Walter Lord reconstructs the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, through a chronological, minute-by-minute mosaic. Based on interviews with hundreds of survivors, the narrative captures the experiences of sailors on the Battleship Row, civilians in Honolulu, and Japanese pilots over Oahu. The text tracks specific tactical details, such as the struggle to release the antiaircraft guns on the USS Nevada, the chaos at Hickam Field, and the shock of naval commanders as the Pacific Fleet burned. It focuses on human reaction to sudden catastrophe rather than grand strategy.
This book serves military historians and readers interested in eyewitness testimony. It provides a granular look at how individuals respond to localized combat and logistics failures under pressure. Readers walk away with a precise understanding of the mechanical and human sequence of the raid, moving past official reports to see the harbor through the eyes of those who manned the guns. It functions as a foundational study in narrative non-fiction for those seeking a ground-level view of a major geopolitical shift.
- Published
- 1957
- Language
- EN
