On December 7, 1941, Japanese fighter planes appeared from the clouds above Pearl Harbor and fundamentally changed the course of history; with this one surprise attack, the previously isolationist America was irrevocably thrown into the fray and World War II had begun in earnest.
This definitive history reveals each of the major battles that America would fight in the ensuing struggle against Imperial Japan, from the naval clashes at Midway and Coral Sea to the desperate, bloody fighting on Iwo Jima and Okinawa. Each chapter reveals both the horrors of the battle and the Allies' grim yet heroic determination to wrest victory from what often seemed to be certain defeat, offering a valuable guide to the long road to victory in the Pacific. It is the definitive guide to a unique conflict in history, documenting the rise of naval aviation, spectacular amphibious operations, co-ordinated suicide tactics, and the birth of the atomic age.
Dye, Dale: - Dale Dye enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in 1964 and served in Vietnam, surviving 31 major combat operations. He emerged from Southeast Asia highly decorated, and rose to the rank of Master Sergeant before he was chosen to attend Officer Candidate School. Dye founded Warriors, Inc, the leading military consultancy to motion pictures and television shortly after retiring from the Marine Corps and his firm has worked on more than fifty movies and TV shows including several Academy Award and Emmy winning productions.
Moran, Jim: - Jim Moran has written extensively on the uniforms, equipment and history of the United States Marine Corps. He is an enthusiastic collector of Marine Corps memorabilia and an honorary life member of the 2d Marine Division Association. When he is not accompanying USMC veterans on trips to the Pacific battlefields of World War II, Jim lives with his family in South Yorkshire.
Mueller, Joseph: - Joseph N. Mueller is a Lieutenant Colonel in the USMC Reserve and the foremost expert on the Guadalcanal campaign. He has had several articles and books published on the subject, and maintains a massive collection of photos, written material and equipment relevant to the battle. Over the years, he has made several trips to Guadalcanal and the surrounding islands to study the battlefield at first hand.
O'Neill, Robert: - Professor Robert O'Neill is the consultant editor of The Road to Victory and the editor of I am Soldier, both from Osprey.
Rottman, Gordon L.: - Gordon L. Rottman entered the US Army in 1967, volunteered for Special Forces and completed training as a weapons specialist. He served in the 5th Special Forces Group in Vietnam in 1969-70 and subsequently in airborne infantry, long-range patrol and intelligence assignments before retiring after 26 years. He was a Special Operations Forces scenario writer at the Joint Readiness Training Center for 12 years and is now a freelance writer, living in Texas.
Smith, Carl: - Carl Smith has had a life long fascination with many aspects of the military history of the United States. A specialist writer of many years experience, Carl has worked for several popular military magazines, and has written several volumes on the key battles of the Civil War in the Osprey Campaign series. Carl lives and works in Virginia.
Stille, Mark: - Mark Stille is the author of numerous Osprey titles focusing on naval history in the Pacific. He recently concluded a nearly 40-year career in the intelligence community, including tours on the faculty of the Naval War College, on the Joint Staff and on US Navy ships. He received his BA in History from the University of Maryland and also holds an MA from the Naval War College.
Wright, Derrick: - Derrick Wright's interest in WWII was sparked by his childhood in the Teeside area of the UK which was subjected to many bombing raids. After national Service with the Army, he became an engineer specialising in Ultrasonics. Retired, he lives with his wife on the edge of the North Yorkshire Moors.
