated by: Tom Perkins
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About this listen

Many consider the Battle of Midway to have turned the tide of the Pacific War. It is without question one of the most famous battles in history. Now, for the first time since Gordon W. Prange's best-selling Miracle at Midway, Jonathan Parshall and Anthony Tully offer a new interpretation of this great naval engagement. Unlike previous accounts, Shattered Sword makes extensive use of Japanese primary sources. It also corrects the many errors of Mitsuo Fuchida's Midway: The Battle That Doomed Japan, an uncritical reliance upon which has tainted every previous Western account. It thus forces a major, potentially controversial reevaluation of the great battle.

Parshall and Tully examine the battle in detail and effortlessly place it within the context of the Imperial Navy's doctrine and technology. With a foreword by leading World War II naval historian John Lundstrom, Shattered Sword is an indispensable part of any military buff's library.

Shattered Sword is the winner of the 2005 John Lyman Book Award for the "Best Book in U.S. Naval History" and was cited by Proceedings as one of its "Notable Naval Books" for 2005.

©2005 Jonathan Parshall and Anthony Tully (P)2019 Tantor Asia Japan Military Naval Warfare Imperial Japan War US Air Force Submarine Naval History

Critic Reviews

“This incredibly detailed book provides a whole new approach to the study and interpretation of the battle.” (Ships and Shipping)

John Lyman Book Award, Best Book in U.S. Naval History, 2005

Notable Naval Books, Proceedings, 2005.
All stars
Most relevant  
A necessary read for anyone who loves military history. All the levels of the conflict are taken into consideration.

excellent

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For anyone c interested in the War in The Pacific in WW2 I can not recommend this title more highly. It blows away many of the myths and makes understanding this crucial battle of WW2 in the Pacific and the war against Imperial Japan more generally easier.
It should be compulsory reading for all naval officers in particular and any Army or Airforce officer in general. A must for the serious military historian not just the Naval enthusiast

A simply brilliant analysis of Midway

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This really is an outstanding publication if not the most important and comprehensive retelling of the Battle of Midway to be brought to the Western audience. Not only does it make many corrections, it places the battle in the greater context of Japanese operations in the pacific theatre.

A truly excellent read for those interested in WW2 carrier warfare, the battle of midway or Japanese naval operations.

Incredibly detailed and offers a correction of facts

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This is an excellent book. The authors, by using previously unexamined sources of information, shed new light on this historic battle and challenge longheld misconceptions about what happened at the Midway Atoll in 1942.
It's not entertainment history like Dan Carlin (who is also excellent at what he does). It's meticulously detailed and very little attempt was made to give the presentation of the information any drama. But the rapid destruction of Japan's Kido Butai is dramatic enough that it's still an interesting read.
The book is presented from the Japanese perspective. It's a gripping tale of how groupthink and overconfidence led the Imperial Japanese Navy to allow the finest naval aviation striking force on the planet turn into scrap iron in a matter of minutes. For military history fans who don't mind a deep dive into a topic, it's an excellent read.

A superb piece of historical writing

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This is an amazing book. The analysis of the forces, their operational and tactical doctrines are very well thought-out, and debunks many earlier books on the topic.

Definitive Midway book

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A revisionist view of the battle of Midway from the American, Japanese and modern day perspective.

I loved all the detail, whilst admitting to being unable to absorb much of it other than a general overview.

Still fascinating owing to the complexity. fate and simple, dumb, blind luck of this momentous carrier battle.

Military historians may quibble but I found it a great yarn with a superb narration.

Well worth a read.

Fascinating.

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I am in awe of the research that has obviously gone into this book. I bought both the Kindle and Audible so as to read in conjunction and look at the illustrations. It took me well over a month to finish it. It does get a bit repetitive, especially towards the end but can not detract from and incredible piece of work.

Incredible Depth

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The attention to detail and truth is excellent. Nothing not to like. Congratulations on telling the real story.

Extremely well researched and informative.

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