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Pacific Crucible: War at Sea in the Pacific, 1941-1942 (The Pacific War Trilogy, 1) Hardcover – Illustrated, November 14, 2011

by Ian W. Toll (Author)
4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 6,379 ratings
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The planning, the strategy, the sacrifices and heroics―on both sides―illuminating the greatest naval war in history.

On the first Sunday in December 1941, an armada of Japanese warplanes appeared suddenly over Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, and devastated the U.S. Pacific Fleet. Six months later, in a sea fight north of the tiny atoll of Midway, four Japanese aircraft carriers were sent into the abyss. Pacific Crucible tells the epic tale of these first searing months of the Pacific war, when the U.S. Navy shook off the worst defeat in American military history and seized the strategic initiative.

Ian W. Toll's dramatic narrative encompasses both the high command and the "sailor's-eye" view from the lower deck. Relying predominantly on eyewitness accounts and primary sources, Pacific Crucible also spotlights recent scholarship that has revised our understanding of the conflict, including the Japanese decision to provoke a war that few in the country's highest circles thought they could win. The result is a page-turning history that does justice to the breadth and depth of a tremendous subject. 24 pages of black-and-white illustrations and 12 maps
Previous page
  1. Book 1 of 3
    Pacific War Trilogy
  2. Print length
    640 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    W. W. Norton & Company
  5. Publication date
    November 14, 2011
  6. Dimensions
    6.5 x 1.8 x 9.6 inches
  7. ISBN-10
    0393068137
  8. ISBN-13
    978-0393068139
  9. See all details
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  1. Between 1940 and 1943, Britain tripled its war production; Germany and Russia doubled theirs; and Japan increased its war production fourfold. In that three-year period, the United States multiplied its war production by twenty-five times.
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  2. More directly to the point, King would never consent to place the Pacific Fleet under the command of the messianic, fame-seeking General MacArthur.
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  3. That was the sole instance in the entire war to come in which shore batteries turned back an amphibious invasion force.
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From the Publisher

Pacific War Trilogy Ian Toll

Pacific War Trilogy Ian Toll Pacific Crucible

Pacific War Trilogy Ian Toll Conquering Tide

Twilight of the Gods, Volume 3: 1944-1945 by Ian W. Toll

Editorial Reviews

Review

"An entertaining, impressively researched chronicle of the tense period between the bombing of Pearl Harbor and American victory at the battle of Midway."
― Kirkus

"The research is thorough, the writing clear, and the narrative flow exemplary...it is difficult to think of a recent book on this subject that is of such consistently outstanding value."
― Booklist

"Well documented―albeit from previously published materials―and well written. Experienced World War II history buffs may bypass if they feel no need to read another retelling of this phase of the Pacific War, but nonspecialists and general readers will want to consider it."
― LibraryJournal.com

About the Author

Ian W. Toll is the author of the New York Times bestsellers The Conquering Tide, Pacific Crucible, and Six Frigates, winner of the Samuel Eliot Morison Award and the William E. Colby Award. He lives in New York.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ W. W. Norton & Company; First Edition (November 14, 2011)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 640 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0393068137
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0393068139
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.32 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.5 x 1.8 x 9.6 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 6,379 ratings

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Ian W. Toll

Ian W. Toll

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Ian W. Toll is an independent naval historian, the author of PACIFIC CRUCIBLE: War at Sea in the Pacific, 1941-1942 and SIX FRIGATES: The Epic History of the Founding of the U.S. Navy. SIX FRIGATES won broad critical acclaim and was selected for the Samuel Eliot Morison Award, the William E. Colby Award, and New York Times “Editor’s Choice” list.

Customer reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars
4.8 out of 5
6,379 global ratings
ABSOLUTE MASTERPIECE
5 Stars
ABSOLUTE MASTERPIECE
I recently began reading Pacific Crucible, Part 1 of the 3 part trilogy and have been absolutely enamored by Ian Toll’s writing style, his knowledge/research on both U.S. and Imperial Japan’s military strategy and tactics during WW2. Being fairly knowledgeable about the Pacific War already - I already know how chapters will play out.. but Mr. Toll’s ability to keep the reader’s attention is highlighted with surprising facts and recently discovered data that he crafts into all the possible alternative actions that the two nations could have taken to gain the next advantage as the war progresses forward after Pearl Harbor. As an author, he has more than succeeded at maintaining a high level of excitement and even more so for reading the next 2 books that follow in the series!
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Top reviews from the United States

