Morning Star, Midnight Sun: The Early Guadalcanal-Solomons Campaign of World War II August–October 1942

I read Mr. Cox’ earlier book on the Java Sea campaign and was looking forward to his next publication, unfortunately he has experienced the sophomore slump with this effort. While, he presents some interesting and new information and his style makes for an easy read, I could only give the effort a 3 star score due to flaws in execution.I have three major problems with the book:1. The editing and proof-reading for this book is extremely poor. As others have mentioned, there is no reason to get Butch O’Hare’s service wrong and other similar errors. I feel that Osprey Publishing has let the author down by not editing and proofing this book more closely. Osprey has plenty of experience with military topics and should have staff knowledgeable to catch these errors.2. The paucity of maps and the lack of a map index. You don’t come across a map showing the AOR until page 249. Unless you have a separate atlas or are very knowledgeable of the area, it makes it very difficult to follow the various events. There are no detailed maps of the Rabaul-Guadalcanal region, which is a shame. There are also no maps of Guadalcanal or the land actions that the author devotes a number of chapters. There are a couple of very nice maps for the Battles of Savo Island and Cape Esperance, so there is the capability to provide this type of info. Again, I lay a lot of the blame on Osprey for this failure. Osprey has always been known for its top-notch graphics and maps in its Campaign/New Vanguard publications. If they want to be taken as a serious publisher of larger works, they need to show the same level of expertise on the larger works.3. Lastly, I enjoyed Mr. Cox’s overall writing style, as someone has stated it is engaging and entertaining. He does a good job of maintaining suspense throughout the book. What I have problems with is his continuing habit of making snide comments about individuals that he dislikes, such as Captain Bode, USN, and Lieutenant Colonel Tsuji, IJA. I understand that these individuals were flawed and had negative impacts for their respective services and the author is in his rights to bring these flaws out. However, to continue to make snide comments throughout the narrative is just not very professional in my opinion.I definitely came away with a better understanding the challenges faced by both opponents. The trade-offs facing the USN and its decision to continually operate in the Torpedo Junction area; and the balancing equation faced by the Japanese at the far end of their logistics chain on whether to provide supplies or additional troops to the battlefield.A final comment regarding various reviewer comments that the author only gave us half a loaf. When I ordered the book, I took note of the subtitle and understood that it would only cover a portion of the Guadalcanal campaign. I understand my fellow reviewer’s frustration if they pre-ordered and got less than promised. I do find it strange that Mr. Cox did not include an Introduction stating his goals for the book and laying out his hopes/plans for a follow-on effort.This is his second publication, so hopefully this effort is just the typical sophomore slump and that Mr. Cox will complete the narrative of the Guadalcanal campaign and rectify some of the shortfalls mentioned in this and other reviews.

In August, 1942, the United States launched their first amphibious offensive of the Pacific War. The target was Guadalcanal, located in the Solomon islands. The Japanese were busy building an airfield there, and if finished, the vital supply lines to Australia would be threatened. In "Morning Star, Midnight Sun", author Jeffrey Cox looks at the first few months of the campaign.Over the course of August through October, 1942, the American navy and Japanese navy clashed in no fewer than four major engagements, including the battles of Savo island, where the Allies lost four heavy cruisers, the Battle of the Eastern Solomons, the Battle of Cape Esperance, and the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands. Heavy losses were suffered on both sides. The Japanese lost most of their veteran pilots during this time, while the Americans lost the aircraft carriers Wasp and Hornet, leaving the Enterprise as the only American carrier operating in the Pacific.Cox also spends time discussing the battle on Guadalcanal itself, including the struggle of the American First Marine Division to hold on to Henderson field in the face of non-stop Japanese attacks. The Americans endured constant combat, as well as shelling by the Japanese navy. But the airfield, along with the planes of the Cactus air force, fought bravely to keep the Japanese from taking the airfield."Morning Star, Midnight Sun" is a fine book about the first half of the battle for Guadalcanal. Each major engagement is discussed in detail. Cox also describes the horrible conditions that the men faced on a daily basis, including torrential rains, exhaustion, and disease. This is a very good book, and I'm expecting there to be a second volume that deals with the remainder of the campaign. Highly recommended.

This is the second book of three by the author, Jeffrey R. Cox. I have read many books about Guadalcanal and this is, in my opinion, one of the top 4. In the Kindle edition the footnoting is a window to all the informaiton out "there" about this campaign. In particular, books that are written by Japanese authors. I am looking forward to reading his other two books of this trilogy.. In particular, his first book, "Rising Sun, Falling Skies," about the Java Sea Campaign, beause this is a period of World War II in the Pacific that I know only the basic outline of its history. If the war in The Pacific is an area of your interest, as it is mine, I will recommend all three of Mr. cox's books from my reading, "Morning Star, Midnight Sun." FilmSmithP.S. I have not seen a print copy of this book - so this criticism is based on my Kindle edition - I could not "find" any maps, had to print out a few from Wikipedia to reference while I read.

“Shrapnel sliced through his juggler vein”.This book really REALLY needed a proof reader. A lot of small errors.Still, an entertaining read and worth your time.

Excellent. I had liked Jeffrey Cox's Rising Sun, Falling Skies: The Disastrous Java Sea Campaign of World War II, so I thought Morning Star, Midnight Sun would be along similar lines, which it was. Of the two books, I, personally, prefer the book about the Java Sea Campaign, but I can see how people more involved in the Guadalcanal / Santa Cruz campaign might prefer Morning Star, Midnight Sun.The map that everyone will want to see is on page 249, when I think that it might have been better at page 1, and I think that the book misses having a list of the acronyms with what they mean either at the beginning or at the end of the book.An awful lot of names of participants are mentioned. I presume this is in effect to honour as many people as possible and maybe also to make it more attractive to a larger audience / readership as relatives of the participants will find it interesting to know what these individuals did. If I am right in my assessment, it is a policy decision that I can live with.What I found a fraction harder to live with was the fairly frequent mention of course directions like "330 degrees". The explanation given by Jeffrey Cox of what this means is, I think, inadequate.The book does not cover the entire Guadalcanal campaign. It is essentially about the Guadalcanal campaign, and, principally, the naval aspect of it, but it does not cover it all. It covers in detail what happened at Savo Island, and it also covers in detail what happened at Santa Cruz ... and then stops.Still, the criticisms are for me minor. I enjoyed the book. I thought it was a good read, informative, moving, and, at times, funny.

Very good readAccurate History without being dullI hope he is busy writing the next few months

A thick base of excellent technical information on the combatants but also chock full of fascinating personal narrative and a topping of deliciously wry humour. This is one of the best reads on the Guadalcanal Campaign I have come across, 5 stars !

I have previously read this author's work "Rising Sun, Falling Skies" and thoroughly enjoyed it. I didn't hesitate to buy this and I'm glad I did.Just the right mix of grand strategy and small detail. A worthy companion piece to Hornfischer's "Neptunes Inferno".

Good. Not great