Ron WernethBeyond Pearl Harbor: The Untold Stories of Japan's Naval Airmen (Schiffer Military History)

"Beyond Pearl Harbor"; The Untold Stories of Japan's Naval Airmen by Ron Werneth is a breath of fresh air to the student of contemporary history, specifically the Pacific Campaign as viewed from ..."the other side."Some ten years of research with total cultural and academic emersion went into the development of this very unusual and unique piece of work. This is a masterful collection of combined oral histories, supported by photographic and historical evidence from both American and Imperial Japanese Navy archives.Until rather recently, most readers had to rely strictly on Gordon Prange's works for any real historical information regarding Japan and the pacific theater. For some reason, the events and the men who lived them (American and Japanese) were basically ignored or, at very best, given a second place status in publications about WWII.Now, thanks to such authors as, Ron Werneth, that is no longer the case."Beyond Pearl Harbor "is an excellent source of history and exciting reading. It is also, a treasure chest of previously unpublished stories of human drama, and one of the best collections of rare and personal family photographs that... I, have ever seen.One must remember that in the short span of about 50 years, Japan leaped from ancient history directly into the modern 20th century and brought with it a military force so powerful... that it was truly...our countries greatest advisory!This then, is the accumulation of remembrances' as seen through the eyes of the Naval Pilots who fought as bravely for their country, as we did... for ours.This is a large book, and somewhat heavy, compared to most books. The cover design is intriguing in itself, but nowhere as intriguing as the information and photos that lie within the pages behind that cover! Although this book is somewhat expensive, I can only say... It's well worth the extra cost!!Ron Werneth is to be commended!

Having just finished Beyond Pearl Harbor, I turned straight to this site in order to craft a glowing five-star review, and find that there's not a whole lot I can say about the book's content that the previous six reviewers haven't already said. So with that, I happily add my own set of stars and will comment instead on how the author managed to craft this masterpiece, which could be the subject of another book.The amazing thing to me about Werneth is that he had no particular credentials or experience with Japanese culture or even history in general. He was simply a young man in Chicago who noted the abundant tales of U.S. WWII veterans and the dearth of same regarding the Japanese. Somehow, he managed the courage to quit his job and literally move to Japan, resolved to stay there until he could accomplish one-on-one interviews with every Imperial Japanese Navy vet who would talk to him. That turned out to be a three-year tour worthy of the most ambitious of expatriates, especially one like Werneth who had no organizational backing for his venture. I came up short trying to think of any other author/researcher who has gone to such extremes to perfect his work; hence the title of my review.With the able help of many in Japan (including the unexpected bonus of meeting his wife there), Werneth was able to create a growing network of IJN vets who opened up to him on a level never expected with a foreigner. The result is insight into the mind of the former enemy that has rarely been seen in the west, if ever. Very highly recommended.

I would give this more stars if I could. I have read & own many of the aviation books written by Japanese aviators who survived ww2. I absolutely love this book! It takes the attack & attackers, breaks them down by mission type. So you start with the kanbaku(dive bombers), then the kanko(attack or torpedo bombers), & lastly the kansen(fighters). Under each subheading you are introduced to operational procedures for each type & some of the airmen who flew in each type (not all were pilots). Some of the interviews are great as they reveal something of the personalities of these men & their thoughts during the attack. Fasinating! There are some really great photos in here, mostly of the fliers themselves, but also some of ships, planes, and attack scenes. There are color photos of these men today. At the back of the book are 4 pages of color side views of aircraft that attacked Pearl Harbor. Their crews are also listed under the caption with each drawing. If you are interestered in ww2 aviation of the Pacific War than you have to get this. It's packed with lots of Good Stuff! Highly recommend it!

I "discovered" Ron Werneth's book during this season's post-Christmas shopping. It is one of those rare, outstanding books that I wished I had found when it first came out."Beyond Pearl Harbor" is clearly an important contribution to the records of the Pacific War. More important, it is about the men who fought in one of history's largest wars--using new technologies and new weapons. These warriors share their emotions and feelings about duty, the battles they prevailed in and survived, and the cost to their nation as they returned in surrender to a totally devastated Japan.In producing this book, Werneth clearly was possessed by a warrior-spirit. Through persistence, old-fashioned hard work and superb writing, he has given the English-reading world an important addition to the records of the Pacific War.Douglas ShinsatoTranslator of "For That One Day: The Memoirs of Mitsuo Fuchida, the Commander of the Attack on Pearl Harbor"Author of "101 Lesser Known Facts Related to the Attack on Pearl Harbor"

verry good

Refreshing to read and understand aspects from the opposing force. Sad that this conflict had to occur and sadly in todays societiesindividuals are still losing their lives in conflicts, civilians are killed, maimed and the infrastructures are destroyed.