Bryan Berguson
5.0 out of 5 stars Best Pacific theater war books I’ve read
Reviewed in the United States on April 22, 2024
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I came across these the library and thought they’d be full of boring information I didn’t want to know. I was wrong! Pacific Crucible starts out a little slow but all great information, very well written, easy and enjoyable to read. I was thinking about getting them again from the library but opted to buy them and add to my library because they are so good.
2 people found this helpful
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A. Cicogna
5.0 out of 5 stars War in the Pacific
Reviewed in the United States on March 24, 2024
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I waited a long time to read this wonderful book and I was not disappointed. What a great story of WWII in the Pacific. Starting with Pearl Harbor all the way to Midway. Ian Toll tells an unbelievable story of sea battles, admirals, political leaders and everyday enlisted Americans who lived during a truly tragic war time. This book is well written, and easy to follow. Much has been written about the war in the Pacific. This one tells it all. Highly recommended and a great read. You almost feel like you are part of the action. I am looking forward to reading his other two books complimenting this one!
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Steven A. Lomba
5.0 out of 5 stars If you are interested in WWII Pacific Theater history, get this series!
Reviewed in the United States on January 23, 2024
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This review is for the entire three volume series, not just this book. I am very interested in the Pacific theater of WWII. I have read all of the S.E. Morison volumes and everything newer that I can get my hands on. Some offerings are dull and dry and really offer nothing new. Some have newer, recently uncovered information. Some are simply a compilation of all the known facts, presented in an interesting manner and a new approach. Known information presented through different eyes - or a different pen - is always interesting as it fills out your understanding and experience of the event. This series falls into the latter category. The "story" unfolds in a logical and easy to follow progression and includes interesting information on subjects external to the actual battles, such as the American government's (both the President and the Navy Dept) interaction with the press and also how the Japanese government dealt with presenting (or not) information to the public. I am currently in the last quarter of the 3rd book in the series, "Twilight of the Gods" and have enjoyed every page. The ONE negative I have for the series is that there are very few - and those not very worthwhile - maps. I was spoiled by Morison's work in that area. That one negative notwithstanding, the series is a recommended read.
3 people found this helpful
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Alan Dale Daniel
4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Book
Reviewed in the United States on April 3, 2017
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Pacific Crucible, the War at Sea 1941-1942 is the first volume of a three-book series by Ian W. Toll. This review covers Pacific Crucible and The Conquering Tide, the second volume in the series. I have not read the third volume, The Fleet at Flood Tide.

Ian W. Toll is a gifted writer. He manages to plug in interesting details, gluing the reader to the page. While most of these tidbits are not of immense importance, they are exactly what makes reading history fascinating. Mr. Toll moves a story along at speed, avoiding wording and phrasing leading to boredom. Pacific Crucible and The Conquering Tide are appealing as fact based books and as compelling stories.

Pacific Crucible begins at Pearl Harbor and explains Japanese decision making behind the raid. The author points out how the attack impacted the Japanese command structure, a detail often omitted in other histories. Ian Toll carefully points out that the main targets of Yamamoto’s attack were the American aircraft carriers, none of which were in port. He also describes the main Japanese offensive moves into Southeast Asia, which secured the oil and other military necessities for Japan. All this is done in a fast moving style that leaves the reader anticipating the next sentence.

The author is even handed in his evaluation of the leaders on both sides. Yamamoto’s attack plan was good, but far from perfect. The American military leaders General Short and Admiral Kimmel were unjustly charged with dereliction of duty in the defense of Pearl Harbor, even though they certainly made mistakes. Admiral King is evaluated well and his faults are disclosed along with his ability to lead the Navy in a tough time. All the leaders Mr. Toll discusses, Japanese and American, are approached with respect as well as an opened eyed realism.

The Conquering Tide tells the story of the Pacific War after Guadalcanal and details how the Japanese were defeated by American ingenuity, bravery, and industrial power. It is clear that the Japanese were hampered by pre-set conclusions concerning how the war would be fought and how the Americans would fail in the face of the spiritual superiority of their enemies. The Japanese leadership was stunned by the speed of the American advance across the Pacific, and the power of the Pacific Fleet by the end of 1943. Ian Toll tells us of the many false assumptions made by Japan and the helplessness felt by the population as their leaders became oppressive and outright stupid in their handling of the people during the war.

Like any author telling any story Ian Toll has his failings. All major battles are covered, most not in deep detail; however, some events, such as the first few voyages of the Wahoo, are reported in extreme detail. In other cases, Mr. Toll fails to adequately discuss items that were important to the Pacific theater of war. The horrible failure of Admiral King to adopt the convoy system at the outset of war, and its costs, are not well explained and lost to the reader. The story of American torpedo failures is split up and difficult to follow.

In this old warrior’s opinion, the author is too soft on some of the personalities he reviews. MacArthur is one example. He changed War Plan Orange and adopted junk in its place, and his superiors in Washington allowed it. Why? After the outright debacle following Pearl Harbor and the complete destruction of US air power in the Philippines, with consequences at least as bad as Pearl Harbor, he stayed in command. Why? Mr. Toll does complain about MacArthur, but he does not tell us he was incompetent. In fact, he more or less defends MacArthur’s leadership. It is the same with several other leaders. Mr. Toll gives them the benefit of the doubt too often.

