At Dawn We Slept: Untold Story of Pearl Harbor by Gordon W. Prange
The surprise Japanese dawn air raid on the American naval fleet at Pearl Harbour on 7 December 1941 was one of the major turning points in history. It caused massive devastation, caught the United States unaware and plunged them into the Second World War, turning it into a truly global conflict. This gripping study scrupulously reconstructs the attack, from its meticulously planned conception, to its lightning execution and the bitter political controversy that followed. It is a story of Japan's daring, tactical brilliance and fanatical dedication, and of America's blind disbelief in a threat from the Far East that led it to ignore advance warnings from its own intelligence sources. Based on years of research, and countless interviews with survivors from both sides of the Pacific, At Dawn We Slept brings the human players in this epic drama to life. Demolishing many of the myths and conspiracy theories that surround Pearl Harbour, it is an unbiased, authoritative and monumental work.