The Great Pacific War: A History of the American-Japanese Campaign of 1931-33

"This blow-by-blow fictional account of a war between the United States and Japan was a forerunner of actual events, written 16 years before the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. Bywater, the world's leading naval authority in the period between the two world wars, prophesied the following: A Japanese surprise attack attacks U. S. naval forces in the Pacific. Japanese troops simultaneously invade the Phillippines and Guam. Recognizing their limits, Japanese commanders hold off from any attempt to capture Hawaii."

Who will forget Roosevelt's speech condemning the Japanes for their surprise attack on Pearl Harbor? But was it a day of infamy or a very predictable event that US intelligence failed to get right? After all In his book the naval authority Hector Bywater outlined in novel format a scenario for a Pacific war between Japan and the US in 1931. Japan made a surprise attack on the US Pacific Fleet based in the Philippines ( Pearl was not then the naval base). After initial setbacks the US employed a strategy of island hopping to cut back the Japanese. Finally they made a move on the Japanese so provocative that the Japanese fleet had no option but to come out and fight to save their honor. They were annihilated. He was called a war mongerer. Roosevelt attacked him and disagreed that such a war would happen. Meanwhile a fellow called Yamamoto bought and read the novel as did most of the Japanese naval academy. December 7th 1941 Hector Bywater's novel became reality. Whilst the novel is old worldly quaint and focuses on pure ship power (aircraft at the time did not have the capability to inflict any significant damage) it is prophetic if only Roosevelt had listened. A must read for all those interested in naval power and the war in the Pacific.

A well written, quickly moving narative with main chapter subjects at beginning of each chapter. This author is a terrific news man and a far cry from the self-serving propagandist we have to day.

Bywater explains the "inevitable" war in the Pacific between the United States and Japan if the Naval Treaty between the US, UK, and Japan hadn't been signed in the 1920's. What is interesting is the amount of detail that Bywater brings to the "war that never happened" and forecasts some of the steps that the US would enventually take in WW2. It's not for everyone but if you like the "What-If" genre of history you'll find it quite enjoyable. This book was out of print for years so if you want to read it buy the reprint now! I tried to find it for years from specialty shops and could never find it.