I enjoyed both books and highly recommend them for anyone interested in World War II in the Pacific
80 people found this helpful
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Trent McFarland
5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic read
Reviewed in the United States on April 26, 2024
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One of the best books I’ve ever read. Toll’s prose and storytelling ability (embedded with facts and first hand accounts) makes him not only one of best authors of history I know but also places him among the best modern writers.
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strength
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book. Please read.
Reviewed in the United States on November 19, 2023
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My dad served in the Navy in the Pacific Theater of War. My mom served in the Women's Army Corp in the European Theater of War. I was raised hearing stories from both Mom and Dad and was proud of them. My dad's favorite method of getting us kids up every morning was to loudly exclaim "Rise and shine, hit the deck!" Ian Tool's book has presented me with another side of the conflict and has been a valuable source of information and I thank him. I wish this had been a textbook years ago when I studied history in my school years. I intend to read all books in this series. I also want to thank the narrator for his excellent narration.
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Top reviews from other countries

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Julio Ichaso
5.0 out of 5 stars Este libro es buenísimo
Reviewed in Spain on November 3, 2022
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Profundo análisis de las causas y desarrollo de la guerra del Pacífico, magníficamente escrito y documentado. Es de lo mejor que he leido en literatura histórica.
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Archimod
5.0 out of 5 stars Detailed and exciting history of the war in the Pacific.
Reviewed in Germany on November 25, 2021
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This book is exhaustively researched, but wears its erudition lightly. Detailed, battle-by-battle accounts of the major sea encounters, with maps, and well-drawn portraits of FDR, Churchill, Admiral Yamamoto (fascinating tragic figure!) and many others. I can only praise this book, a must for anyone interested in the Pacific theater of war.
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Jacqueline Stillman
5.0 out of 5 stars Formidable!
Reviewed in France on January 1, 2019
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Je n'ai commencé à le que récemment mais je ne peux pas laisser tomber!
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P2
5.0 out of 5 stars Thank you Ian Toll for a great history of Americ's Pacific War (1941-42)
Reviewed in Canada on January 19, 2016
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Ian Toll has written a first-class history of the first stage of America's war in the Pacific, from 1941-42. War in the Pacific during World War 2 was incredibly complex, even though for the Western Allies it began nearly 2.5 years later than war with Germany. Toll has wisely decided to divide his history of America's Pacific War into 3 separate volumes, of which "Pacific Crucible" is but the first. It is well written and includes many of the smaller, but significant, human details of individual lives and experiences that makes for an attractive page-turner. Even though many books on this subject have previously appeared, I still learned interesting new things that I had not seen in at least a dozen other books by well known and lauded writers. Ian Toll's second volume in this series, "The Conquering Tide", covering the war from 1942-44, is now available and I am about half way through reading it. It too is an absolutely splendid read! One must keep in mind, however, that given the complexity of the subject, even Toll's use of three volumes to cover 3.5 years of war experience only results in a "relative synopsis" of the Pacific War. Entire volumes as long and longer than Toll's have been written on each of the major battles he covers in his books, and Toll has provided a good bibliography of many of the best of these works for the reader who wishes further details. Toll's books are an excellent place to start for the budding student of America's Pacific War, and a great read for the more experienced historian as well!
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Siward Atkins
5.0 out of 5 stars Reads Like a Great Novel
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 15, 2012
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This is an account of the Pacific War at sea from Pearl Harbor to Midway. It is, apparently, the first of a trilogy going all the way to the Japanese surrender in Tokyo Bay and beyond.

It starts with an explanation of the Big Battleship paradigm of the great Naval thereorist, Alfred Thayer Mahan (1840-1914), developed in his masterwork, The Influence of Sea Power Upon History, 1660-1783 (1890). Don't be put off by this, as it is vitally important to Toll's main theme, which is that the Japanese and American navies, steeped in Mahan both, were quite slow to realise that the war at sea in WW II was going to be won by submarines and aeroplanes, not the huge battleships on which so many of their resources were lavished in the 1930s. Once it really gets going, after Pearl Harbor, the book is unputdownable. Toll is good on everything - strategy, tactics, intelligence, materiel, the personalities involved (FDR, Churchill, Nimitz, King and Yamamoto especially) -and the battle sequences are vivid, clear and thrilling. He has an eye for detail that brings the scene to life in an instant - the smell of paint burning on the flight deck, the roar of a Zero overhead, the colour of a sunset the night before battle - and a gift for lucid explanation that makes it easy to follow what happened and why. He is something like Beevor and Hastings in this, but his prose is more supple, his focus broader and his tone more relaxed. He is also less judgmental than Hastings and less preoccupied with atrocities than Beevor.

In short, this reads like a great novel. Really like War & Peace at times. You feel like you are living as well as understanding it. If only all history books were like this!

I cannot wait for the next two.
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