[Consim-l] Re: [boardwargaming] Re: opinions on the book _Shattered Sword_ ?

[Mike NotSpecified]

Right, Shatterred Sword is valuable for the detail on the Japanese side.  It 
talks about a tendency of American historians to assume Japanese plane 
handling aboard ship was similiar to US, and that assumption leads to some 
incorrect conculsions.  I really liked it, as an additional source on Midway. 
 Certainly not the only book you need, nor the one to start with.

A Dawn like Thunder came highly recommended to me.  I thought it was 
interesting and certainly pulled no punches in the citicism of some of the 
comamnders, but the more interesting part ofr me was Torp 8 involvement in the 
Solomon Seas after Midway.  I did not realize what part they played in that 
campaign.

I'd say Shatterred Sword is must read ofr Midway fans and those who've already 
read Incredible Victory.  Dawn Like Thunder is interesting, but not must read.


On Sun, 7 Jun 2009 16:52:21 -0500
  "Pat Collins" <tippecanoe8 at sbcglobal.net> wrote:
> I am not sure I think it's really revisionist, what it does mostly is make 
>widely available in English Japanese accounts.
> 
> Now, the way they stress the time aspect of things, and the detail they go 
>into in explaining how carriers work, is very valuable for the non-naval 
>among us.
> 
> I am not sure I see how the book addresses sociology (aside from the remark 
>about the "sons of consubines vs. sons of legitimate wives", which I will 
>admit seems very "real" to me and does raise the atmosphere that such elite 
>training and testing must have produced)  as much as it does DOCTRINE, and 
>how it can not be changed "on the fly" as it were.
> 
> A book just arrived at my library is (I have not yet read it)
> 
> A dawn like thunder : the true story of Torpedo Squadron Eight
> 
> Which seems to dump on the commander of the HORNET and it's air group 
>commander.  Given that the entire fighter group was lost via ditching, and 
>the Torpedo squadron lost as we all know,  it seems that those two should 
>have been in for some criticism. 
> 
> Regards, Pat
> Last Played: Gazala,  Ardennes, via VASSAL
> 
> 
>  > http://www.amazon.com/Shattered-Sword-Untold-Battle-Midway/dp/1574889230
>  > 
>  > Who else has read it, and what did you think of it?
> 
> 
>  not seem so to me. It is 'modern' in that it attempts to put sociology 
>aspects into the mix of history rather than being event driven completely. 
>And it very much is from takes on the Japanese perspective. Both of these 
>things make for a new looking approach, but they are both double edged 
>swords, 
>  .