Ross M. (Parrothead) reviewed on 7/30/2006 + 533 more book reviews

This is an outstanding account of the battle for Wake Island at the outbreak of WWII. Duane Schultz offers a well researched and very readable history of this battle, which while an American defeat was also one of its earliest victories. While the Island was eventually surrendered to the Japanese, the price they had to pay for it was very steep. The American public needed good news at the start of the war, and for sixteen days the Wake Island defenders gave it to them. Also covered here are other topics of interest including; Japanese war crimes (100 civilian construction workers were executed by the paranoid Japanese), and the controversy of who was in ultimate command of Wake Island (Cmdr W. S. Cunningham was the senior officer on Wake Island but was completely left out of all accounts of the battle, including award citations).
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