In this complex and descriptive history book about the Battle of Midway, Mark Stille brings this pivotal battle from the Pacific theater of World War II to life in incredible detail. Focusing on the maneuvers and the strategies of the American and Japanese navies during the battle, Stille explores the complex background of the battle and the intricacies of the strategies and planning behind it, arguing that these strategies, rather than luck, were the cause of the American victory. An expert on the war in the Pacific, Stille brings his experience and knowledge to full bear in this incredibly detailed and complex book. The maps are sure to provide a lot of insight and break up the text in this book, which can be dense at times with its use of military terminology and acronyms. Real history fans will love the incredible detail and minute progression of naval movements and tactics throughout the book, but more casual readers might find this a bit overwhelming in its intensity of detail. That being said, Stille is a strong writer and a compelling narrator, and readers will definitely value his professional expertise and insight into the Pacific theater and the importance of the Battle of Midway.

This is the most detailed book on the battle of Midway I’ve ever read. My prior experience was Jeff Shaara’s The Eagle’s Claw which is presented in narrative form. Still’s presentation is highly technical in more of a textbook style. It covers the period prior to Midway beginning with the better known Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor six months earlier. The author digs deeply into both the Japanese and Allied strategies for dominating the South Pacific, resulting in the Midway battle. He then provides detailed insights into the battle and its aftermath. The conclusion is an interesting theory on the reasons for American success and Japanese defeat, which differ from the traditional historic perspective.

An interesting and refreshing look at the naval battle of Midway during WW2. The author presents a case that the battle was not as pivotal as it has been portrayed in history. The facts and story are well-laid out and the presented in a manner to allow the reader not only to understand the battle, but also the events leading to the battle. The mistakes on both sides are well-documented and researched. I found the addition of how the battle could have gone (including the attempted invasion of the island) to be an interesting "what-if" to the facts presented. Overall, an enjoyable read for the history enthusiast.

Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

For those of you have already finished reading Mark Stilles' brilliant study of the Battle of Leyte Gulf, entitled "Leyte Gulf: A New History of the World's Largest Sea Battle," I am happy to report that he has done it again. I have just finished my read of "Midway: The Pacific War's Most Famous Battle" (provided to me as an ARC by Osprey Publishing), and it is another jewel of its kind. Midway, along with Stalingrad and El Alamein, is widely regarded as one of the crucial "turning points" of the Second World War. Much as his study of Leyte Gulf was meant to examine the battle from a fresh perspective, his well written and documented study of the Battle of Midway opens events to fresh interpretations of events in both their planning and execution. The general outline that most people know is of a carefully laid trap that allowed the outgunned and outnumbered Americans to defeat the much vaunted Kito Butai (the IDF's famous "mobile strike force" that brought together Japan's most talented and experienced naval aviators in a well rounded force built around aircraft carriers and the elite and highly trained warriors who manned them). The story has never been better told although the author is careful to let the facts speak for themselves rather than "gild the lily" with overdramatized concentrations on individual aspects of the battle that tend to reinforce existing interpretations and perhaps mask more serious underlying evidence. For example, it is clear that the author understands that American industrial prowess was already manifest despite early Japanese dominance in the war. At the same time, the author reveals that the Japanese attitudes shaped by their early run of luck in establishing a defensive ring around the home islands, with its crushing defeats of Allied forces in the Pacific, had already undermined their continued success through the pervasive growth of what came to be known as the "victory disease" (a reference to arrogance born of success). I have read extensively in this area, and Stille's work is truly a breath of fresh air. This book belongs in any collection focusing on the Pacific War. Kudos to the author; I am impressed.

This was a fantastic book by Mark Stille. I was hooked from the first chapter. I thought the author did a great job covering the topic of the Battle of Midway extremely well. I will be recommending this book to everyone. Thank you for the oportunity to read it early.

Thanks to Mark Sille, Osprey Publishing and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy of this book in exchange for an early review.

For those of us who have read World War II history and books about Midway, the story of the battle is familiar. However, this book brings impressive new facts and insights to provide a deeper understanding of not only what happened but why. I learned quite a few things about a battle I thought I understood.

Deeply researched, the book begins with early battles of the war and demonstrates how early Japanese victories influenced naval doctrine, how internal politics impacted planning, and how the consequences of mistakes on both sides impacted the outcome.

Recommended for those of us interested in World War II, Midway, or history in general. This would also be a great book to examine leadership styles as evidenced by leaders up and down the leadership chain on both sides.

Having read and thoroughly appreciated Mark Stille’s excellent account of the Battle of Leyte Gulf his new analysis of the Battle of Midway was eagerly anticipated, notwithstanding the fact that this battle is probably the most thoroughly covered of all naval battles in books, films and documentaries. In what is becoming a ‘Stille trademark’ the author is at pains to follow his own analysis and not rely on the various summaries and even myths that always seem to be attracted to well known military actions.

