First published 2016
James D. Hornfischer examines the U.S. Fifth Fleet's seizure of the Marianas islands, the campaign that elevated American naval power to unprecedented heights during World War II. Published for the 75th anniversary of Pearl Harbor, this account draws from thousands of pages of primary sources to chronicle the operation that established America's global military dominance. Hornfischer details the seaborne invasion of Saipan, the aerial combat known as the Marianas Turkey Shoot, and the brutal ground fighting that included the war's largest suicide attack. The campaign introduced early SEAL predecessors, demonstrated America's cross-hemispheric operational capabilities, and showcased the maturation of carrier aviation. The author connects these Pacific victories to the secret training of aviation units that would later deliver nuclear weapons over Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Through portraits of key commanders and detailed battle sequences, Hornfischer shows how this single campaign reshaped modern warfare and positioned the United States as the dominant global superpower.
Genres: 20th-century, world-war-ii, non-fiction, military-history, naval-history, american-history
Vibes: emotional, fast-paced, thought-provoking
Tropes: historical-fiction
Setting: Marianas Islands, Pacific
Period: World War II
602 pages · Hardcover · Bantam