Pacific Crucible – War at Sea in the Pacific, 1941–1942 (Pacific War Trilogy)

This is the first in a three volume set. And quite simply is the best telling of the Pacific theatre of war II.Sublimely written. It goes into detail about the start of the conflict through to 1942.The major thing is that it's not dry in it's writing. Some WWII books are hard to follow, due to the laborious way they're presented. This book is not in that category. And flows effortlessly, while describing in detail every event.I had to wait a week for these three volumes to arrive from the u.s. and can honestly say that I was glad I did.Extremely reccomended.

This is an account of the Pacific War at sea from Pearl Harbor to Midway. It is, apparently, the first of a trilogy going all the way to the Japanese surrender in Tokyo Bay and beyond.It starts with an explanation of the Big Battleship paradigm of the great Naval thereorist, Alfred Thayer Mahan (1840-1914), developed in his masterwork, The Influence of Sea Power Upon History, 1660-1783 (1890). Don't be put off by this, as it is vitally important to Toll's main theme, which is that the Japanese and American navies, steeped in Mahan both, were quite slow to realise that the war at sea in WW II was going to be won by submarines and aeroplanes, not the huge battleships on which so many of their resources were lavished in the 1930s. Once it really gets going, after Pearl Harbor, the book is unputdownable. Toll is good on everything - strategy, tactics, intelligence, materiel, the personalities involved (FDR, Churchill, Nimitz, King and Yamamoto especially) -and the battle sequences are vivid, clear and thrilling. He has an eye for detail that brings the scene to life in an instant - the smell of paint burning on the flight deck, the roar of a Zero overhead, the colour of a sunset the night before battle - and a gift for lucid explanation that makes it easy to follow what happened and why. He is something like Beevor and Hastings in this, but his prose is more supple, his focus broader and his tone more relaxed. He is also less judgmental than Hastings and less preoccupied with atrocities than Beevor.In short, this reads like a great novel. Really like War & Peace at times. You feel like you are living as well as understanding it. If only all history books were like this!I cannot wait for the next two.

Ian W Toll's book is the first of his war in the Pacific trilogy and this is an excellent well written account of America's first year in the Pacific in World War 2. It begins with the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, then we have the battle of Wake Atoll, Doolittle's raid on Tokyo, Admiral Halsey's raid on the Marshall Islands, the battles of the Sundra Strait and Java Sea, which was a major allied defeat, to the battle of the Coral Sea and ends with the decisive battle of Midway. Every battle and raid is covered in incredible detail, and this book was definitely a page turner. My only gripe was that there did not seem to be that much written on the disaster at Pearl Harbor at the books beginning, then it veers off into politics of when President Roosvelt took America into the War, then the damage and casualties at Pearl Harbor. Book 2 of the trilogy is just as good as this first book, and anyone interested in the war at sea in the Pacific during the first year of World War 2, this is an essential read.

No further comment.

Part 1 of the 3 part trilogy. I long ago lost count of the number of military histories I have read. This is among the finest. Yes, three sizeable volumes is daunting but the quality of the writing justifies every hour committed to reading. The research is impeccable and the narrative style and flow is possibly the most accessible you will ever come across. A majestic piece of work.

I wanted to know more about the War in the Pacific and understand the detail of what happened and when. This is an exceptional book that does just that. It has the right amount of detail and tells the story from both sides with great insights. The horror and sometimes utter futility of the fighting is made very clear.

This is quite a book, there is an incredible amount detail on the build up to the start of the USA's involvement in the Pacific War. No stone sems to be left unturned in the authors research and description of the Pacific war build up and progression. The author seems to have a masterful way of conveying the panic, and tension being felt by all those characters involved in the organisation and implementation of the fight back against the Axis forces following the Pearl Harbour outrage . It certainly needs your concentration to follow the detail in this book but it is worth it.

Fantastic Read!!! After reading the first chapter I brought the other 2 books. (I don’t usually write reviews but these books are great)

This review is for the entire three volume series, not just this book. I am very interested in the Pacific theater of WWII. I have read all of the S.E. Morison volumes and everything newer that I can get my hands on. Some offerings are dull and dry and really offer nothing new. Some have newer, recently uncovered information. Some are simply a compilation of all the known facts, presented in an interesting manner and a new approach. Known information presented through different eyes - or a different pen - is always interesting as it fills out your understanding and experience of the event. This series falls into the latter category. The "story" unfolds in a logical and easy to follow progression and includes interesting information on subjects external to the actual battles, such as the American government's (both the President and the Navy Dept) interaction with the press and also how the Japanese government dealt with presenting (or not) information to the public. I am currently in the last quarter of the 3rd book in the series, "Twilight of the Gods" and have enjoyed every page. The ONE negative I have for the series is that there are very few - and those not very worthwhile - maps. I was spoiled by Morison's work in that area. That one negative notwithstanding, the series is a recommended read.

Profundo análisis de las causas y desarrollo de la guerra del Pacífico, magníficamente escrito y documentado. Es de lo mejor que he leido en literatura histórica.

Je n'ai commencé à le que récemment mais je ne peux pas laisser tomber!

Ian Toll has written a first-class history of the first stage of America's war in the Pacific, from 1941-42. War in the Pacific during World War 2 was incredibly complex, even though for the Western Allies it began nearly 2.5 years later than war with Germany. Toll has wisely decided to divide his history of America's Pacific War into 3 separate volumes, of which "Pacific Crucible" is but the first. It is well written and includes many of the smaller, but significant, human details of individual lives and experiences that makes for an attractive page-turner. Even though many books on this subject have previously appeared, I still learned interesting new things that I had not seen in at least a dozen other books by well known and lauded writers. Ian Toll's second volume in this series, "The Conquering Tide", covering the war from 1942-44, is now available and I am about half way through reading it. It too is an absolutely splendid read! One must keep in mind, however, that given the complexity of the subject, even Toll's use of three volumes to cover 3.5 years of war experience only results in a "relative synopsis" of the Pacific War. Entire volumes as long and longer than Toll's have been written on each of the major battles he covers in his books, and Toll has provided a good bibliography of many of the best of these works for the reader who wishes further details. Toll's books are an excellent place to start for the budding student of America's Pacific War, and a great read for the more experienced historian as well!

Tolls writing is easy to read, moves fast and flows together well! Perfect blend of personal accounts and history. Good view from both combatants! You don't need to be a historian to read these. Can't recommend this series enough!