In another departure from conventional accounts the narrative does not follow a linear timeline, rather Stille uses an interesting thematic approach. Whilst this does run the risk of a somewhat disjointed narrative it does allow the author to explore the important ‘why?’ questions that any account of the Midway encounter throws up. A particularly important strand of this analysis is the exploration and explanation of the prevailing naval doctrines of the IJN and the USN.

So, to the $64,000 question - does Stille make an important enough contribution to the reader’s ability to understand how and why the Battle of Midway unfolded as it did for readers to pay good money for this book? Emphatically and unambiguously ‘Yes’!

And, on a final note for those of us lucky enough to have been spared major wars, how was it that young men - with no martial tradition and without being exposed to relentless propaganda - could climb into the cockpit of a Devastator torpedo bomber and face the might of the IJN, knowing that his chances of returning were at best 10%? It is impossible to read these accounts without pausing to pay silent tribute to all who fought in the citizen armies, navies and airforces of the WW2 Allies, particularly those who paid the ultimate price.

Much has been written about the Battle of Midway since 1942, can a new book give us fresh perspectives? It this case yes it can.
Mark Stille has written an engaging and detailed book about not just the battle itself but the events leading up to Midway and has analysed where the Japanese and Americans went wrong.
The standard narrative is that the Americans were lucky, the author challenges this viewpoint and makes an excellent argument that it was a battle that the Americans were likely to win.
If you have an interest in the Pacific war as I do, I can recommend this book. Having read other books about Midway, this would now be one of my go to books about the battle. An unbiased, even handed narrative that criticises both sides during this battle.
If you have an interest in World War Two, read it and be informed.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC of this book.

This detailed, thoroughly researched account of both the Japanese and US actions that led up to the Battle of Midway on 4th 5th and 6th July 1942 and its aftermath. Since the end of WWII, there have been many books and several films and documentaries produced on the Battle, but this particular collation of many sources from both sides goes into many details of the operations of the Naval vessels, the aircraft that operated from them and from the Seaplane base and airfield on Midway Atoll that present a coherent context to one of the most important sea engagements of the time.
The reader is taken from the historic build up of the two Navies from the beginning of the 20th Century, the early careers and personalities of the main protagonists through to their involvement in the Battle and demonstrates the very different reaction of the Commanders when faced with contact with the enemy. The Japanese were constrained by doctrine and focus on the ‘plan’ and were less inclined to apply flexibility due to their adherence to the chain of Command. The US Commanders on the other hand were, in the main, less constrained by doctrine and applied tactical flexibility when necessary, especially when reconnaissance indicated actual sightings of the Japanese vessels and aircraft.
It must be said that the US had three significant advantages over the Japanese, the availability of radar on the ships, accurate intelligence through breaking the Japanese Naval cipher and the long-range Catalina aircraft based at Midway. These benefits were not the complete answer to the US victory at Midway as some squadron and air division commanders did make errors that cost lives. The principal equipment malfunction on the US side was the almost total failure of the air dropped Mark 13 Mod 1 torpedo that was slow, had to dropped close to the target. A whole division of torpedo bombers were lost in the early attacks on the Japanese carriers and the only weapon that was effective was 1000, and 500lb bombs delivered by dive bombers.
This is a book for all those who wish to gain a refreshingly complete account of the Battle of Midway that gives a unique perspective in the detail of the participants, equipment and actions that took place.

Billed as a detailed re-examination of Midway. The author argues that the American victory at Midway was not a miracle or good luck. Rather, the Americans won because of Nimitz’s bold planning. He had excellent intelligence, long-range scouting aircraft from Midway, and a capable dive-bomber flown by well-trained crews.
The Japanese lost because they had Victory Disease which led to sloppy planning. They felt superior after running wild for six months and held the “cowardly” Americans in contempt. They expected the Americans to respond in ways that mirrored how they would act, revealing how little they understood their adversary. They were bound by an overarching sense of confidence, lack of imagination, rigid adherence to doctrine over initiative, and complex plans.
An example: Nimitz’s determination to get the damaged Yorktown repaired and into the battle contrasts sharply with Japan’s failure to bring Zuikaku after its aircrews were decimated at Coral Sea. They had plenty of aircraft from the damaged Shokaku to make Zuikaku battle-ready. Yorktown’s presence with Admiral Fletcher’s inspired performance and experienced air groups were crucial.
The significance of the US victory at Midway is the decisive end of the first phase of the Pacific war; Japanese expansion was stopped. The naval balance was fairly even, and the Americans grabbed the initiative.
This is a highly detailed book. The explanations of each and every weapon and naval asset can be stupefying. It is also full of details I had never heard before, including some humorous.
Sub commander Brockman was very aggressive, unusual for sub skippers at this stage of the war. A torpedo he fired hit a carrier but failed to explode. The torpedo broke in two, with the aft section being used by Japanese sailors as a life raft.