Midway: The Turning Point

This is a concise and informative look at the naval battle that turned the tide just six months after Pearl Harbor. Author A. J. Barker does a solid job explaining the overall military situation, plus the goals and tactics of both the Japanese attack fleet and the U.S. defenders. Readers see how the Japanese naval advantage was modified by the U.S. having radar and knowing enemy plans from reading Japan's secret military code Purple. We see how the battle was largely decided in a few minutes via both luck and skill; U.S. dive bombers arrived just after the failed attack by U.S. torpedo planes and quickly turned three of Japan's carriers into flaming wrecks. There is also the battle's anti-climactic remainder (with losses on both sides). Finally, readers see that Japan's task force limped home minus it's four carriers (all were sunk), and the Rising Sun never again held the initiative in the Pacific. Ballantine Illustrated uses a nice mix of photo's, illustrations, and readable prose. The result is a winning combination for both military buffs and novices wanting a concise and informative view.